From the Topeka Capital-Journal:
The library's board of trustees voted 5-3 Thursday evening in favor of restricting minors' access to "Sex for Busy People," "The Lesbian Kama Sutra," "The Joy of Sex" and "The Joy of Gay Sex" because they deemed the material "harmful to minors."
The article is worth reading -- it sounds like discussion got very intense, with one of the board members in tears by the end. No word on how the books will be restricted, if they'll be kept behind the desk or on a special shelf or in the back room. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out, if people will request that other books be restricted, etc. It sounds like there'll be a lawsuit in the works soon.
My favorite part of the article:
"Cover your ears," Washington told the room of onlookers gathered in Marvin Auditorium at the library.
He then read several explicit lines from a book he found online. The material wasn't from one of the contested books.
"I'm going to stop there," Washington told the board. "You have two pages of this. We have youngsters who are coming to the library who are exposed to this."
Except the excerpt he read wasn't from any of the challenged books! So he wasn't just taking something out of context to complain about it, he was taking something completely unrelated and using it to complain about the books.
Crazy times.
"He then read several explicit lines from a book he found online. The material wasn't from one of the contested books."
That's like the prosecution at a murder trial reading the details of the "In Cold Blood" murders--not related to the actual case, but creepy so the jury votes 'guilty.'
Oy vey.
Posted by: annie | 20 February 2009 at 07:53 AM
But how exciting for the citizens of Topeka that all the serious social ills have been addressed and fixed already so that the local activists can devote their energies to hiding the dirty books.
Posted by: Chris Barton | 20 February 2009 at 08:00 AM
PLEASE TELL ME they kicked Mr. Cover-Your-Ears-Idiot-Man out of the meeting after he outright lied. PLEASE.
Oh, my, GOSH, what is the point of being an adult if you cannot get all elementary school on somebody's behind and go, "You can't play anymore. You cheated. I don't have to play with cheaters. TEEEEEEEEEEACHER!"
Posted by: TadMack | 20 February 2009 at 09:41 AM
"Cover your ears." Classic.
You know, though, it reminds me of a really tragic case of a student at my former college, an Arab grad student, who was prosecuted as a "terrorist" because, as part of his dissertation research, he worked as a court translator for some other people the government prosecuted. The prosecutor was allowed to play footage of Osama bin Laden, even though even they conceded it had no real connection to his case. He was convicted, and it's an utter travesty.
At least this time it's "only" a library trustee board meeting -- but honestly, how pathetic and sad nevertheless.
Posted by: Elizabeth | 20 February 2009 at 02:28 PM
The National Coalition Against Censorship came out against pushback from the individual trying to restrict the books, and we are sorry to hear about the decision. It's First Amendment restrictions on adults of protected sexual content.
http://ncacblog.wordpress.com/2009/02/20/board-decides-to-restrict-access-to-sex-for-busy-people-the-lesbian-kama-sutra-the-joy-of-sex-and-the-joy-of-gay-sex/
Posted by: Sarah | 20 February 2009 at 02:45 PM
Interesting post about Big doings in Topeka!!!
Have a nice day!
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