Posted on 09/10/2006 7:11:11 PM PDT by plan2succeed.org
KIDS, PORN AND POLITICS
Sunday, September 10, 2006
David Reinhard, Assoc. Ed.
The Oregonian Editorial
Rob Brading had a chance to stand up for children and blew it -- twice. The Democratic challenger to House Speaker Karen Minnis had a chance to champion the common-sense notion that children are different than adults and said nothing -- twice. Brading had a chance to protect kids from pornography when they're in Multnomah County public libraries and did nothing -- twice.
First, as a member of the Multnomah County Library Advisory Board, he voted for the county to join with the American Civil Liberties Union in a lawsuit against the federal Children's Internet Protection Act. It requires libraries to filter pornography from Internet access or lose federal funding. Second, after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the library's lawsuit, Brading voted to have the library stop seeking federal funds since the library would have to require filters limiting access to sites showing smut.
Toni Manning thinks Brading should be called to account for this, and it's personal. In 2004 one of her children experienced the Brading policy in action. As Manning was helping her 13-year-old daughter with a homework assignment on a library computer, her 10-year-old daughter saw the naked women a teen-ager was taking in on a nearby screen.
This is where it gets interesting politically. Manning is now the executive director of something called Friends for Safer Libraries. Recently they handed out about 1,200 fliers saying "Brading. Defending the right to pornography over the rights of children." It's tough stuff -- one shade too tough for my taste -- but all built on fact. Here's some of the copy:
"Rob Brading has repeatedly supported the right to access pornography, even though vulnerable children have been exposed to hard-core porn in our public library . . . With such a strong record of protecting pornography, we can't expect Rob Brading to stick up for children. We can't give him the right to make decisions involving our kids."
OK so far. The Friends for Safer Libraries are right. Brading's failure to distinguish between what adults are able to access in private and what children are able to access at the public library -- his failure to see it's not an attack on the First Amendment for public librarians to take steps to limit children's access to Internet porn -- should disqualify him from serving in the Legislature. It's a matter of basic values and judgment. Someone who can't differentiate between the rights of adults and the needs of children -- someone who doesn't understand that parents shouldn't be the only line of defense between their kids and smut in our libraries or that, as Saint Hillary famously said, it takes a village -- shouldn't be making decisions on what's best for our state's kids.
That said, the Friends for Safer Libraries handout goes one step too far. It talks about Brading's "history of supporting pornography."
That's below the belt, and we're not talking porn here. Brading doesn't support pornography, and it's indecent to say so. Nor does he support children viewing pornography. Brading's radical and absolutist view of the First Amendment simply prevents him from advocating reasonable, adult steps to protect children from pornography while they're at a public library. He is, as the flier says, "responsible for children viewing internet porn in our county library."
Toni Manning and Friends for Safer Libraries have every reason to bring up Brading's kid-unfriendly no-holds-barred approach to the First Amendment. So does Minnis, who's been unfairly blamed for the flier.
Brading's views may be the rage in certain downtown Portland circles. But Minnis has made a distinguished career of reflecting the views and values of her east Multnomah County district -- and most of Oregon, for that matter -- in opposing income-tax hikes and the attack on traditional marriage. Heck, that's why left-wing elements from Portland to Washington, D.C., are targeting her this year.
It's hard to believe east Multnomah County voters think there's a contradiction between the Constitution's First Amendment and adults' obligation to protect all kids, not just their own, from porn in public libraries. Minnis should certainly make an issue of Rob Brading's notions about the First Amendment and (not) protecting children. But there's no call for anyone to make him out to be a porn supporter or a raincoat-wearing pervert.
David Reinhard, associate editor, can be reached at 503-221-8152 or davidreinhard@news.oregonian.com.
"Oh save the children!!!!"
On of the funniest ones I have seen is the local flood control district campaigning for funds with the slogan, "Every child should be flood safe."
Aw, Jeeez....
Yes, that is funny!
Remember the "Baby on board" bumper stickers?
Like that's gonna stop me from smacking their rear end,
Is there a 13-year-old boy in the US who wishes to see pictures of naked women, and cannot obtain them?
In this day and age, I doubt it.
But it the job of adults to guide these youngsters in the right direction, rather than relying on automation to do the job.
It's easier to save the children when you're not so bent on losing the children.
You prolly depend on "automation" for security every day. What do you think the code in your garage door opener is?
En zo, you belief peddling porn to zee kiddies is gut?
THE CHILDREN!!! WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN!!!
PING. You all should read this. Some mom's kid got zapped by porn in a library 2 years ago and that mom sent out a political flyer that is causing a big ruckus in Oregon. What's really special about this case is the person skewered in the political flyer was one of the very people who decided to join the ALA and the ACLU in suing to stop the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA). After he and his library and the ALA and the ACLU lost big in US v. ALA in the US Supreme Court, this guy then further complicated the matter by deciding he would join others in evading the very case he just lost in the SCOTUS. As a possible result, this mom's kid was exposed to porn that might not have happened but for this guy's actions. Apparently, she's getting results. So please read the article. I haven't pinged you in a long time. This article is important. Thank you.
Because I sure was doing that before you spoke up. But I'll stop doing it now, since that's definitely what I was doing all along....
Do you think exposing kids to floods is a good idea? Floods, after all, are generally more harmful than porno. May be it is a matter of priorities. :-)
Let me know if you (or anyone) wants to be on my ping list. Thanks.
You mix apples and oranges.
I rely on automated devices to protect myself from external enemies.
But how does one protect oneself from one's own desires? The best thing to do is to learn to live moderately and rationally. For this you need parents and wise teachers, not a computer program.
BTTT Calling Edgewood Pilot. Here we go again.
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