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.

[Wil H]

Agreed. So move the computers into the adult section and prohibit minors from accessing them. Problem solved with no expensive software or licensing fees.

That's a good idea then all the children that don't have access to a computer at home can be disqualified from using one.

That should help them get ahead with their studies.

[Houmatt]

Okay. After reading some of your posts, I find it necessary to put some facts out there for you to consume and hopefully understand:

1) Free speech is not absolute. Never has been. Never will be. You cannot plagiarize, libel, slander or threaten someone with their lives (especially the POTUS). You cannot yell "FIRE!" in a crowded theater. You cannot infringe on someone's copyrighted work. And thanks to Miller v. California, obscene material is also a no-no.

2) The American Library Association specifically forbids the prohibition of any kind of material from someone of any age. Even the most vile. Coprophilia, necrophilia, bestality, the ALA believes a six-year-old child should have free, unobstructed access to such things.

3) Any reasonable law passed by Congress that would have placed responsibility on website providers by mandating reasonable safeguards to keep away minors (e.g., no access without a credit card) has been promptly challenged by the ACLU and the ALA for reasons already stated herein.

Instead of working alongside filthy sickos, you should be working to destroy them. That is what Plan2Succeed is trying to do, and that is why they have my full support.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

I cannot imagine a scenario in which my child would ever have an opportunity to surf the internet at the public library.

[alexandria]

They can also be used to defeat most home blocking programs such as Cyber Patrol and Net Nanny, as well as getting around most blocking programs used in schools such as Bess, WebSENSE

I am employed at a school district that has WebSENCE filter. Got all excited thinking I could find an easier way to access ebay or whatever. Having to route thru another machine is alot harder than the way I've been doing it already sigh...

I wonder if there is a way to run a check on students, who unlike moi might have a DSL or cable connection, to see if they are exploiting the filter this way.

[leadpenny]

The answers to Free Speech is more Free Speech.

There will always be filthy sickos out there. If you are really concerned about what someone does on the internet at your public library, maybe you should work to get rid of the internet in your public library. It's better than filters (censorship)

Now, if you want to start your own internet cafe and have filters, that is your own business The marketplace and the quality of your coffee will decide.

[leadpenny]

Come to think of it, maybe it's time to consider whether or not it's necessary to even have public libraries?

[bluefish]

Could you please explain which liberty you are talking about. These filters are only for children. All adults are free to access whatever they like. There is absolutely no infringement on any freedom. It is a service to help parents.

I appreciate your pointing this out. I'm not particularly concerned with this specific issue. I guess I was discussing the forest, more than the individual trees, in my diatribe to which you responded.

However, I would suggest that I might protest my tax dollars being spent on the filters. Yes, the stated intent is to protect our children from porn, which is all well and good. No decent and sane individual could object to that.

Yet, we know who runs the libraries. I really don't want to spend money on what we know will result in a bunch of Liberals "protecting our children" from Free Republic, Christian Sites, etc. etc. What is the solution to this? I personally don't know.

In many ways, Libraries are kind of like PBS and Public Radio. No porn there - they are perfectly "filtered." Yet we all have a big problem with how they may attempt to shape our children's views of the world.

[Houmatt]

I don't know that I've yet seen a compelling argument that kids are being "freely allowed to view porn in libraries".

The fact the ALA endorses such an idea should be more than enough for you.

And just because you have never seen it does not mean it does not happen.

[bluefish]

Come to think of it, maybe it's time to consider whether or not it's necessary to even have public libraries?

Perhaps you have raised the answer to the basic problem I presented in my Post #247.

[leadpenny]

Yes. PBS, Public Radio, public libraries and Sears Catalogs may need to end up in the same place - - in the outhouse.

[Houmatt]

Your "throw everything out" response is so breathtakingly asinine it almost defies a response.

How about you dump the gameplaying and answer a straightforward question?

Do you think a six year old child should have complete access to websites on coprophilia on a library computer?

Please note: Any response other than "yes" or "no" will be construed as an answer in the affirmative.

[leadpenny]

Hang on, I have to look up coprophilia. You obviously know more about these things than I do.

[Houmatt]

I would also like to know why you opted for something goofy instead of responding to the very legitimate points I brought up.

[Amelia]

The fact the ALA endorses such an idea should be more than enough for you.

Please show me where the ALA endorses kids being freely allowed to view porn in libraries. Perhaps the ALA opposes filters, but I don't think they endorse allowing children to view pornography.

As I said earlier on the thread, I word for a school system which has filtering software installed - it doesn't discriminate between adults and children; it filters for all of us. Some objectionable sites still get through. In general, I think the software is a bit overzealous: some useful sites such as Free Republic are blocked. I don't think filtering software is a perfect solution. I think in general children should be accompanied by parents who are monitoring their behavior in any public place, including a library.

And just because you have never seen it does not mean it does not happen.

Do you have any evidence that it's happening with any great frequency?

[little jeremiah]

That's why I want government out of the libararies. In a small town where I spent a couple of years of my youth, there was a private town library - I think people paid a small fee yearly to belong. I think that idea is the best. People could donate books, magazines, etc and there would be total local control. The next best alternative would be local government control. Get the federal and state out of libraries. For years they have been the domain of the ultra leftists.

Once at my local library (on the west coast, very small town) I asked for Ann Coulter's "Treason" to be held for me. The head librarian actually started shaking and raised her voice and said these words: "Conservatives are anathema to me!" Over and over again with hatred in her voice. The never did save it for me. I had also told one of the younger librarians about World Net Daily (didn't know about FR then) and the head one freaked about that.

Librarians are as bad as teachers as far as being leftist tools.

[sfRummygirl]

I agree.
I'm very much into freedom like all of us, but this porn is out of control. It harms children,worse than any other porn we have encountered. It's too much, enough already.

Having said that, I'm not sure what the best answer is right now...

[HiTech RedNeck]

3) Any reasonable law passed by Congress that would have placed responsibility on website providers by mandating reasonable safeguards to keep away minors (e.g., no access without a credit card) has been promptly challenged by the ACLU and the ALA for reasons already stated herein.

Which doesn't do squat about foreign websites anyhow. US based "naughty" material is but a tiny fraction of the whole.

[leadpenny]

I have a feeling this may arouse you, but that word is not in my 'word perfect' dictionary and I'm asking you to give me the definition.

[leadpenny]

. . . the very legitimate points I brought up.

That's your opinion.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Once at my local library (on the west coast, very small town) I asked for Ann Coulter's "Treason" to be held for me. The head librarian actually started shaking and raised her voice and said these words: "Conservatives are anathema to me!"

She also sounds lousy at logic. If she'd held it, it would have been viewed by FEWER people (nobody else could read it while it was waiting for your pickup).