Filtering in Idaho -- FFL Involvement

[Filtering Facts]

This message is forwarded from the Filt4lib list, where Karen Gounaud
responded to the charge that she "threatened to sue Ada Library":


>Subject: Filtering in Idaho -- FFL Involvement
>
>* From: Gounaud <FFL at compuserve.com>
>
>Just want to clarify something for everybody on filt4lib:
>
>>From "Filtering at Ada Community Library, Boise Idaho"  August 29, 1997.
>
>
>"The father was in almost weekly contact with Karen Jo Gounaud of Family
>Friendly Libraries in Fairfax, VA.
>
>"Family Friendly Libraries was debating whether to sue us if we did not
>filter, and ACLU would not be very happy with us if we did filter."
>
>
>Yes, we were giving that father advice, information, education, background
>and general encouragement to be an effective proponant of Internet fltering
>for his public library system.  
>
>But FFL does not sue libraries.  We have, however, been told by legal
>experts on the dangerous combination of pornography and minors that
>libraries and schools, or any institution offering Internet access to
>minors without an electronic  safety net could subject those places to
>lawsuits brought by the parents themselves.  We always tell parents it's
>best to go through the system and seek the cooperation and support of
>fellow citizens in the effort before even considering a step as serious as
>a lawsuit.  The institutions are particularly vulnerable when they allow
>minors to surf without parents present, and when they have made no effort
>to block even the ILLEGAL pornographic sights.  Now libraries also stand to
>lose significant public relations and political ground because technology
>as efficient and easy to tweak as X-Stop exists, putting a lie to all those
>ALA claims that you couldn't put a curtain around Miss January without
>blocking chicken breast recipes and breast cancer research.  
>
>Anyone that lost Dr. Ruth in the X-stop effort found they could easily
>restore her.  Better than losing a child's innocence which can never be
>restored.  You can tweak a blocker but not a kid.  Please, can those
>working in public institutions serving children urge all those Internet
>"blocking is not perfect" complainers to get their priorities straight!  
>
>In the meantime, the ACLU Goliath remains the chief legal buddy
>organization for the pornography industry, and the ALA is egging them on by
>talking about adding to their own legal teams to defend libraries against
>blocking proponants.  FFL is not suing.  We are asking, requesting, urging,
>pleading, begging, encouraging, promoting, beseeching, and entreating all
>those involved with kids and computers to understand WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE
>FOR THE WELFARE AND PROTECTION OF MINOR CHILDREN, whether the parents are
>around or not.  Rather than the threat of a time consuming, money grubbing,
>community dividing lawsuit, FFL much prefers that elected officials, law
>enforcement officers, librarians, trustees, and citizens become sincere and
>friendly partners in making the Internet safe for kids.  Our slingshots are
>armed only with information and recommendations, not supoenas.
>
>Remember the ALA legal leaders stood before the Supreme Court and argued
>against any more legal fences for the 'net because, in part, the technology
>was there to do the job instead.  Now the ALA leadership is making angry
>noises and pointing ACLU friends at any library that wants to filter or
>block.  In 1994 the ALA leadership also was present in the court battle on
>the side of pornographers when the  Justice Department decided to require
>proof that the models being used were not underage.  The ALA, far from
>being a true defender of the Founding Fathers' First Amendment vision, has
>put so much fear in the hearts of librarians who want to defend blocking
>and filtering that, in spite to websites like "filteringfacts" and
>listservs like this one, most are still expressing their views only in
>private.  What happened to their First Amendment rights? Some we had
>invited to our Sept 19th program withdrew in part from concern for the
>security of jobs and reputations.  The ALA now sponsoring programs and
>webpages to point parents toward great kiddie websites is pure hypocrisy. 
>A nutritious lemonade stand does not make up for a fenceless crater.  
>
>The library profession is an honorable profession.  Please, professionals,
>extract yourselves from this unholy ALA-ACLU-PORN trio and rejoin your
>patrons and parents in boldly making the library Internet a safe browsing
>environment for children.  If FFL had money for lawsuits, we'd contribute
>it to protect libraries and librarians against those fear mongering
>triplets who care more about protecting the income of pornographers than
>preventing mind molestation in our children and youth.
>
>Karen Jo Gounaud, Family Friendly Libraries     
>
>
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>
>

*****************************************************************************
David Burt, Filtering Facts, HTTP://WWW.FILTERINGFACTS.ORG
David_Burt at filteringfacts.org