Posted on 11/12/2013 3:08:54 PM PST by Morgana
Nov. 12, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Public libraries are taxpayer-funded areas where families can bring their children to read, socialize, and sometimes use the library's computers. But according to local mom Megan Fox, in Orland Park, Illinois, the public library is also a haven for sex offenders and pornography users.
According to Fox, on October 4, she tried to use a computer in the children’s area of the library, and was directed by staff to use an adult computer area. There she says she discovered a man looking at pornography. When she complained to staff, she claims she was told, “We have a lot of” porn viewers. Fox says she had her children with her.
After filing numerous complaints – including unanswered ones to the library director and the library board – Fox received a report from the Orland police that she said shows the library “has been for many years a haven for sex offenders who feel very comfortable exposing themselves to women and children,” among other illegal actions.
Fox says that the library’s own internal records also showed that on at least one occasion a man was clearly looking at child pornography and despite the presence of two witnesses the staff took no action. Another alleged incident that took place at the Library included a patron filing a complaint “that a man was fondling himself at a computer station.” The library staff’s action was limited to moving the woman who made the report “to another computer.” This alleged incident took place in 2008.
According to library spokesperson Bridget Bitman, the library “does not tolerate illegal activity.” However, while child and teen computers have filters for online activity, Bitman acknowledged that adult computers are not prevented from having pornography on them, as long as the content is legal. She said that allowing legal pornography viewing is protected under the First Amendment.
Fox refuted Bitman’s claim, citing the Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. American Library Association, Inc., which she says allows libraries latitude to ban pornographic material without violating the First Amendment. The ACLU, which opposed the Supreme Court’s 2003 decision, seems to agree with Fox’s interpretation of the decision. However, the ACLU also says that under the decision, people over the age of 17 are allowed to request unblocking.
Click "like" if you are PRO-LIFE!
Fox has requested 12 years of FOIA documents, and incidents related to computer usage and suspicious activity at the library. She says she found that there were seven incidents where police were called because someone acted inappropriately either on computers or in other ways, and staff notified police. Fox also says FOIA-garnered records show on at least five occasions sex crimes were committed at the library when police were not called, in violation of the library’s policy. That includes three alleged cases of public masturbation, one case related to child porn, and one case of indecent exposure.
Fox took her complaints to the library board in an October meeting, a portion of which was videotaped. In the video, the board’s lawyer told Fox, “Frankly, you have no right to demand answers,” citing limitations of the Freedom of Information Act.
In a phone call with LifeSiteNews, Bitman called Fox’s initial account of what happened to her in October into question, explaining that two staff members never saw Fox’s children with her – though a video Fox took outside the library includes a brief interaction with her daughter. Bitman said library policy at the time was that no adults were allowed to use the computers in the children’s area without actually having their children present, and that was why she was directed to the adult area.
She also insinuated Fox’s accusations against the library might be related to a book Fox is writing about libraries. Fox, however, says the book was supposed to be about book reviews she has done, but after this series of incidents the angle has changed. One of the incidents includes the police being called on Fox and Chicago political activist Kevin Dujan for handing leaflets out on library premises several days after the alleged initial incident. According to Fox, the police came and explained to Library Director Mary Weimer – who made the call – that Fox was not acting illegally.
Fox told LifeSiteNews.com she believes there is a direct correlation between the 12 documented incidents over a dozen years and the presence of pornography at Orland. She has also requested police incidents at four area libraries – Tinley Park, Mokena, Palos Park, and New Lenox – that ban pornography, and says she will be comparing Orland to the other four libraries for police incidents related to sex crimes.
Orland is not the only area library that has faced controversy for allowing the viewing of pornographic material. A Chicago-area CBS affiliate reported in 2007 that one library saw “33 sex crimes…over the last three years,” and “convicted sex offenders use libraries to access porn, and maybe even to find victims.”
As a result of Fox’s complaints and investigation, the library has announced it is changing its policies. It will now be checking the identification of all people using the adult computers, and IDs will be held at desks while people use computers. Bitman also told LifeSiteNews.com it recognized “a gap in services” to the parents of children. Parents will now have two family areas where kids can be around while parents are on computers, rather than strictly have kids in the presence of parents.
The library board is holding a meeting to discuss possible policy changes on Monday at 7 p.m. Bitman said the meeting time may change.
“It’s for the chill-run”
I remember a long time ago reading about how NAMBLA met at libraries, they have “public meeting rooms”, but the same libraries refused to let meetings of Christians be held there.
Well we all know the state is Illinois is a bastion of Christianity and morality just as it is in Kalifornia.../s
Since Cicero-—the understanding of Rule of Law and a Justice System-—is that “Justice” is a Virtue and that for free republics-—it is essential to promote Virtue.
