Librarian's attitudes toward filtering: The turning

[CMUNSON]

David wrote:
>What you missed, Dianne, is that fact that *I never said Heather 
>couldn't be in the Children's room*!  I thought it was perfectly 
>obvious that I was using "Heather" as an example of a challenged 
>material, and a librarian defending it, and not implying that I thought 
>"Heather" was pornographic, or inappropriate, or should be removed.  I 
>didn't respond to Chuck "Porn for Children Now or we go on strike!" 
>(note: this is sarcasm) Munson's reply because I thought it so absurd I 
>wasn't going to dignify it with a response.
     
     Hah! That's pretty funny. I thought my tone was more along the lines 
     of "No censoring software in libraries or we go on strike." When I was 
     discussing the rights of children to access adult materials that 
     wasn't so much a demand as an important attempt to present a point of 
     view never aired. I haven't heard much from kids about this. What do 
     they think?
     
     My position on children's rights isn't absurd, it's logical. SUre, 
     many of you are unfamiliar with it, but you'll hear it more often in 
     coming years. I think the dark age of treating children like idiots is 
     starting to move behind us.
     
>As much as Munson would like to be able to say I'm a tool of the 
>Religious Right or whatever, he can't.  So I'll diffuse this tense 
>situation(note: this is sarcasm) by saying that my library has 
>"Heather", as well as "Daddy's Roommate", and I have no problem with 
>either of them being in our children's room.
     
     I never said that Dave was a tool of the religious right, but the way 
     he brought up "Heather..." in a vague context prompted me to point out 
     the possible hidden agendas of SOME of the people pushing filtering 
     software. I'm not totally convinced that the religious right isn't 
     behind at least one of these products. If Dave says he has no problem 
     with Heather has Two Mommies, I believe him and will leave it at that.
     
>Never underestimate the power of people on the Internet to misunderstand 
>one another.
     
     That's what i love about it!
     
     Chuck0