Requesting Help from Librarian ALA Members (Vanity)

Vanity | 6-29-03 | radical librarian

[radical librarian]

As a graduate student in library science, I am constantly encouraged to join the America Library Association (ALA). Although the ALA is SUPPOSEDLY designed to help librarians network and to provide new sources of information, it is in actuality anything but.

At the ALA's conference in Toronto this past week, guest speakers included Ralph Nader, Gloria Steinem, and Naomi Klein. While I disagree with everything these speakers stand for, I support their right to free speech. However, I do not support their right to speak at a convention designed for librarians.

The current governing body of ALA consists of nothing more than socialists, communists, and diversity obsessed misfits. I am not familiar with how ALA conducts their elections (I have yet to join, considering I don't want my membership dues going to support people like those at the last convention), but there has to be some flaw in the system. One of the current governing board members is a registered member of the communist party, and denies that Cuba is a dictatorship (there have been several articles printed in mainstream papers and on FreeRepublic recently in response to the ALA's decision to invite representatives from Cuba's government owned library system, while the ALA continues to refuse to support independent librarians that have been jailed under Castro's regime).

Friday, in an email from a law librarian listserv I belong to, a message arrived denouncing the current radical regime in charge of the ALA. Since it appears others are finally getting tired of the ALA's nonsense, I am trying to locate other librarians that have information on the ALA election process, and to see if anyone has any information on organized efforts to install new leadership at the next election.

Just as I wouldn't expect liberal ALA members to sit and pay to listen to conference speakers such as Rush Limbaugh, Thomas Sowell, and Michael Savage, I don't expect to have to listen to anti-globalization nuts, eco-weenies, and femi-nazis. Hopefully, I will find some people on the law librarian listserv who wish to install better leadership at the next ALA election as well. I would greatly appreciate it if anyone who has information on this subject would contact me. Thank you.

[LanPB01]

I thought I'd take a little time, as an information professional, to provide you with some links to correct some of the misperceptions you have been falling for, thanks to people like those that currently head the ALA. Here's a nice bit of information on how the Nazis were a socialist party:

http://russp.org/nazis.html

[Sloth]

I don't know if you have ever had a chance to read a really hard-left, anti-capitalist, pro-socialist/communist, utopian manuscript like this, but if not, I would recommend it (along with any one by Michael Parenti

Heh heh... In my freshman American National Government class at the University of Arkansas, our prof was a cynical old pinko named Adolph Reed. One of the textbooks for the class was by Parenti -- I think it was Democracy for the Few. As an assignment, we were supposed to read 3 books about public policy and write up a review of them. I did Rush Limbaugh's first book as one of mine, just to irritate him. I'll admit he gave me an 'A', though.

[ahmedtousay1]

You are wrong. Been there, done that.

You are not an information professional, you are a provider of disinformation at best. Most people will agree with me and not you about who the Nazis were and what they are all about.

How many times have your read Mein Kampf? Or how many speeches have you read by Hitler? Or this: Hitler and his generals : military conferences 1942-1945 : the first complete stenographic record of the military situation conferences, from Stalingrad to Berlin / c2002-2003.

Maybe you will know more then, eh?

Cordially

Eldar

[LanPB01]

Right. Well, listen, whenever you get all your stories straight (I have a poor white upbringing! I was once a practitioner of the Muslim faith! Nazis aren't socialists! I'm the only poor white American in existence who grew up in the inner city to have a FreeRepublic handle that sounds like I was born in Saudi Arabia!), let me know.

Hey, you didn't have anything to do with Hillary Clinton's latest piece of fiction, did you?

[ahmedtousay1]

To quote Reagan, there you go again. I have never said I was the only this or that, get your facts straight.

Eldar

[ahmedtousay1]

Yes, I was a Sufi dancer for about 3 months back in the 70's. Nazis were not socialists and that is a proven fact, no matter what bs you link to. And all my neighbors were poor and white too while growing up. We made something of ourselves, did you, other than to come here and show your contempt and hatred for Americans?

Cordially

Eldar

[ahmedtousay1]

"a black was required to become a caricature of sorts, providing sideshows of anti-black quips and attacks."

Clarence Thomsas-- Speech 1987

You're in denial about Thomas benefiting from affirmative action. And oh, what a waste it was too.

Eldar

[LanPB01]

That quote was written by Jill Abramson and Jane Mayer in Strange Justice, hardly an informative source. And considering that you probably just lifted it from Maureen Dowd's b.s. column on Thomas, you should consider the source. She is the same woman, after all, who completely butchered Bush's quote about terrorist leaders in one of her many meandering and meaningless columns.

Still doesn't change the fact that Thomas, as an intelligent man who did well on the standardized LSAT test, gained admittance based on merit, not his skin tone. I know that liberals hate to see this happen, but it does.

[LanPB01]

I just accidentally deleted the best post yet on the law librarian listserv regarding the Cuban fiasco. Some moron from Ole Miss posted a response to Mr. Kent (the guy who runs the organization dedicated to helping the independent Cuban librarians), in which he pointed out two totally stupid things.

1. Castro originally allowed the independent librarians into his country. I don't know if this is true or not, but so what?
2. Castro began arresting the independent librarians when it became clear they were actually working for American interests. I have no idea where he got this from, and again I ask, who cares? The ALA is not designed to promote intellectual freedom UNTIL it becomes clear that those promoting said freedom are actually working to support U.S. interests, at which time America bashing takes precedent over librarianship.

