Posted on 12/21/2006 5:39:22 PM PST by plan2succeed.org
IFI Media Alert: IFI's Smith Interviewed for Chicago's CBS Investigative Report on Criminal Activity in Neighborhood Public Libraries
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When: Tonight (Thursday) at 10 P.M.
Where: Chicago's CBS Channel 2
Background
Savini also interviewed Tom Hanson for his report. Mr. Hanson is a concerned father of four boys who lives on the south side of Chicago and has personally observed the chronic problem of Internet pornography in his neighborhood's Mt. Greenwood library. In fact, a few weeks ago, Hanson took his entire family to the local library only to see a middle-aged library patron viewing what looked like child pornography on the Internet.
Mr. Hanson called the police, who took the accused (pictured at right), Michael Connolly, into custody only to learn that he is a registered child sex offender!
Yet the story does not end there. As the CBS Channel 2 cameraman prepared to film Hanson standing on the sidewalk out in front of the Mt. Greenwood library, he zoomed in through the front window to the bank of Internet computers only to catch another middle-aged man in the midst of a porn-viewing session!
In response to these events, Hanson drafted a letter to his local, state and federal representatives asking for their help. His letter is reposted here below:
Dear Honorable __________,
On Saturday December 9th 2006, I was at the Mt. Greenwood branch of the Chicago public library at approximately 10 A.M. with my wife and four children ages 6 to 14. We were all utilizing the Internet services provided there. I passed behind another patron to retrieve printed out material when I observed him searching "child pornography" with the search engine. I called the police. They arrived, stood behind the man, and observed for quite a few minutes while he was on teen pornography sites. He was arrested for viewing obscene material in public, a law that is currently on the books.
Another officer arrived shortly after he was removed and asked if it was Michael Connelly. The officer taking my report stated that yes, it was. The officer then stated he is a registered child sex offender. I had seen this man many times before in the library but had no clue. [Connelly] was later released and not charged with anything because [I was told that] although viewing obscene material in public is against the law, it is perfectly legal in a library -- in plain view of children and adult patrons.
The police were not allowed to retrieve the sites [Connelly] was looking at due to privacy issues with the library, so there was no way to prove that the images were of minors.
This is not an isolated incident at the library. At all hours of the day and evening, people, pedophiles, and registered sex offenders are able to view pornographic web sites in direct site of children.
There are multiple reports of people fondling themselves, [of fondling] children, and even child abductions by these predators in our libraries. There are laws already in place to prevent these things from happening but are not being enforced inside of a library because of the first amendment right of "free speech."
The viewing of this material should be restricted from being openly viewed in our public libraries. In addition, registered sex offenders should also be restricted from libraries, as well as schools and parks. The majority of patrons at our local libraries are children and it should be a safe haven.
Laws are passed every day to protect animals that are bred to be consumed by humans -- protecting things that seem trivial at times. Why not take the time to legislate something to protect our greatest resource, our children? I understand that there will be a cost of litigation by people and organizations that would oppose this, but what is the price for not protecting our children? To me it is priceless. This needs to be legislated at the local, state, or federal level at any cost.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Feel free to contact me at anytime with questions or concerns. My family and I are willing to help in any way to assist in getting this legislation passed.
Thank you sincerely,
Tom Hanson
Chicago
Ping - this story is showing on the news tonight in Chicago. You have to read/see this to believe this.
Three words: Concealed Carry Permit
Problem solved. Ask Miami.
Can't even go to the downtown Dallas library. Street people live in the bathrooms.
I had a philo prof that did other things in the mens bathroom at the library - and he tried to fail me in an aesthetics seminar!!
Back in the day, before there was an internet, a great big man used to hang out in the children's room of the main Chicago Public Library on Boul Mich and fondle himself for all to see. I saw him on several occasions and reported him to the librarians but they were all too terrified to say anything to him or even to call the police. It was at least indecent exposure. I wish I'd called the cops. But maybe I was too terrified too.
Wonder if those news hawks will mention that, as a state senator, Osama Obama opposed pornography filters on school computers.
Why does Mr. Obama take that stand against library filters, if you know? Do you have a link to a statement of his on that?
When you say "ask Miami," would you please elaborate, perhaps provide a few links?
Sorry, I don't. I don't think legislators issue statements on why they voted a particular way most of the time. Not in Illinois anyway.
Please elaborate. You see a perv at the library . . . just start blasting away?
This has been going on for quite some time in many major and even smaller cities across the country.
Libraries are no longer safe due to legal activism
I observed an elderly lady being asked by the library clerk to remove her scarf. The library here has a ban on "wearing colors". The clerk explained that the library has a gang problem.
The clerk was polite in her request and the lady complied. The 3 of us all looked at one another in dismay, finding the situation ludicrous.
Not without a silencer.
No, that's not the idea at all. The idea is that it ought not have to come to any shooting.
But if you instill enough doubt in the prevert's mind, and let him believe that some irate Dad might just blow his winkie off if he waves it some little girl at the Library, maybe the scumbag will take it somewhere else.
In Miami, concealed carry permits had a significant impact on reducing the number of carjackings, because the Home Boys were never quite sure if some cute young white chick might not open fire with her personal "'Lil Fren'" rather than just surrender her nice sports car...
That would work for the rational pervs, I suppose.
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