CDA

Kristine Buchanan kbucha at fiat.gslis.utexas.edu
Fri Jun 27 14:49:38 EDT 1997


 What you seem to be forgetting is that it is legal for adults to buy 
those magazines in those communities.  Your filters would disallow adults 
from accessing materials that they may have a legal right to view.

 Additionally, one of my strongest arguments against filters is that they 
also filter out information that is valuable.  For instance, information 
on breast cancer.  Another problem with filters is that they are not 
foolproof.  When you tell your patrons that you are going to install a 
filter in order to limit what their children can view, should that filter 
fail, you might have just opened yourself up to a lawsuit.

 I realize that there is a fine line in what you believe is pornagraphic 
and what is not.  The problem is that the line is different for every 
person.  When a community votes to set a standard for that community, at 
least each member of the community has the opportunity to vote for 
whatever standard they deem best.  When a librarian sets the standard for 
the community, no one has the opportunity to vote.

 What is best for our children, if that is what you are truly concerned 
about, is for their parents to sit down with them when they are at the 
computer.  I do not want some stranger telling my child what is or is not 
moral, that is my job.  Nor do I want to take on the responsibility of 
educating other peoples children. 


On Fri, 27 Jun 1997, Ronnie Morgan wrote:

> At 10:53 AM 6/27/97 -0500, Sheryl Dwinell wrote:
> >At 08:10 AM 6/27/97 -0700, you wrote:
> >>At 09:37 PM 6/26/97 -0500, Jim Hurd wrote:
> >>>
> >>>	If a libraian tried to keep legally availble information away from
> >>>my children, I would have a law suit in their face before he/she could say
> >>>"Jerry Falwell."  You can talk about *your* children, but don't talk about
> >>>*our* children.  There is no us, pal.   
> >>
> >>I find it odd that you want you kids to see porn.  
> >
> >Read carefully, he said 'legally available information.'  He didn't say he
> >wanted his kids to see porn. But, maybe he lets his children view material
> 
> I did read it carefully.  And since I have always said that porn should be
> filtered, I assumed that is what he was talking about.  And whether or not
> he finds Hustler offensive or not, can his kids purchase that magazine at
> the local adult store?  Can his kids even get in the door of an adult store?
> 
> Seems to me that he needs to sue the adult bookstore and NOT the library.
> But my point is, why is it okay for the adult bookstore to disallow a child
> from coming in and purchasing porn, and DO allow a child to have access to
> the same stuff in the library?  Why is it illegal in one respect, but legal
> in another?  It doesn't make sense.
> 
> (I agree with your personal note, but at least this is one thing *WE* can
> do for them)
> 
> Ronnie
> 
> 


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