Posted on 09/06/2008 12:09:12 PM PDT by mainestategop
WASILLA, Alaska- Back in 1996, when she first became mayor, Sarah Palin asked the city librarian if she would be all right with censoring library books should she be asked to do so.
According to news coverage at the time, the librarian said she would definitely not be all right with it. A few months later, the librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, got a letter from Palin telling her she was going to be fired. The censorship issue was not mentioned as a reason for the firing. The letter just said the new mayor felt Emmons didn't fully support her and had to go.
(Excerpt) Read more at sunjournal.com ...
I have read nearly everybook on that list. Some of them aren’t books I would have young people reading, especially Stephen King, I started reading books like that at a young age, but my parents weren’t exactly hands on. I have with my own children steered them away from reading and viewing things to mature for them. I don’t see a problem with censoring (if that is what you want to call it) what children read and view. I guess Liberals won’t be happy until Playboy and Hustler are on the library shelves.
I get that it is a phony list. I would support a lot of those books not being available to children though.
Harry Potter is Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
When’s the last time anyone has seen “Song of the South” and who “censored” that?
In my city, the Librarian has the authority to censor books, and it is something not talked about much. Once when my city’s library books were checked, they discarded a lot of books. One of them happened to be Elron Hubbard’s big Scientology book, and I know that this is true, for they gave that book to me, and I read it and later burned it.
WASILLA KEEPS LIBRARIAN, BUT POLICE CHIEF IS OUT
Anchorage Daily News (AK) - February 1, 1997
Author: S.J. Komarnitsky Daily News Mat-Su Bureau ; Staff
City librarian Mary Ellen Emmons will stay, but Police Chief Irl Stambaugh is on his own, Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin announced Friday.
The decision came one day after letters signed by Palin were dropped on Stambaugh’s and Emmon’s desks, telling them their jobs were over as of Feb. 13.
The mayor told them she appreciated their service but felt it was time for a change. ‘’I do not feel I have your full support in my efforts to govern the city of Wasilla. Therefore I intend to terminate your employment ...’’ the letter said.
Palin said Friday she now feels Emmons supports her but does not feel the same about Stambaugh.
As to what prompted the change, Palin said she now has Emmons ‘ assurance that she is behind her. She refused to give details about how Stambaugh has not supported her, saying only that ‘’You know in your heart when someone is supportive of you.’’
The three met briefly at Wasilla City Hall Friday afternoon, and Palin called them twice at Stambaugh’s home before making the decision.
Palin said she asked Emmons if she would support efforts to merge the library and museum operations. Emmons said she would, according to Palin.
Her conversation with Stambaugh was short, both said. He asked: ‘’What’s the basis for this?’’ and she gave no details.
The actions have caused a stir in Wasilla, a town of about 4,600. City Councilman Nick Carney, who has been an outspoken critic of Palin, said he received several calls at his home Thursday night and Friday from outraged citizens.
The sudden personnel shift is part of bigger problem of mismanagement in the city, he said, and may prompt a recall petition.
‘’Before, I told (people) to hold off, but now all bets are off,’’ he said. ‘’I fail to see what good this is doing for Wasilla.’’
But Councilwoman Judy Patrick said people voted change when they elected Palin and part of that is changing who is in charge.
Reached at home, Stambaugh said he still doesn’t understand why he’s been fired. ‘’There never was an appropriate response,’’ he said. ‘’How did we not support the administration?’’
Now he’s talking to an attorney. While both Stambaugh and Emmons serve at the mayor’s pleasure, Stambaugh said he has a contract that prohibits the city from firing him without cause.
Both Stambaugh and Emmons publicly supported Palin’s opponent, long-time mayor John Stein during the campaign last fall. When she was elected, Palin questioned their loyalty and initially asked for their resignations. But Stambaugh said he thought any questions had been resolved.
Stambaugh has headed the Wasilla Police Department since it was created in 1993. Before that, he worked 22 years with Anchorage Police Department, rising to the rank of captain before retiring.
Emmons , who has been the city’s library director for seven years, would not comment about the affair.
“... as librarians are among the farthest of the far-left professions.”
Not all of us.
I have been looking for “Song of the south” for my grandkids, came up empty. I the movie when
I was a child and I still get a good feeling when I remember it.
If the books contained porn or were of an explicit sexual nature, she was well within her rights to call for them to be banned. Anyone who walks into a library, children, would be exposed to that crap. Since it’s a public place, the library does not have a ‘free speech’ argument to make. The owners of the library are the taxpayers and we decide what is legit and trash.
No, I was attempting to convey that by saying “professions” instead of “people,” but I was tired and clearly didn’t succeed.
First of all the town does not hire or fire the Town Librarian, anywhere that I know of. Usually a Library has trustees of the Library, and they do the firing and hiring.
Books promoting the homosexual agenda?
Books promoting sex with children or animals?
Books promoting torture and so many other topics?
Hell yes. Get them banned.
Then take their authors to the local square and stone them.
You succeeded, and I agree. I have heard it all from the inside. As a school librarian, I also have refused to join the NEA. My point was that there are a few conservative librarians left. Unfortunately, it is very few.
It’s too bad, because there’s nothing inherently leftist about books. Maybe it has something to do with the education process for librarians, just as for teachers. There’s nothing inherently leftist about teaching!
You would think librarians and teachers would be conservatives. Go figure. I guess the communists and socialists have been successful in implementing their goals.
I had some great public school teachers when I was growing up, including a Korean War vet, a Vietnam vet, and a math teacher who’d taught at West Point and had a pistol in his briefcase.
Conservatism is about reality, and good books are about reality (even fictional reality). It will all come back to us eventually.
I pray that you are right. I was feeling low about the prospects until Senator McCain chose Governor Palin as his running mate. The response to his choice gives me hope that all is not lost.
CNN Report found it to be a hoax. And a poor one at that. Some of the boks were not even written in 1996.
My hats off to CNN. I’d never thought I’d say that.
CNN Video.
ping..
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