Brent Bozell's latest culture column starts from the standard Associated Press boilerplate celebrating how the American Library Association has allegedly kept the country safe from blue-haired censors of anything edgy. But AP and other reporters never dig below press-release level to discover that the ALA has censors of its own. Instead of merely noticing how children's books promoting gay parenting and gay marriage are controversial, the ALA's left-wing activists are pushing a social agenda that includes screening out "inappropriate" conservative titles:
Press accounts leave out that the ALA not only disdains the public "challenges," it lobbies on the books’ behalf. In 2006, the two-penguin-daddy "And Tango Makes Three" was honored as an ALA Notable Children's Book. The librarians’ group isn’t simply for "freedom." It’s for sexual liberation, promoting the "non-traditional," and it takes offense at the idea that parents might not want their children discussing homosexuality in kindergarten. Simon & Schuster, the publishers of "Tango," Simon & Schuster offer discussion questions about the book on their web site. One says: "Tango has two fathers instead of the traditional mother and father. Do you have a nontraditional family, or do you know someone who does?"
Already we can predict how the ALA next year will complain about any objection to a book called "Uncle Bobby’s Wedding," the story of a young guinea pig named Chloe who worries that her Uncle Bobby won’t play with her any more after he "marries" his boyfriend Jamie. The book ends at the "wedding," with Chloe as the enthusiastic flower girl.
In other words, the ALA doesn’t favor open discussion and debate with parents – which is what the "challenges" represent. Its idea of "freedom" is emboldening librarians to be brave enough to indoctrinate children with what they really need to know, whether their parents object or even know about it. If public debate follows, it’s viewed as a distasteful and unfortunate bump on the road to enlightenment.
In fact, this year the ALA has created a "Rainbow List" of books, a bibliography of current books for children “from birth through age 18 dealing with the myriad of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered or questioning issues."
The librarians of the ALA’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Round Table have expressed frustration in not finding enough "rainbow" books on the shelves meeting the "vital need" for "quality books...that validate same-gender lifestyles." And then, in their lobbying crusade, the anti-censorship folks display their own censorious stripes:
"The search for these books was eye-opening, revealing a lack of accessibility through missing subject headings and the promotion of inappropriate titles insulting to the GLBTQ population including such books as ‘A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Homosexuality.’"
They only want to allow titles such as "Hear Me Out: True Stories of Teens Educating and Confronting Homophobia.” Intellectual freedom is certainly not an ALA priority if the lobbying librarians themselves worry out loud about "the promotion of inappropriate titles."
ALA and its gay roundtable of political correctness promote a document calling for the exclusion of negative stereotypes: "In our homophobic society any work dealing with a gay theme is prone to include cliches and preconceptions of ‘gay character.’ It would be excellent to have a reviewer who is proudly self-identified as gay examine relevant books to point out negative stereotypic attitudes when they occur and to make suggestions as to how the librarian can best counteract such stereotypes."
Doesn’t this sound like librarians want to appoint a guardian to screen out and counteract "negative stereotypic attitudes"? In other words, an official censor?
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
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Comments Policy
Hey c'mon... these
May 11, 2008 - 22:34 ET by MidAmericaHey c'mon... these people just want to show their pride.
If you disagree with them, then You just don't "understand".....
May 11, 2008 - 22:39 ET by HippopaulimusGod help the librairian, or school system that sends home any of this "enlightened" filth with my children...
Just the term "homophobic" has always pissed me off...it assumes that just because you don't embrace that "lifestyle", you are in fear of it...No, I do not fear you, I just do not want your lifestyle thrown in mine, or my family's face... And then being treated like I'm the one who has the problem....
Fear "heterophobes"
May 12, 2008 - 00:31 ET by AgentAmericanThe heterophobes who have infiltrated the media clearly have a vile agenda, and they scare the bejesus out of me. Say anything negative about their lifestyle and you are ostracized beyond belief. I remember not very long ago when comedians used to rip gays all the time, including Eddie Murphy and George Carlin.
The ultra-left loves using the gay agenda as a useful idiot.
Pushing this on kids perverted. Period. What's next? Delivering these titles in an old, rusty utility van with no windows.
B*stards!
Drill ANWAR
Doesn’t this sound like
May 11, 2008 - 23:12 ET by cleverpigDoesn’t this sound like librarians want to appoint a guardian to screen
out and counteract "negative stereotypic attitudes"? In other words, an
official censor?
Nice try. "Counteract" does not mean screen out or remove or censor. It means find other books that "counteract" the stereotype by portraying something different.
They are not censoring anything. When they lament the "promotion of inappropriate titles", do they call for their removal from the library? No, they suggest that librarians talk to readers and suggest other additional books to read.
Here is an excerpt from the guidelines. This is the section addressing central characters. Go ahead and point out where they advocate ANY censorship:
"Young gay women and men can and should be portrayed as heroes as simply as
their nongay counterparts, with no special emphasis on the sexual
component of their identities.If, however, "gayness" itself is a major
part of the plot, several points must be considered.
What is the result of a child's discovery that an important person in his or
her life is gay?The positive acceptance of a parent, teacher, or best
friend should be shown happening without destructive repercussions.If
the book does contain stereotypic responses, the librarian can point
out to the reader that positive acceptance often occurs, too.
