Town Refuses to Ask Citizens If Library Porn Should Be Filtered Out - Please Help Us!

Plan2Succeed.org ^ | 22 Dec 2003 | Plan2Succeed.org

[plan2succeed.org]

Town Refuses to Ask Citizens If Library Porn Should Be Filtered Out; Plan2Succeed.org Seeking Pro Bono Counsel.

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Something is wrong when a small group of people called a Library Board of Trustees determines that a public library must continue to allow access to pornography despite admittedly being outside the library's mission, the Township Committee claims it is powerless to stop the Board, and the citizens have no say.

[Always Right]

Well that is not Ashcroft's building. It is ours.

Ashcroft is responsible for what goes on in that building. If I put a statue of a naked lady up in my place of business, it is very conceivable I could get sued for sexual harrassment for creating a hostile work environment. Explain what a naked lady has to do with justice?

[VRWC_minion]

It was my understanding that there is a curtain that is pulled back for conferences and otherwise its always on display.

[VRWC_minion]

It's called "parenting".

Short story. A major type of porn is cartoon porn based on current cartoons kids are watching. My 13 year old son was searching for sites on Pokeman. He found one which had cartoons on it. Now, we monitor our childern closely. His only access to the internet is a computer at my office where he sits with people around him including myself.

So, much to his surprise he runs one of the cartoons on a site that has no indication it has porn and to use his words "It was gross". He saw more than he wanted to see.

If a filter can keep that type of stuff from happening then I'm all for it. Its no different than placing covers over the front of porn magazines.

[VeniVidiVici]

You're going about this all wrong. You need to go the library and spend a few hours downloading and printing out what you consider offensive.

Make sure kids see you, adults see you and, most of all, make sure the staff sees you.

If somebody complains tell them to take a hike.

[VRWC_minion]

Skip the porn and just have sex in the reading room. Call it art.

[Amelia]

If a filter can keep that type of stuff from happening then I'm all for it.

My guess is that it would prevent some, but not all, of that.

[VRWC_minion]

My guess is that it would prevent some, but not all, of that.

That's okay. My analogy is the way we handle magazines. If I had a copy of Penthouse at home I wouldn't leave it in the living room where my 8 year old could find it. I'd probably keep it under our bed or in a draw in my bed room. Is it possible my child could stumble accross it ? Yes. If he can stumble accross it should that mean I shouldn't take reasonable steps to block access ? Of course not.

Is using software that adults can bypass the equivalent of putting the magazine in your sock draw ? Yes. Should we just leave it out on the coffee table because we know they will get it anyways or because some guest might want to read it ? Sorry, no.

I owe it my children to help them avoid what they would consider "gross" and what they are not ready to deal with yet.

[plan2succeed.org]

Theodore R. is exactly correct. We get what we vote for. But I can't blame people who grew up not having porn in public libraries from knowing that libraries now serve porn on silver platters. Our mission is to educate people about this problem.

The issue of whether or not this is censorship is moot. It is not censoeship. The US v. ALA Supreme Court case on our web site proves that.

Further, the issue is not that we want to force the public library to install filters. That is not the subject of this thread and if some people have steered it that way, they have misrepresented our views. Our issue is that citizens in a community need to be polled to determine whether or not they want filters. Then, whatever they decide, the public library should comply. So any one person or group, even our own, that says one thing or another about filters is not important. The important thing is to find out the views of the citizens of the town. As it is now, our library and our town refuses to even poll the public to determine their wishes. Instead they rely on the ALA to force us not to have filters. The ALA believes children should have access to porn because it would be age discrimination to keep them from seeing it. Now if the citizens of our town believe that as well, so be it. But it should be up to the citizens to make that call, not the ALA. That's the point of our message. Please consider this when reviewing our web site and responding here.

In all cases, pro and con, thank you all for your interest in this issue of who controls the public library, the taxpaying public or a union of librarians pushing porn on children. Please see our full view on this issue at http://www.plan2succeed.org/p2spressrelease12-2003.html . Thanks again.

[Always Right]

My guess is that it would prevent some, but not all, of that.

You can say that about anything. Should we legalize murder and rape because we can't prevent all of it?

[fortunecookie]

See #9. You are soooo right. (sarcasm on) Poisoning little children's minds with Ann Coulter's books. We can't allow that. Those nasty libraries. We should start a petition... Ok, sarcasm off, I can't continue...

And #10. Buy your own freekin porno with your own freekin money and look at it in your own freekin house.

What?! When they can get it for free courtesy of taxpayers like ourselves and have little children to corrupt - or worse - near by?? Oh, no - taking away the free state sponsored porn - that would be violating free speech. Suppression of Ann Coulter's books and others like hers?? No, that's just he'pping us po'h little regular folks who cain't discern how baaad those books are for us.

[Amelia]

I don't object to using filtering software, especially if adults can bypass it. My points are (1) it doesn't always work correctly, (2) it may block useful sites as well, (3) it's no substitute for adult supervision, and (4) the local library ought to be under local control and answerable to local standards.

Which of these are you disagreeing with?

[fortunecookie]

There is no reason why taxpayers should be paying for something that allows pornography to children. I suppose you are for allowing kids to buy alcohol, pornography, and shoot why not drugs too while you are at it?

I agree! It's disgusting. But lest we forget, kids can already get all the free condoms they want at school and have easy access to illicit drugs. They've thrown out the baby to save the bathwater.

Locally, many parents drop off their kids at the library for homework projects. The boys/girls club is right around the corner and movie theatre across the street - kids hang out unsupervised all the time. Now it's all the free porn they can 'accidentally' stumble upon. And all the pervs who go to the library, of all places!, to access it. Ugh.

[TigersEye]

Anybody doing legitimate research does not go to the library to do it.

Just out of curiosity; what function do you think libraries were created for?

[Mr. Silverback]

Any input?

[VRWC_minion]

Agree totally. I thought you were saying that because its not a perfect solution and because the parents should be monitoring them anyways its wasn't necessary. Its not a substitute to a watchfull parent but it would be a help.

[F16Fighter]

"Held any "book-burnings" lately?"

You clearly must be posting from a "facility".

Have you received your shock-treatment in the groin-area yet today?

[F16Fighter]

"Kudos, leadpenny. Wherever these people are I hope they stay there and don't come anywhere near here."

We're guarding people like you -- at "facilities."

[Always Right]

The ALA believes children should have access to porn because it would be age discrimination to keep them from seeing it.

In all honesty that is a poor arguement and is not the real reason. There is no protection from age discrimination for minors in this country. The real reason behind the ALA position is to promote sexual education for kids and encourage kids to be sexually free from their oppressive parents. The ALA recommends to libraries sites that very liberal sexually and if parents knew would be quite upset. Libraries typically use 'children's health' or 'teen health' as the code words for these sites, although the web site at your library did not include some of the more offensive sites that the ALA pushes.

[VOA]

I'm on the run to work...
maybe you check with www.aclj.org (or .com) to see if they have helpful info.

[Major_Risktaker]

I raised four girls to strict standards. None were ever in any trouble, all are in their 20s now.

Congratulation!

When is the "HOW TO" book coming out?