by Chris W.
Member since:
September 12, 2006

Palin library censorship charge seems well founded.

September 06, 2008 10:17 PM EDT
views: 200 | rating: 8/10 (9 votes) | comments: 33

Read it for yourself:

http://www.adn.com/sarah-palin/story/515512.html

So- back when she was starting out at Mayor of little Wasilla, Alaska, in 1996, Palin not only fired anybody who she suspected of loyalty to her predecessor, but also asked the town librarian a couple times for consent to censor the library collection by discarding a few things. Sadly, we don't get to know what she wanted to throw out. The adventures of Huckleberry Finn? the sex education section? Everything by Judy Blume, especially "Forever"? We will never know.

Palin did not get her own way in this, because the librarian bravely refused her. Did Palin learn from this? Has her attitude towards censorship changed? We know that she opposes the use of public funds to teach teens about contraception, and that she also feels that "creation science" needs to be taught alongside evolution in public schools. She may have mellowed slightly on library censorship, but only because someone said no and made it stick.

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Comments: 33

Lori F. Sep 7, 2008, 12:33am EDT
Well Chris you killed 2 birds with one stone...you seem to have verified the librarian story and the email floating around that supposedly was written by Kilkenny.

This reinforces the belief that Palin is out to serve her needs and impose her desires and has absolutely NO regard for the peoples best interest. Knowledge is power. Banning books makes that knowledge harder to attain.

I just wish I knew what books she wanted to ban.
Lori F. Sep 7, 2008, 12:34am EDT
And BTW well done and great thread.
Kathryn E. Sep 7, 2008, 12:46am EDT
Palin does serve her own needs and no one else's. Let's hope she does NOT get elected.
Kathryn E. Sep 7, 2008, 12:51am EDT
This is not the last word - I am sure people will be digging to find out more about the library issue.

But great work.
Sandy (Site Psychic™) Knauer Sep 7, 2008, 1:11am EDT
And now she is practicing even more censorship by having her record scrubbed from the Internet. She must have a lot to hide.
David K. Sep 7, 2008, 2:39am EDT
She sounds more and more like the Bush Administration with every new revelation. Doesn't say much for McCain's decision making powers, especially given that this was a last minute flash to the whole campaign.
Chris W. Sep 7, 2008, 8:57am EDT
David- yes, you have to ask "Why" on the library thing. Two possibilities. First possibility, Palin's conservative Christian convictions led her to think it would be great to get rid of all those books in the library that talk about sex, or criticize Jerry Falwell, or whatever. Second possibility, Palin did not have any books in mind at all. It was just a loyalty test. As a librarian, are you willing to abandon one of the key elements of your professional code of conduct in order to serve in my administration? If yes, keep job, if no, you're out. Does that remind you of Bush's Justice Department- Gonzalez dismissing career attorneys if they investigated Republican corruption cases?
Chris W. Sep 7, 2008, 9:27am EDT
thanks Jim, Lori, Kathryn, Sandy, and David. Actually I think my backup notion- it was never about censorship, it was just a "loyalty test"- is unlikely. Palin may not be quite that devious, and she clearly has convictions that would may her unhappy about the presence of certain topics in public library books.
John S. (arizona) Sep 7, 2008, 5:39pm EDT
In all fairness here, that's not quite true about the sex education, but she does want abstinence only given as another alternative. She also doesn't seek to have creationism taught in schools, or any curriculum for it all. Just that it shouldn't be off the table for discussion, and that there is nothing wrong with letting students know another view exists in schools.

In 2006 while running for Governor she said
***"I'm pro-contraception, and I think kids who may not hear about it at home should hear about it in other avenues," she said during a debate in Juneau.***

Recently her spokesperson said this-

***Palin spokeswoman Maria Comella said the governor stands by her 2006 statement, supporting sex education that covers both abstinence and contraception.***
Dave A. Sep 7, 2008, 5:40pm EDT
Palin misuses the offices of power to enforce both her ideological and personal agendas. She has abused the public trust and shows no instinct whatever for the ethical and legal requisites placed on a public official.

That's perhaps one reason for not electing McCain-Palin. The more critical problem is the judgment, and to an extent, the backbone of John McCain for allowing this malfeasant on the ticket. McCain's genuflecting to the extreme right wing of the party, after eight years of serious damage from that quarter, is not what America needs.
Chris W. Sep 7, 2008, 7:10pm EDT
correction noted, John.
Chris W. Sep 7, 2008, 7:14pm EDT
Dave- well, yes. she is more conservative and more overtly Evangelical than McCain. Her female identity and her posturing as a crusader against corruption are window dressing to distract independents from that. The right wing know what she represents, and that is why they love her.
Wil B. Sep 7, 2008, 7:28pm EDT
"David- yes, you have to ask "Why" on the library thing. Two possibilities. First possibility, Palin's conservative Christian convictions led her to think it would be great to get rid of all those books in the library that talk about sex, or criticize Jerry Falwell, or whatever. Second possibility, Palin did not have any books in mind at all. It was just a loyalty test. As a librarian, are you willing to abandon one of the key elements of your professional code of conduct in order to serve in my administration? If yes, keep job, if no, you're out."