...
Does the book serve primarily to reassure insecure nongay kids that one can
have a gay experience and still turn out "normal"? If so, this may be a
legitimate subject, but it is certainly not relevant to young lesbians
and gay men.Librarians should be aware of the need for portrayals of
growth and development of gay identity as a valid life choice.
Gay adolescents will, realistically, encounter social pressures, but they
should be shown as coping adequately with them. A wide framework of
support is, in fact, available to such young people in 1976.If it is
not described, librarians can make readers aware of the positive
nonfiction books and periodicals now in many libraries.The can also
mention that gay communities are now quite visible, with such resources
as counselling services, coffee hours, and churches and synagogues
available."
NO censorship. At no time do they suggest librarians take books away from children, remove anything from the shelves, or rip out any pages. It is all about pointing out alternative sources of information to "counteract" negative stereotypes.
Libraries protect literary knowledge. That is their calling. "Open discussion and debate" is great. Challenges to the books' inclusion in the library are NOT the only form of discussion and debate.
(Incidentally, the date in that excerpt is not a typo. In case you think that this is some new attack on your children's morality, the document Bozell is complaining about was written 32 years ago!)
After a conversation with
May 12, 2008 - 00:23 ET by cleverpigAfter a conversation with Noel last week, I am trying to remember to point out where I agree (yes, it happens) with articles on NB.
So with that in mind, I should say that I don't think it is my librarian's job to talk to me, or anyone else, about sexual orientation unless I ask for their guidance. The level of editorialism advocated in those guidelines made me uncomfortable, and it takes a lot to make me uncomfortable! :)
But that still doesn't make it censorship, darn it!
;-)"Never murder
May 12, 2008 - 00:27 ET by bigtimer;-)
<edit> the smile is there for sarcasm towards cp and her words for those who didn't follow us in various threads...she is answering her own self here, so it made me smile...big time, as she is so self important...as usual.
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill
Help
May 12, 2008 - 00:43 ET by jaywlWhen I go to the library I want the librarian to answer any questions I have. Your statement "They are not censoring anything. When they lament the "promotion of
inappropriate titles", do they call for their removal from the library?
No, they suggest that librarians talk to readers and suggest other
additional books to read." is bullshit. If I brought a book to the counter about the best way to kill Islamofascists I would find it offensive to have some jerk librarian suggest I read the "Koran for Lovers" to get the other side. If I check out "How to insure your boys marry girls" I don't want a suggestion to read "I have three Daddys!". I followed the link and read the guidelines in full. After 32 years it still is BS. More important to me is that your model librarian not suggest things to my kids when I am not there.
...and as a side note here
May 12, 2008 - 01:02 ET by bigtimer...and as a side note here is what is getting put into schools.
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill
So right
May 12, 2008 - 01:35 ET by jaywlI have looked at my grandchildren's history books and I couldn't believe what I saw. The publishers have so crammed in PC historical figures there is no room for traditional history. Minor people have expansive treatments because they are black or a woman. Someday we will awake and find ourselves in a nation built not on traditions, folkways, and common mores, but a collection of minorities, interest groups, and the babbles of a hundred tongues.
I just read that article
May 12, 2008 - 08:00 ET by motherbeltI just read that article this AM, bt. It's truly amazing. Our kids are being brainwashed. They start in kindergarten with the "non-traditional" family, so that kids don't see anything unusual in that, and it seems harmless. 2 Daddies? What's the harm?
In most history textbooks, kids don't learn about many of the founders, but they all know that a black man, Crispus Atticus, was one of the men killed in the Boston Massacre.
Nice try yourself
May 12, 2008 - 07:19 ET by Indiana JoeYou really don't think this ideal gay "reviewer" would have the power or the motivation to declare that certain books are "offensive," and should not be carried by the library?
I'm sure there are plenty of books that can't be found in the local library because someone or something finds them offensive. Books by KKK members extolling the virtues of segregation, for instance. Or books like "The Anarchist's Cookbook." So I'm sure there's precedent for barring books deemed overly "offensive," or "hateful," or even "dangerous."
I'm sure you'd "pooh-pooh" this thought, but I don't have your faith in this so-called "reviewer." And I have no doubt the GLTRT would love to have that power.
cleverpig, do you actually
May 12, 2008 - 07:20 ET by motherbeltcleverpig, do you actually have some sort of illusion that libararians are doing any of that????
What a joke. As if some kid goes into the library to check out a book and the librarian has this long discussion and suggests other books with a different viewpoint.
ROFL!
No, I don't. And I don't
May 12, 2008 - 08:24 ET by cleverpigNo, I don't. And I don't think they should. As I pointed out, the document was written 32 years ago. It was written the year I was born! Maybe back then librarians had conversations with people, I don't know. I couldn't read at the time ;)
"NO censorship. At no time
May 12, 2008 - 13:53 ET by NL207"NO censorship. At no time do they suggest librarians take books away from children, remove anything from the shelves, or rip out any pages. It is all about pointing out alternative sources of information to "counteract" negative stereotypes."
