Posted on 10/20/2004 1:39:56 AM PDT by Former Military Chick
ELYRIA, Ohio (AP) - The city's public library has postponed a pre-election screening of the President Bush-bashing documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" after a Bush supporter filed a lawsuit to block the showing.
The library planned a late October public showing of the documentary and another film, "Fahrenhype 9/11," which criticizes Moore's movie.
The library postponed the showings until it could pay fees and obtain showing rights, said spokeswoman Debbie Pillivant. The delay had nothing to do with the lawsuit filed Monday in Lorain County Common Pleas Court, she said.
James Pengov of Elyria wants the court to block the showings.
"I want to stop the library from lending a platform of attack specifically against President Bush," Pengov wrote in the lawsuit.
Pengov, who said he's voting for Bush, noted that the library would be a polling place on Nov. 2. Pengov said he opposes the library showing movies critical of either Bush or his Democratic opponent, John Kerry.
Because the library is classified as a tax-exempt organization by the Internal Revenue Service, it is prohibited from engaging in any behavior that supports a political candidate or party, said Chris Kerns, an IRS spokesman.
Pillivant said the library had planned to show Moore's movie because dozens of people are on a waiting list to borrow it. "Just because we show a movie does not mean we endorse what it says," she said.
"Fahrenheit 9/11" was originally scheduled to be shown on Oct. 27, Oct. 30 and Oct. 31. "Farenhype 9/11" was to air Oct. 28, Oct. 30 and Oct. 31.
Pengov, 36, made headlines in August when he offered his vote in the presidential election to bidders on the Internet auction Web site eBay. The Web site removed his posting from the online market place, because it's illegal to sell one's vote.
10/19/04 11:34 EDT
**ping** pass onto your Ohio Freepers
Score one for the Republicans!
I happen to live in Elyria. We're a small town of about 80,000 west of Cleveland. Mostly blue collar and very union dominated surrounded by farms. Between the steel mill closings of the 70's and its remaining effects, we have never completely recoved. Two small manufacturers announced closing earlier this week. Politics here have been dominated by dem's forever. Sherrod Brown our Congressmen doesn't spend all the money he raises for reelection and donates a percentage of it to the dem party.
All of that said, some hope is building to my city and county. My state rep is now a republican and he hopes to retain that office in this election. Our three person county commisioners have always been all dem and it looks as if that might change completely in this election. I truly hope it does and that brings some economic growth to our county.
I was amazed to see this in my local paper yesterday, there hadn't been a word before that I had seen. I guess I owe one to Mr. Pengrov. But, I am not sure what to think of someone that would sell his vote, even for a joke.
It hasn't stopped me from campaigning though, I am out there, picking up signs for people & distributing them all over my town, plus literature, I'm sure the libs are sick of me by now! LOL
A library should not be showing either one of these either pro Bush or anti-Bush. If patrons are on a waiting list for the movie then they just wait until it's their turn. Do they show all the movies that have a waiting list? I doubt it.
Playing "F911" WITH "Farenhype 911" would be fine. Why the screams to suppress?
Sure. If it weren't a polling place. Showing pro- & anti- Kerry films isn't impartial. It ignores Bush and all 3rd party candidates. Such a program focuses only on one candidate, which is hardly what a polling place should be doing, regardless of the office for which the library will serve as a polling place.
Mr Pengov, Thank you for your reply. I am again very grateful for your work in stopping our library from showing this film pre-election. I am not shocked to hear of how it would be shown, but even more stuck by the stance you took and the importance of it.
About the Ebay, thank you for your explanation. I am not sure I would do it, but I think yours is a reasonable point.
My husband and I were talking just evening that we live in a changing area. Opportunity is here to advance and educate. We spoke specifically about Sherrod Brown. I think his time here is waning. Not this election cycle obviously, but the next one, I believe his seat can be had. Isn't it time someone stood at the Lorain docks and asked people what Brown has done for them? Years of his representation has brought them what?
He sits on the Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health but this county faces loss of physicians and a crisis of malpractice premiums. He sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee but look at the nuclear plant out our back door. Brown is the ranking Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health but ask the people in Elyria with raw sewage in their basements backed up from an outdated water treatment plant if he is helping them live healthy lives...I digress..
Isn't it time?
All Elections are Local.
How in the world can they call that thing a documentary? Documentaries are at least loosely based on fact. That thing is a piece of propaganda at best.
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