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Policing Porn Isn't Part of The Job
Rick Zeman wrote to mention a Washington Post article about an incident at a Bethesda library. Two uniformed men from a Homeland Security detachment made an announcement stating that pornography was not acceptable viewing at the library. They then questioned a patron's choice of reading material. From the article: "A librarian intervened, and the two men went into the library's work area to discuss the matter. A police officer arrived. In the end, no one had to step outside except the uniformed men. They were officers of the security division of Montgomery County's Homeland Security Department, an unarmed force that patrols about 300 county buildings -- but is not responsible for enforcing obscenity laws."
While I don't think the library is quite the place, it's good to know that some people are keeping an eye on the government as it's peering over our shoulders and aren't afraid to speak up when they see them going beyond where they're supposed to.
Someone save me from this sanity.
A federal employee gets hassled by Homeland Security for antiwar stickers on his car. Is it a mistake, a new rule, or the part of a trend of the First Amendment being bullied out of existence? Read the transcript, read the rules and decide for yourself
This space for rent.
Most MD police are yocals and bullies, who will try to bully or dick you around if you let. I've found that handing them my ACLU card deters them. Even better was I knew some of these commanders, and there was nothing funnier than watching an officer explain to division/area commander, why he trying to get the county sued.
I'm not upset in the least that a regular police officer stopped this, but I am surprised that they were able to.
I admit I don't know too much about these Homeland Security officers but I somehow imagined they would outrank the police. From the article it sounds like they are no more powerful than your run of the mill mall security guard - at least those guys are given flashlights.
I don't think the Republicans are Republicans any more. A few years ago I heard Rush Limbaugh say that fiscal conservancy was liberal value. The incubent Republicans have yet to provide more liberty, less government involvement, and fiscal conservancy. They have grown the government and have begun to insert endiscopes up our collective butts.
No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets. - Edward Abbey
Amazing the effect any authority has on small minds. Invariably, it leads to attempt to usurp new power and tyranny. It would have been better if the librarian would have immediately asked the Homeland Security people to go outside and state that such declarations - even from police officers - was illegal and inappropriate.
Interesting that they were merely reassigned, rather than fired for their stupidity.
What's next - taking the art history books off the shelves because some pervert might have a wank while looking at those paintings of luscious Rubenesque beauties? (oooh...drool...) Removing anthropology books because someone might consider photos of naked villagers to be child pornography?
No, I suspect the problem isn't so much what people are able to view as the lack of respect or consideration some of them have for other library occupants - including the young and the cleaners. How, without prying unduly into a particular library user's privacy, are you to know whether they're surfing porn for a quick thrill or as research into the seedier side of e-commerce? For that matter, how can you tell whether they're looking at "terr-uh-rist" or hate group sites because they're terrorists or neo-nazis or concerned citizens wanting to know more about the groups they've been told are evil? You can't - but the user of the library machines can respect the sensibilities of other users by making use of the privacy screens. Hell, if I was using a computer in a public library and privacy screens were available I'd request one on principle - not because I'd be surfing porn, but because it might make someone else feel comfortable asking for one and expanding their horizons and their minds.
... gather evidence against massage parlors by paying for and receiving oral sex. Policing sexuality is clearly a "tricky" business, i guess. Does anyone else see these stories as another sign that the U.S. is headed toward the kind of twisted Christian theocracy Margaret Atwood describes in The Handmaid's Tale?
See Washington Post article to read about the Spotsylvania police "beat".
Is this sig nificant?
Librarians are some of the most under appreciated people in our society. They're far more than just curators of large book collections, many of them care deeply about issues related to privacy, copyright, freedom of access to reading material, and so on, - basically, many of the issues the likes of the EFF deal with a lot.
:)
The American Library Association, the largest library association in the world, takes a particularly strong stand on civil liberties, intellectual freedom and privacy, and those who really want to show they care can even order themselves an 'Radical Militant Librarian' badge. Hell, kinda makes me wish I was a librarian
Finally, on the general subject of librarian appreciation, his seems like a good place to link to Unshelved, a great webcomic about life inside a library.
Curiosity was framed. Ignorance killed the cat.
I voting against every Republican incumbent on the ballot this fall. Maybe the only message we can send is "throw the bums out" but if I have anything to do with it, they'll damn sure get that message.
That's our life, the big wheel of shit. - The Fat Man, Blue Tango Salvage
Has anyone ever read the constitution?
Yes, but apparently not you. You have to read the WHOLE thing, and that includes the various AMENDMENTS that CHANGE the meaning and application of various other parts of the Constitution. In particular the 14th Amednment means that the states and local governments are equally prohibited from violating the constitutional rights of citizens.
And really it was a bug or flaw in the Constitution prior to the 14th Amendment. That's why we ammend the Constitution - to fix bugs and flaws. It is an absolute ABOMINATION for you to suggest that only the Federal government should be prohibited from violoating our rights. It is an absolute ABOMINATION for you to suggest that state and local governments SHOULD be allowed to VIOLATE OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.
Go right ahead.... I want to hear you argue that state and local police government SHOULD be able to engage in warrantless searchs and seisures, argue that the 4th Amendment should only apply to Federal police. I want to hear you argue that state and local government SHOULD be able violate and deny our right to Religious Freedom.
This pharase "Seperation of church and state" is a bogus idea. It came from a letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote to his friend while he was in France.
You are correct that the precise phrase "Seperation of church and state" is lifted from a Jefferson letter. Jefferson is reknown for his skill with words and coming up with exactly the right short beautiful phrase to represent a rich idea.
However the idea originates from Jesus Christ himself. Render unto Ceaser that which is Ceaser's, render unto God that which is God. Jeasus himself addressed the difference between the Kingdom of Man and the Kingdom of God.
In a United States context, the idea of separation of church and state appears to have first taken root with Roger Williams, co-founder of Rhode Island in the 1600's. The idea then grew and was adouped as a founding principle by the Founding Fathers. In fact James Madison wrote extensively on the subject. You know, James Madison Founding Father. James Madison President of the United States. James Madison Father of the Constitution. James Madison Father of the Bill of Rights. James Madison Author of the First Amendment.
He wrote estensively on the subject of separation of church and state, and what it meant, and what constituted a violation of the First Amendment in relation to speration of chursh and state.
Madison referred to it many times, using phrases such as "perfect separation between ecclesiastical and civil matters" and the "separation between religion and government in the Constitution of the United States".
Of course Madison's phrase "separation between ecclesiastical and civil matters" is far less catchy than Jefferson's "Separation of Church and State". We use Jefferson's phrase for the idea simply because he was such a skilled wordsmith.
The idea of Separation of Church and State was established as a Founding Principle of this nation by both the "rationalists" such as Jefferson and Madison who were wary of the currupting influence of religion upon government (and often wrote of that concern), AND by the evangelical Founding Fathers of various religious branches as well. Many religious groups had explicitly come to the States to flee the effects of religious influence upon government at home. They were excruciatingly aware of the effect of religion upon government and that it inherently produced oppression of minority religions. They delivberately di NOT establish a "Christian" government, because they well knew that that could and would inherently mean one particular sect of Christianity elevated by government above all other sects, and that that inherently constituted a violation against the Right to Religious Freedom and equality under the law of all other sects.
The author of the First Amendment was James Madison. He wrote extensively on the separ
- - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.