It is the proper duty of a librarian and the library board to decide which books get bought. It is the proper and regular duty of a librarian and the library board to decide which books get removed. In Wasilla, as in any community, it is the proper duty of the community to oversee the library, and that oversight can well include the outright banning of certain texts from the library.
Why does a librarian oppose her community? It can be for good, because as a expert in books, the market and in the running of libraries she has a duty to oppose for those merits a position taken by the community. But what is the proper nature of that duty?
She can argue strenuously that a particular book be added, although the board initially rejects its purchase. She can argue against a book being removed, although the board initially demands that it be removed. Yet in the end she must either follow the board orders -- and it is their right to give an order. If she can not follow that order, made after her arguments are heard, she should resign, and failing that resignation the board's duty is to fire hire.
Here -- Truman fired MacArthur. rather than risk that the genius General become insubordinate. MacArthur was both a genius and beloved by many, respected by many. Yet MacArthur was become like the Wasilla librarian, a person in an office who thinks they are beyond any authority but their own.
Hooray for the Sarah Palin for bringing up the subject of community standards and hooray for Sarah Palin when she later fired the insubordinate librarian!
Yes, this guy has no agenda. This is his blog...
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/
The blog that he once ran himself has a list of recommended blogs. It is as follows...
Talking Points Memo
Daily Kos
Tapped
Atrios’ Eschaton
Crooks and Liars
Firedoglake
Seeing The Forest
Cursor
No More Mr. Nice Blog
Mark A. R. Kleiman
Matthew Yglesias
Cliff Schecter
Political Animal
Digby’s Hullabaloo
Political Wire
Discourse.net
Upper Left
James Wolcott
The Reaction
The Left Coaster
Think Progress
Ezra Klein
Glenn Greenwald
MyDD
Oliver Willis
The Poor Man Institute
Balloon Juice
Shakesville
Needlenose
Campaign for America’s Future
Obsidian Wings
Anonymous Liberal
A Tiny Revolution
The Jed Report
I'd not thought to equate the two, thank you for making the comparison. I will add this along with the detail of Theodore Roosevelt to my ammo bag.
Thoughtful post.