Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Book Burners to Hold Vigil in West Bend

I really wish these folks would go away.

The Milwaukee-based group claiming it will file a federal lawsuit against West Bend city officials and demanding the right to burn a young adult book found in the library plans a 1 p.m. prayer vigil outside City Hall today.

   Robert Braun, president of the Christian Civil Liberties Union’s (CCLU) Milwaukee branch, stated in a fax sent to the Daily News Monday that the vigil is intended to “pray for (the) West Bend mayor and city Library Board,” who are among those the group wants to sue.

   In the fax, Braun writes, “Mayor Kristine Deiss and the West Bend Library allowed a hate crime book, which offends minorities, gays and Christianity to remain in the public library, despite the fact that both prayers and God’s name have been removed from public places.

(9) Comments
Posted by Owen at 0735 hrs
Culture + Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

  1. The weird uncle. But it’s family. You gotta love ‘em.

    Posted by Jim Spice on June 30, 2009 at 1034 hrs


  2. The part about having the book “removed from the library and publicly burned or destroyed to deter repeat offensive conduct” sounds interesting.

    I expect a parade wherein the offending Mayor is tarred and feathered, loaded on a flatbed truck with said book and trucked to the town square to watch the people cheer and yell things about bad books getting their comeuppance, get town notables to take turns symbolically tearing the book up, then light it on fire. Don’t forget the icecream, balloons and fireworks after.

    But if you’re gonna do it right… heck, let’s get that library in order. Just pile everything on from the youth section and the ‘spirituality’ section, grab Twain’s stuff while you’re at it, that smutty Toni Morrison shelf, and all the Bibles because they have stonings and genocides that are offensive to gays, minorities and… wait - who all are we protecting this time? Nevermind. Grab all the fiction while you’re at it, and we’ll check the history stuff later. We’ve got a parade to catch!

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 30, 2009 at 1136 hrs


  3. I really wish these folks would go away.

    Really Owen? These guys are your peeps. You and Ginny with the help of Vrana and Turner brought them to town by convincing them that West Bend would be fertile ground for their lunacy.  As a guy who needs to do business in other parts of this world, let me say, Thanks for nothing.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 30, 2009 at 1404 hrs


  4. Thanks, Charlie, but these folks are not my “peeps.”  I have condemned their lawsuit in the past and will thank you not to lump us all together.

    Posted by Owen on June 30, 2009 at 1531 hrs


  5. I’m with you Owen…these extreme views give people with good ideas a bad name.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 01, 2009 at 0750 hrs


  6. Ditto what Owen said, comment #4.

    Posted by GAMazy on July 01, 2009 at 0928 hrs


  7. Some questions:
    What public libraries have adopted the SafeLibraries.org policy?

    If I understand the SafeLibraries.org policy…
    Any mention of something sexual in a children’s or YA book means it gets tagged and moved to the adult section because this material is considered “harmful”: It “damages” children.
    Thus, a committee would be formed that would screen and tag
    the books per SafeLibraries’s policy.
    Children would need to get a signed parent consent form before they can check out the tagged books.
    Thus, if a child checked out a tagged book without going through the parent permission process, that child or his or her parent(s)  could sue the library/city for damages because s/he has been harmed. Correct?
    Thus, if a book slipped through the committee’s screening, the child or his or her parent(s) who found the slip-up could sue the library/city for damages because the child has been harmed.  Correct?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 01, 2009 at 1228 hrs


  8. No, that’s not correct.

    Posted by Dan Kleinman on July 01, 2009 at 1252 hrs


  9. And that’s not the SafeLibraries “policy.”

    Posted by Dan Kleinman on July 01, 2009 at 1301 hrs


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