Either way, it says to me that I wouldn't want Sarah Palin to be my mayor, let alone the Vice President of the United States. But then I was never going to vote for McCain anyway.
Wilma D. Sep 7, 2008, 8:43pm EDT
I'd like to know which books she had in mind too, but the very desire to ban the banal everyday books you'd find in a small town library(I'm not dissing small towns--mine's only a tad bigger than Wasilla) you have to wonder about her intellectual capacity.
Debra C. Sep 7, 2008, 10:13pm EDT
Here's to all librarians and bookstore owners (I live in greater Denver and Joyce Meskis, of Tattered Cover is one who has been in the forefront) for their brave work on First Amendment issues.
Timothy V. Sep 7, 2008, 11:30pm EDT
McCain chose Palin for two reasons and two reasons only...

1: To take the wind out of Obama's acceptance speech. In that , he succeeded.

2: An attempt to win over the disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters. Take note that Palin referenced Hillary's 18 million voters when McCain announced her as his running mate. That wil backfire. I'm no Hillary Clinton fan by no means, however Sarah Palin is no Hillary Clinton. Not even freaking close.

I'm a Republican, however McCain's choice for a running mate has left me with no choice except to vote for Obama. Most Republicans feel the same, but they don't have the intestinal fortitude to suck up their pride and admit it.
Kathryn E. Sep 7, 2008, 11:47pm EDT
Timothy: I salute you.
Timothy V. Sep 8, 2008, 12:41am EDT
"Timothy: I salute you. "

Thanks Kathryn.
Dan R. Sep 8, 2008, 12:46am EDT
Tim, I would not jump that way too quickly. Most of this is slaunder, and without basis or fact. So far all I have been aboe to find on this one incident is rumor and words from someone that does not like her.
I'm still going Bob Barr, as there no way in hell I'd ever vote for someone like Obama.
Timothy V. Sep 8, 2008, 1:49am EDT
"as there no way in hell I'd ever vote for someone like Obama. "

Think about this Dan. McCain is riding on the " American Hero " ticket since he was a POW in Vietnam and " The Surge Was Successful " ticket. This guy actually thinks that the U.S. owes him the office based on these issues. This was pretty much the theme throughout the enitre RNC and it pretty much made me want to puke, and I say this as a registered Republican.

Sorry, but the way I see it, neither of those issues that were raised during the RNC qualify this twirp to be President. Heck, he has no clue about the economy nor does he even know how many houses that he owns. Ronald Reagan is probably churning in his grave right about now.
Dan R. Sep 8, 2008, 10:18am EDT
Like I have said before, both Obama and McCain are idiots, which is why I won't vote for either of them. Neither one is worth the vote.
John S. (arizona) Sep 8, 2008, 11:20am EDT
Timothy- I respect your opinions, but think there are more reasons than that, much more. I'm not in the bag so to speak for her, will admit to being intrigued, but I think McCain's choice of her is mostly because of "who she is," and what she has attempted to do. Thinking that it is one or two reasons alone in her being his pick, I think a bit naive or knee jerk at this point. McCain wants to be successful in office too don't forget if elected, and would not pick somebody just for votes alone. I wouldn't underestimate her abilities to serve so quickly, and there is much to learn yet in upcoming debates etc.
My two cents anyway.
Timothy V. Sep 8, 2008, 11:33pm EDT
John...have you forgotten that little " Hillary Clinton left 18 million cracks in the ceiling " comment that Palin made?
John S. (arizona) Sep 9, 2008, 11:22am EDT
Timothy- I think you are missing my point really, and cherry picking campaign/convention rhetoric without looking at the whole picture. Without a doubt hoping she could possibly help pull over dissatisfied Clinton voters was a plus, but not the "main" reason. We're really talking opinions, with neither of us knowing behind the scenes conversations anyway. It's just that I may know McCain a little better than some in here; he has been my Senator for like forever LOL, and I form my opinion from that exposure is all.
John S. (arizona) Sep 9, 2008, 11:29am EDT
For what it is worth, if really interested some may want to read this from Factcheck.org. and Newsweek. It covers the library issue as mostly false in context, etc., together with more false "facts" from a letter flying around from somebody in Alaska. Factcheck.org is usually pretty good at separating rumors in a non-biased way.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157986
Veronica Hosking Sep 9, 2008, 12:40pm EDT
lol! If she wanted to ban "Forever", she better take a closer look at home. My hubby's remark, Judy Blume educated her about sex before marriage!
Veronica Hosking Sep 9, 2008, 1:09pm EDT
Speaking of Judy Blume, have you read her blog?

http://www.judyblume.com/blog.php

Blume for Obama.
Wil B. Sep 9, 2008, 5:53pm EDT
I've read what they had to say at Factcheck.org about Palin firing the librarian and I stand by my original comment.
Chris W. Sep 9, 2008, 9:34pm EDT
Wil- so do I.
Greg Schiller Sep 16, 2008, 7:30am EDT
What possible excuse could anyone have for firing a public librarian either for lack of "loyalty" or for unwillingness to censor book collections?

Ms. Emmons, the Wasilla librarian in question, campaigned actively for Ms. Palin's opponent. According to the Wasilla charter, the Librarian position serves "at the pleasure of the Mayor". What could be more displeasing than campaigning for one’s opponent?

In a place like Minneapolis and Chicago, the day after election, the list of terminations and transfers can be as thick as a book.

No books were removed from the Wasilla library or a purchase list by Ms. Palin or anyone connected to Ms. Palin.

But then the truth is not as fun as a lie.
Dan H. Sep 16, 2008, 5:54pm EDT
Please take a look: Sarah Palin Will Protect Women's Rights.

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