Policing Porn Is Not Part of Job Description (Homeland Security cops policing porn at library)

Washington Post ^ | 2-17-2006 | Cameron W. Barr

[af_vet_rr]

Lord help us if we are ever get attacked again if this is the caliber of government employee on watch.

I've seen people working in the federal DHS that appear to be incapable of working the cash register at a McDonald's.

Seeing it at this level is no surprise at all.

The scary thing is, plenty of local officials will try to use their "Homeland Security" personnel to do things that clearly have nothing to do with homeland security. Mission Creep is a wonderful way to justify their budgets.

[af_vet_rr]

Who is anti-porn to the point of appointing themselves as the porn police?

Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, etc?

[plan2succeed.org]

Surprisingly to me, you all got it wrong. These officers are HEROES! Sure it appears they may have gone about it the wrong way but they are on the right track. Let me know what you think (as in comments, suggestions, criticism) of the following comments:

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Homeland Security Heroes Silenced By Self-Deluded Library Propaganda!  An Example of the Effectiveness of the ALA's Propaganda Machine:  Getting Government Officials to Silence Themselves.

Here is one example of the effectiveness of the ALA's propaganda campaign.  In Policing Porn Is Not Part of Job Description; Montgomery Homeland Security Officers Reassigned After Library Incident, 17 Feb 2006, two Montgomery County Homeland Security Department heroes do the right thing, perhaps in the wrong way, by telling library users to stop viewing porn on public library computers!  Reaction?  The librarians squawk their propaganda lines.  Result?  The Homeland Security heroes are assigned to different jobs and their boss apologizes for their actions then apparently unknowingly spouts ALA propaganda that a library is a public forum where anything goes and that people may view pornography unfettered.  (Not true, read US v. ALA.)

The ALA has got the government officials to silence themselves using a propaganda technique called "conversion":  "We mean conversion of the average American's emotions, mind, and will, through a planned psychological attack, in the form of propaganda fed to the nation via the media."

Even worse, the boss then says his whole department will undergo ALA mind control:  "Montgomery plans to train its homeland security officers 'so they fully understand library policy and its consistency with residents' First Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution,' Romer said in his statement."  Here is a sneak peek at the ALA's mind control sessions the Montgomery County Homeland Security Department will use due to its self delusion that library policy is pure and ALA librarians know best and would never violate the law or endanger children:

Repeat 100 times, 10 times a day while facing ALA headquarters in Chicago, IL:

• US v. ALA does not exist.
• It is age discrimination to keep kids from seeing porn.
• A public library is an open forum where anything goes including pornography.
• Taxpayers have no control over public libraries and public school libraries because they are unsophisticated and librarians know best.
• All people are equal but some people at the ALA are more equal than others.
• The ALA knows more than the United States Supreme Court about what is constitutional.
• It is the absolute right of the ALA to supervise the formation of public opinion.

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SafeLibraries.org - Are Children Safe in Public Libraries?

[Cagey]

[MineralMan]

Thanks for posting that. Now, please define "pornography" as it would be used in limiting access in a public library.

Remember, this must be a very good definition, since it would be used to restrict access to publically available information on the internet.

Once you define "pornography" for this application, then we can begin to discuss the issue.

[Muleteam1]

Sorry but my comment was simply to say I did not trust anything written in the Washington Post. I did not read this article once I saw it was published by the WP. Anything packaged in fishwrap still stinks like fish.

Muleteam1

[muir_redwoods]

"We KNOW that Al Qaueda used coded messages in Porn Pics to transmit instructions/messages to operatives. "

We don't all know this. Maybe your tinfoil hat is too tight

[Pornslayer]

Illeagal pornography Or Obscenity is defined in the Miller case. For example, a depiction of a young girl being gang raped by five men and within the depiction or video streamed over the Internet connection in a public library, intercourse and exhibition or the lewd exhibition of the genitals or excretory functions would qualify as "pornography." Unfortunately, men view this filth and hurt kids in public libraries because they feel the need to act out socially. Case histories are available at www.SafeLibraries.org Please, learn about this problem of children at risk because of porn access in public libraries, one more child hurt is one to many. Thanks

[MineralMan]

OK. I went to that site. I did find a couple of instances where something bad had happened.