Socrates stated that Freedom will not be possible with non-virtuous people....civil society collapses. Our Founding Fathers reiterated that and our Judicial System enshrined it.
So-—we had a “Justice” (Virtue) system built on Judeo-Christian Ethics-—but since Oliver Wendell Holmes-—who was equivalent to a Fabian Socialist-—we have unconstitutional “laws”-—because he striped morality from Laws-—when morality is the only reason for a “Justice” (Virtue) system.
Cicero stated the same thing-—when laws are unjust (not promoting Virtue)—then they cease to be Law. Nuremberg Trials still reiterated that concept-—because all the soldiers followed the Laws of Germany since Hitler was a stickler for laws.
So——we need to get judges who understand what “Justice” means-—it does not mean promoting Vice. All rules and regulations that promote Vice are “Null and Void” (antithetical to the Constitution where Rights come from the Judeo-Christian God—and Christian Ethics) -—this was according to Justice John Marshall.
We need to get back to Rule of Law-—not this Rule of Man/Satan.
Isn’t it funny how the bible beltway states are much friendlier and less hostile than their northern hardly Christian state counterparts; something I’ve noticed for years.
Good info and agreed.
Completely twisted.
Have her try to donate 20 copies of “Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims” and see how big the ALA is on free speech.
This woman is obviously not DIVERSE ENOUGH. I wonder what section the democrats devoted to having sex with animals.
This is why more libraries are creating separate “kids” sections in one corner, far from the adult section.
(Runs and hides)
Once again, I find myself bookmarking your post. Thank-you.
Note to self: memorize this!
She’d no doubt be shocked to see what books the library has on its shelves. Hopefully she doesn’t let her children wander around unsupervised, whether in the children’s section or the adults’.
Let me see if I got this right...
Prayers are not legal before public meetings because ONE pervert atheist might be offended, but...
A single normal mother being offended by perverts viewing pornography in a public library where children (and non-pervert adults) are present is a violation of freedom of somethingorother?
Did I get that right?
Fox took her complaints to the library board in an October meeting, a portion of which was videotaped. In the video, the board’s lawyer told Fox, “Frankly, you have no right to demand answers,” citing limitations of the Freedom of Information Act.
Disclaimer: I live within 5 minutes of the library in question. Now for the rest of the story.
Fox was recently on WLS AM-890 in Chicago on the "Bruce and Dan" morning show in which she chronicled her FOIA request and all the legwork she did to get the information, cull through it and see just how bad the situation is there.
The library in question was built withiun the last 5-7 years and is a rather large state-of-the-art library including high-speed internet access, wi-fi access and internet access stations setup in two areas in the libarary: on the lower level for children, and in a less than conspicuous space on the second level for "adults."
The most troubling thing about the adults viewing porn on the computers designated for "adults" on the second level is that there's NOTHING stopping anyone who's under 18 from being in that same area and therefore being exposed to the creeps looking at porn.
Even more disturbing are the calls that have been made from the library to the Orland Park Police that have gone un-responded to.
Now here's the thing that really gets my goat, and you won't see this published anywhere else:
The Orland Park Chief of Police is named Tim McCarthy.
That's the same Tim McCarthy that took a bullet for Ronald Reagan, when John Hinckley tried assassinating Reagan.
One would think a man of McCarthy's character and sense of duty would actually DO something about this situation, notably ensure that the Orland Park Police RESPOND to calls from the library that creeps are exposing themselves (potentially to children) IN A PUBLIC LIBRARY!!!
In the case of the Orland Park library, the kids computers are on the first floor, the "adult" computers are on the second floor.
Since the library KNOWS those computers are being used to watch porn, a reasonable person might expect those computers to be walled off/removed from general public viewing so as not to expose others to these creeps.
The fact that the Village of Orland Park and the Library Board has known about these problems since introducing computers to the libraries more than a decade ago and has failed to act IMO is nothing short of ignorance and incompetence.
If the village wants to allow porn I really don't have a problem with that (well actually I do resent my tax dollars being used in such a way ..) as long as reasonable precautions are taken to protect minors (under 18) from being exposed to it (the porn) or the creeps (in some cases convicted child molesters and sexual offenders) that look at it.
At least I think that'd be reasonable....
This was an issue at the Lake City branch of the Seattle Public Library a couple of years ago. I don’t remember what happened, but it was the same deal—a mother and daughter. At any given time at the main branch if the Seattle Public library, at least 2or 3 patrons will be looking at hardcore porn. If you are directly behind them, you can see. Just one of those things, a free speech thing. They don’t do it in Everett though, and I think there may be a rule against it. EPL librarians and security guards may not be able to define it but they know it when they see it.
What kind of a filter lacking weirdo goes to the library to use their computers to view porn? That is just demented.
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