Palin and the book-banning brigade

[IronBrig4]

http://www.groupnewsblog.net/2008/09...to-ban-in.html

If this is true, I'm not voting for McCain. This lady is out to lunch. I can understand Bible-thumpers trying to ban Harry Potter, and Catcher in the Rye is usually at the top of any book-banner's list, but Roald Dahl?!

[Viking Prince]

First -- Gov. (then Mayor) Palin did not attempt to ban any books. She asked the librarian to drop the titles from the library and the librarian declined. This ended the issue.

My best guess is this was a populist move on Palin's part and she knew that she had no authority to drop the books but it would satisfy some of her supporters. Just guessing -- no one really knows.

The librarian was fired but much later. Maybe Palin holds long grudges or maybe there is someting else here. Personel issues are typically not allowed to be discussed so all information is hearsay and unofficial.

I d not approve of what she did. It was wrong. It was not book banning and this is really being blown out of proportion by people who only seem to have an interest in attacking Gov. Palin.

[Ishoss]

Can't really see why anyone would like to ban any books. Wanna read Mein Kampf? Go ahead! Wanna read Harry Potter? For christs sake, what's wrong with that? Wanna read Lord Of the Rings? Have fun!

Wanna read Roald Dahl... You get the point?

Never understood what's wrong with Harry Potter tbh...

[MathiasOfAthens]

First -- Gov. (then Mayor) Palin did not attempt to ban any books. She asked the librarian to drop the titles from the library and the librarian declined. This ended the issue.

My best guess is this was a populist move on Palin's part and she knew that she had no authority to drop the books but it would satisfy some of her supporters. Just guessing -- no one really knows.

The librarian was fired but much later. Maybe Palin holds long grudges or maybe there is someting else here. Personel issues are typically not allowed to be discussed so all information is hearsay and unofficial.

I d not approve of what she did. It was wrong. It was not book banning and this is really being blown out of proportion by people who only seem to have an interest in attacking Gov. Palin.

The point is the free speech needs to be protected. Because someone does not like the content of a book does not mean it can be dropped. Its a library for sakes not a personally bookshelf. Her request for the librarian to drop books is Book Banning in a nicer form.

[whhyy]

She wanted to ban a dictionary? :hmmm:

[danzig]

Well its not true or rather not entirely accurate. Alot of the books on the list werent even published yet when Palin was mayor (harry potter books). http://www.adn.com/sarah-palin/story/515512.html for a more balanced account of the whole thing. Dunno why people (not you your link) insist on making something that by itself is troubling into something worse. The fact she raised the issue of removing books is troubling but the bottom line was she didnt attempt to have any removed nor was there any such list.

[Chuffy]

If this is true, I'm not voting for McCain.

There are a lot of reasons not to vote McCain. Book banning comes pretty low.

[Viking Prince]

from the Time article:

Nor has Palin made social issues the cornerstone of her governorship. When a parental consent law was struck down by Alaska's highest court in 2007, Palin called the decision "outrageous" but refused calls from conservatives to remedy the defeat by introducing antiabortion legislation in a session that was supposed to be about drilling rights.
Wearing her faith quietly fits more with Palin's personality, says St. George. "In all the years I've known Sarah and her parents, we never talked about right-to-life or any of that," he says. "She doesn't let those issues get in the way of getting things done for the community."

This really indicates how this is getting blown out of porportion -- even the referenced article says this is not how she governs.

btw: asking to delete titles and then dropping the matter is consistent with Time's assessment of her governing style. So, I would not call her a book banner. She campaigns as a right of center populist and governs from the middle and tries to keep social conflict out of the government.

[MathiasOfAthens]

from the Time article:



This really indicates how this is getting blown out of porportion -- even the referenced article says this is not how she governs.

btw: asking to delete titles and then dropping the matter is consistent with Time's assessment of her governing style. So, I would not call her a book banner. She campaigns as a right of center populist and governs from the middle and tries to keep social conflict out of the government.

well I hope so man, because I would seriously hate too see an article come out claiming the librarian resign under pressure.

[God-Emperor of Mankind]

btw: asking to delete titles and then dropping the matter is consistent with Time's assessment of her governing style. So, I would not call her a book banner. She campaigns as a right of center populist and governs from the middle and tries to keep social conflict out of the government.

Except if going by Danzig's link, she didn't drop it.
She asked the librarian 3 times if she would support Palin if she wanted to have some books censored.
That doesn't seem like dropping the matter.
And then a few months later she tries to fire the librarian because of she didn't support Palin which backfired.
Again, not dropping the matter.
Yes I'm aware that it never said that she was fired because she refused to censor books but if it stated that it was because of lack of support then I'm sure that it is related.
Mean you don't write the true reason behind the firing if the reason itself is bad. That's like stating that the reason you fired someone was because they didn't want to have a part in your heroin deals(not saying she deals with heroin but sorta the same point).

While overblown, she still deserves the heat for even thinking about censoring books.

[Delvecchio1975]

...
While overblown, she still deserves the heat for even thinking about censoring books.

EPIC agree .

[Gary88]

sounds like she asked if it would be ok and when the librarian absolutely refused she didn't push it (other than mentioning the idea a few more times in hope) do you really think that if the librarian had given her even a hint of a chance she wouldn't have pushed it? i mean why the hell else did she ask at all, i don't buy that crap about it being hypothetical policy questioning, thats about as believeable as me 'rhetorically' asking my girlfriend if she would be up for a threesome "but of course i don't want one i'm just seeing what you think".

tbh no she didn't ban any books and i don't think we can say we know what books she wanted baning but i think its worrying that someone who would like to ban books that are standard library texts (alaska isn't a hotbed of radical authorship these are books that can be found in any library, even school libraries, across the country) could be vice president, add to it her creationist beliefs and it seems she has some remarkably backward ideas that i just don't understand how someone in charge of the country could hold in this day and age.

then again this is the USA we are talking about.

[Viking Prince]

sounds like she asked if it would be ok and when the librarian absolutely refused she didn't push it (other than mentioning the idea a few more times in hope) do you really think that if the librarian had given her even a hint of a chance she wouldn't have pushed it? i mean why the hell else did she ask at all, i don't buy that crap about it being hypothetical policy questioning, thats about as believeable as me 'rhetorically' asking my girlfriend if she would be up for a threesome "but of course i don't want one i'm just seeing what you think".

tbh no she didn't ban any books and i don't think we can say we know what books she wanted baning but i think its worrying that someone who would like to ban books that are standard library texts (alaska isn't a hotbed of radical authorship these are books that can be found in any library, even school libraries, across the country) could be vice president, add to it her creationist beliefs and it seems she has some remarkably backward ideas that i just don't understand how someone in charge of the country could hold in this day and age.

then again this is the USA we are talking about.

Where did you get the "hypothetical policy questioning"? I had mentioned populist campaign rhetoric. I did not see another post to imply such. I might have mssed it though.

As you said -- we do not know the titles. Not all books are purchased either. Some are gifts to the library. Typically, gifts are sometimes placed in circulation, but ar more often sold to raise resources for the approved purchase list.

Did you even read the Time article that ws referenced? It stated that she does not interject her religion into her governing style. And besides -- is there a reason why someone who believes in the bible should not be elected to office?

[LoZz]

we already have a thread about palin.