Now, let me ask you a question: How much time have you spent in your local library recently? In all those hours, did you see any pornography displayed on the public access computers there?

I ask, because I did to to my local library and spent three entire afternoons there, just to see if any such was going on there. I saw no porn on any public access computer screen during that time.

What I did see was lots of kids, aged from about 10 through high school age, accessing web sites and doing research. I saw a few adults using the computers. Most appeared to be looking at help wanted ads and searching real estate pages.

So, what have you, personally, seen in the time you've spent personally researching this at your local library?

[MineralMan]

Oh, and by the way, welcome to Free Republic on your first day as a registered user!

[Itzlzha]

Do the research, I don't have time to hand-hold you.

[muir_redwoods]

"Do the research, I don't have time to hand-hold you."

Believe me, no one wants to hold your hand. And stop skipping the lithium

[Pornslayer]

Thanks for checking things out and the welcome. I would tell you in my research as a concerned parent and the dangers of porn, it is pretty easy to research by simply reviewing the browser history, i.e., google images. Most libraries will use a deep freeze software at the end of business to clean the hard-drives. The Internet Acceptable Use Policy in my local library allows adults to view porn by turning off filtering at the time of booting up, although it is against library rules to view offensive others may find objectionable. I have witnessed this problem, I am doing my best to convince others that kids are at risk. The only reason I have put so much time into this battle is my love for the innocence and protection of kids. I am not out to suppress speech or research or anything like that. With existing evidence, why in the world shouldn't we do all we can to prevent harm to kids. Thanks

[plan2succeed.org]

My definition of pornography doesn't really matter. It's an issue way over my head. SCOTUS (the Supreme Court of the United States) has dealt with it and I would look to them for an answer. But I can tell you this. When I refer to pornography, I am using a term meant to be used as a linguistic shortcut meaning essentially anything that is illegal at law -- my view of what's porn is irrelevant to that. As to the idea that they were on the right track and someone needs to build the right track then start taking action nationwide, I did not imply and do not now assert that I am in that position to make such a determination of what's the right thing to do. I am merely reporting for consideration that what the ALA says is the truth is not what SCOTUS says is the truth, and people should become aware of that and decide which entity provides better guidance as to the constitutional issues involved in public libraries. On the one hand you have the ALA that says it's age discrimination to keep children from seeing porn. On the other hand SCOTUS says, "The interest in protecting young library users from material inappropriate for minors is legitimate, and even compelling, as all Members of the Court appear to agree." When people look for guidance about public libraries and Internet usage therein, do they follow the ALA or SCOTUS. The ALA is ensuring people are not following SCOTUS, as the Wash Post article illustrates. I am merely trying to get people to follow SCOTUS. My hope is that children nationwide will stop being raped and molested in public libraries if SCOTUS is used as a guide and not the extremist ALA that has done everything possible to minimalize the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and US v. ALA that found CIPA to be constitutional.

[plan2succeed.org]

I have to agree with you that the media do not always get things right, but I don't always either. Pobody's nerfect. Be that as it may, the story is still interesting such as the re-education camp for people trying to protect children from porn.

[plan2succeed.org]

Nice of you to welcome PornSlayer so nicely. And welcome, PornSlayer. Now MineralMan, just because you do not see it does not mean it is not happening. Further, if the ALA is defying SCOTUS, or even if they are not, why should ANY excuse be used to justify not being guided by CIPA and US v. ALA. You are essentially arguing that since since crimes occur so rarely, CIPA and US v. ALA are not needed and should not have been raised in the first instance. Essentially you are saying they were a waste of time. I beg to differ.

[freedumb2003]

he men looked stern and wore baseball caps emblazoned with the words "Homeland Security."

"We're on a mission from God"

[plan2succeed.org]

No, they were just trying to enforce existing law. Not correctly, perhaps, but that's all. Casting them as religious zealots is essentially an ad hominem argument which, as you know, is a logical fallacy.

[freedumb2003]

Casting them as religious zealots is essentially an ad hominem argument which, as you know, is a logical fallacy.

Or a joke.

[steve-b]

So much for the double-pinky-swear assurances that these guys are monitoring only terrorists and not intruding on the rights of citizens generally....