By Reid Forgrave
The Cincinnati Enquirer

WESTWOOD - Hamilton County Sheriff Simon Leis, who gained attention after seeking obscenity charges against Robert Mapplethorpe more than a decade ago, is sick of a lot of things these days.

"An era of permissiveness has entered every phase of our life," the longtime sheriff, and former prosecutor and judge, told more than 100 people Tuesday at a Kiwanis Club of Cheviot-Westwood luncheon.

Leis spoke about crime and the courts, obscenity and pornography, abortion and same-sex marriages - issues he feels plague America.

His theme: Over-tolerance propagated by a too-liberal media is wrecking the family values of Cincinnati and America.

"As prosecutor and sheriff, I enforce obscenity laws, and on many occasions I have been made an object of ridicule by the media," Leis said. "I will never compromise my beliefs on this issue."

Leis called for clergy to speak more loudly about what's right and what's wrong.

"We fail to speak out even though our college campuses have become a place for sexual experimentation and drug abuse," he said. "The clergy needs to speak out loud and clear about moral truth instead of only the love of God."

The crowd at the Westwood First Presbyterian Church appreciated Leis' conservatism, punctuating his speech with an "Amen!"

One audience member told Leis the silent majority in America agrees with him - but the silent majority needs to become vocal.

"Most people don't ever write a letter to their congressman," Victor Johansen said. "I talked to a congressman a couple years ago, and he said if he receives two postcards on an issue, he considers it a big deal."

E-mail rforgrave@enquirer.com