The guy then went on to talk about the war with Iraq, and how we should look at how the Bush regime lied and overstated their case for war, and how no dissent was tolerated. Gee, I guess all those demonstrators I saw clogging the streets on TV were summarily executed.

It was classic. I wish I hadn't erased it in disgust, so I could have posted the whole actual text here. I expect Mr. Kent will respond, so maybe I'll get the text of this guy's original moronic post at that point.

[ahmedtousay1]

Assummptions, assumptions. The documentation of CT getting by on affirmatitve action is well-documented. You keep showing how much you hate me, and you just will never get me to hate you back. Keep it up, pal, your life would be much better if you didn't have such a misguided notion of what a liberal ecomony and democracy truly is. But then you spend way too much time here bulging in only one place, the veins in your neck.

Best,

Eldar

[Buzzcook]

"I feel a discussion of Iraq would probably be useless and unwarranted, as would a discussion of Islaam. Needless to say, I agree with Dinesh D'Souza's view on the radically Islaamic countries - they will never be satisfied until the whole world is either Muslim or dead. Fortunatley, most American Muslims act as if their religion has undergone a reformation, and don't interpret the Koran literally."

I feel a discussion of Iraq would probably be useless and unwarranted, as would a discussion of Christianity. Needless to say, I agree with Tom Paine's view on the radically Christianity countries - they will never be satisfied until the whole world is either Christian or dead. Fortunatley, most Non-Fundimentalist Christians act as if their religion has undergone a reformation, and don't interpret the Bible literally.

Blanket statements don't care who you cover the blanket with;-)

Buzz

[LanPB01]

That's fine, except for the fact that the radical Islaamic countries don't have the separation of church and state we enjoy here. Their whole system intertwines, so instead of a few individual kooks trying to convert everyone, their leaders (who are also religious kooks) are telling everyone to convert or die. That's not happening in predominantly Christian countries. Certainly, it happened in the past, but Christianity apparently evolved beyond that. Not so with the Muslims.

That's why you find that, in all the current "hot" or troubled spots in the world, Muslim nations are involved in between 15 to 18 of the conflicts, depending on which source you check.

[Under the Radar]

Further, I run the risk of having myself "blackballed" by the librarian establishment. I know the idea of such a thing sounds ridiculous, but the specialized branch of librarianship I am interested in (law libraries) is a relatively small group.

Law librarians are a TINY group. BTW, since this is what you are going for, don't even worry about the ALA-- you need to join AALL, which is not as far to the left as the ALA. Most law librarians (reference, not technical service, at least), ignore the ALA entirely. We almost managed to miss the whole "Double Fold" bruhahaha entirely, if you can believe it.

UtR

[radical librarian]

Thanks. I intend to join AALL at some point, probably after I complete my MSLS and enroll in a JD program (I intend to go to law school sometime in the future).

[Buzzcook]

“Founded on January 5, 1919, the nazi party had its origins in the politischer arbeiterzirkel (political workers' circle), a small RIGHT-wing group that met beginning in november 1918 under the leadership of Anton Drexler, a locksmith at the locomotive works in Munich, and Karl Harrer, a racist reporter and member of the Thule Society. A rabid antisemitism characterized its meetings. In 1919, under Drexler, this cirle became the Deutsche Arbeiterpaqrtei (German Workers' Party), and its foundation by Drexler marked the beginning of the development of politically organized national socialism. In early 1920 it was renamed the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei. Adolph Hitler joined the party on September 12, 1919, becoming its leader in 1921." From the Holocaust Encyclopedia

http://motlc.wiesenthal.com/text/x32/xr3255.html

Totolitarianism comes in many flavors. Nazis and Commies are descrete types and it's sloppy thinking to try and blend the two. But in the end they have the same goal, rule of the many by the few.

Buzz

[Under the Radar]

Thanks. I intend to join AALL at some point, probably after I complete my MSLS and enroll in a JD program (I intend to go to law school sometime in the future).

Had I read the entire thread, I would have seen where someone has already brought this to your attention. I would like to point out, however, that you don't need a JD to be a law librarian, and that you don't need a JD to join AALL.

I wish you the best of luck in this, and hope that there are more like you coming from library school.

[LanPB01]

I guess I totally missed the controversy over "Double Fold" myself. I'd never heard of it till now.

[Buzzcook]

While Islamic countries are involved in regional and international conflicts I wonder if that is an aspect of there being Islamic or is it just geopolitics as usual.

Did Pakistan nuture and support the Taliban over other Mujahadeen because of it was the Islamic thing to do or because they wanted a controling hand in Afghanistan?

Do the Mullahs of Iran abuse the citizens of that nation because it is the Islamic thing to do or because they are a ruling elite that want to maintain power?

Is there a seperation of church and state in the US? Many here on this board would argue otherwise, with some merit.

Buzz

[LanPB01]

Oh, I doubt if the conflicts are all simply due to Islaamic influence alone. I'd say a lot of it just revolves around the fact that the middle eastern rulers have found a way to control the masses (through a combination of religion and half-baked "government"), and for that reason, they'll do everything possible to oppose Western influence. In D'Souza's book "What's so Great About America," he spends a lot of time discussing what all has gone wrong with his native area (and he freely talks about how his region, India, benefitted greatly from British colonialism).

Yeah, there are some members of FreeRebuplic that argue against the separation of church and state, but I find most people here understand why this is necessary.

[Gopher Broke]

You might want to contact a group called FAMILY FRIENDLY LIBRARIES to see if they can help: info@fflibraries.org