This is pure horsecrap. The librarians control what gets purchased for the shelves in the first place, the ultimate point of censorship. More than that, they also control how many copies of each title are purchased. Any book whose content is "politically questionable" will have only a few or even just one copy ordered/stocked. Books deemed "not PC" will not be ordered at all. "PC" titles will be ordered to support their circulation. "PC" titles that nobody would read voluntarily are also ordered. Why? Because public SCHOOLS are requiring these readings! Case in point: "Heather Has Two Mommies". How many kids are going to voluntarily read this book? Just about none. Yet is it required reading in the first grades in our local school system and the book is stocked in multiple copies in both the school library and the local public library. It is nothing more that GLBT indoctrination material.
The above are most certainly the policies in our local public and school libraries.
You can contend that that's
May 13, 2008 - 00:34 ET by cleverpigYou can contend that that's what librarians do, but it isn't what the guidelines say. And unless you have some other document that shows how librarians make purchasing decisions based on left-wing values, you are just making assumptions here.
You have nothing to offer
May 13, 2008 - 00:37 ET by NL207You have nothing to offer in the way of contrary documentation. Produce something that says I am wrong or shut up and go away.
To quote the all-too mortal MassLiberal, link or slink.
I'm pretty sure it's
May 13, 2008 - 01:42 ET by cleverpigI'm pretty sure it's innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around. It is generally difficult to prove that something isn't happening, because not doing things usually involves very little paperwork-- unless you work in government. ;)
Anyway, joking aside, here:
Collection Development
The worrisome aspect is that libraries
May 12, 2008 - 07:13 ET by YahooWatcherhave gained taxing authority in some areas. This is true where I live. You know what happens once this ball starts rolling...
»→ Penguin porn
May 12, 2008 - 07:21 ET by Cool ArrowHas it been established that the real life pentuins that inspired the book were actually into the backside routine?
♣ a seal
I don't know about the
May 14, 2008 - 00:32 ET by cleverpigI don't know about the specific penguins the book is written about, but yes. Penguins definitely do, rarely, form homosexual pair bonds.
Not to forget Chimpanzees,
May 14, 2008 - 09:25 ET by Syriuscleverpig,
... they have homosexual tendencies. Throughout the animal kingdom, there are examples of homosexual activity. I hope CA and everyone will begin to acknowledge it as a fact of life and part of our world.
Syrius
"...the dire consequences to society when people begin to believe that by
renaming someone to erase their humanity opens the door to the
devaluation of everyone's life..."-dscott
»→ That's silly Syrius
May 14, 2008 - 09:37 ET by Cool ArrowDoesn't the term "homo" mean "man"?
♣ a seal
In latin, yes...
May 14, 2008 - 10:31 ET by SyriusCA,
In Greek, homos as in 'same'...
As an adjective, homosexual is defined as relating to, or having a sexual orientation to members of one's own sex. Of course, you knew that, correct?
Syrius
"...the dire consequences to society when people begin to believe that by
renaming someone to erase their humanity opens the door to the
devaluation of everyone's life..."-dscott
Almost any social species
May 14, 2008 - 23:13 ET by cleverpigAlmost any social species will show rare instances of homosexual behavior. It's much more widespread than most people want to admit!
The ALA website...
May 12, 2008 - 10:48 ET by SyriusBrent,
At least link the website and show the list...
http://www.ala.org/a...
I do like the first quote by Judy Blume-
“[I]t's not just
the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never
be written. The books that will never be read. And all due to the fear
of censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers.”
We should never try to suppress the written word. We all lose in the end. As John Adams stated-
"What havoc has been
made of books through every century of the Christian era? Where are
fifty gospels condemned as spurious by the bull of Pope Gelasius? Where
are forty wagon-loads of Hebrew manuscripts burned in France, by order
of another pope, because of suspected heresy? Remember the Index Expurgato-rius,
the Inquisition, the stake, the axe, the halter, and the guillotine;
and, oh! horrible, the rack! This is as bad, if not worse, than a slow
fire."
We should be allowed to discuss and explore any book with our children. Being able to answer their questions will allow us to become a part of their intellectual development. If you disagree with a book's premise, tell them why and allow them to understand you more fully. Suppress their thoughts, you suppress their understanding of the world.
"Don't join the book burners. Don't think you are going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed." D. Eisenhower
Syrius
this is a sick, sick country
May 12, 2008 - 10:51 ET by wizardjrThe Lavender Mafia has taken over our culture while the socialists have taken over our politics. America is screwed. This isn't what I served in the military for, I'll tell you that for sure.
Coming to a library near
May 12, 2008 - 11:06 ET by Jack BauerComing to a library near you soon:
Oh I know the bourgeoise sexually repressed types on Newsbusters will object ... but there's nothing wrong with Polygamy and Incest, folks. Just another alternative lifstyle. Get used to it bigots.
Many years ago
May 12, 2008 - 12:39 ET by DEVILDOCMOMI had a job in a library. I had my degree and did quite a bit of odds and ends work. I was amazed when I kept seeing police in the library, apparently it is a dirty little secret that many child molesters and other "unsavory" types hang out in the children's section.