Open letter to Brock Meeks (fwd) -Reply

[Dan Lester]

Thanks for posting Brock's reply.  You have my permission to
send this to anyone around the world (esp. since it already IS
being made public on the list and web).  

I agree with the distinction he made.  But what he doesn't
realize is that OF COURSE this is happening in communities
all around the country, if not the world.  Articles in American
Libraries, LJ, FTRF Newsletter, and other professional
publications abound.  SHOULD Brock have checked it out? 
Probably.  

The issue has come up at several public libraries in southern
Idaho.  They've adopted different solutions, but they generally
have some filtered workstations and some not filtered.  I don't
believe any of them have installed filtering exclusively, even
here in VERY conservative Idaho.  The cases have had LOTS
of local media attention, including front page on the local daily
paper, coverage on all three network channels' local news at
6 and 10, and so forth.  Some of the board meetings have
gone on over several sessions to allow all a chance to speak.
 Those meetings have also had extensive coverage.  

So, in the Boise area, the open meeting political process has
worked well.  Both sides have spoken rationally, as well as
ranted and raved.  Both sides have had "outside experts" in to
testify.  Local citizens of all sorts of political, religious, and
moral beliefs have had their say in person, in the mass
media, etc.  And, compromises that more-or-less satisfy
everybody are in place.

Sounds like the good old American way to me.

cheers

cyclops


Dan Lester, Network Information Coordinator
Boise State University Library, Boise, Idaho, 83725 USA
voice: 208-385-1235   fax:  208-385-1394
dlester at bsu.idbsu.edu     OR    alileste at idbsu.idbsu.edu
Cyclops' Internet Toolbox:    http://cyclops.idbsu.edu
"How can one fool make another wise?"   Kansas, 1979.