JSOnline Column: Read not, sin not? I think not

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has published an op/ed column by Joe Simon on the West Bend Library fiasco, dripping in sarcasm and sage advice. Some excerpts:

Finally, someone is doing something to save and protect our wayward youth. For too long, we have pretended that it was drugs, peer pressure and involvement in petty crimes and gangs that corrupted our young people. We mistakenly have condemned mindless television, violent video games and nihilistic music when, in fact, the real enemy has been right there under our reading glasses.

Yes, I am talking about books. It is now clear that they are responsible for everything wrong with today's society.

For too long, we have assumed that encouraging reading would make our children better people, more understanding of diversity, more aware of cultural and ethnic differences and more intellectually enlightened. But no longer.

I congratulate Jim and Ginny Maziarka, the vigilant parents in West Bend who have waged war to cleanse their public library of all that is indecent and immoral. They have selflessly spent hours upon hours searching out the filthiest phrases in young people's literature so the phrases can be taken out of context. After all, if you cannot read about something, then it is easier to pretend it does not exist. Like homosexuality or science.

:::

Unfortunately, even though the Maziarkas have come up with 82 questionable books that need to be censored, I think they must have missed quite a few. Indeed, almost any book can seem dirty if you have a dirty enough mind. And apparently, people in West Bend do. Therefore, it would be better to ban all books. By doing this, we can assure that our children will stay as ignorant as guppies and just as docile (although, we hope, not as promiscuous).

Still, it must be confusing for the children in West Bend to watch adults fight over the content of a bunch of silly books. Up until now, libraries were the last place most kids wanted to be seen entering. Now, with their curiosity up, they actually might be tempted to start reading. Soon, they may even develop their own points of view. Or, God forbid, empathy and tolerance for others.

Ginny Maziarka: "Intellectual freedom for minors is DANGEROUS"

According to Ginny Maziarka, "Intellectual freedom for minors is DANGEROUS".

I just don't know what to say to that. Unbelievable.

Ginny Maziarka Continues Scare Tactics; Should Focus on Child Literacy Instead

Pointing to this stale coverage of the West Bend library controversy by a conservative Christian news site, Ginny Maziarka repeats her claims that the library is unsafe for children and young adults.

Recall after the library board refused to move books or change their procedures, Ginny declared the library x-rated. Now, she's saying the library is "sexualizing" children, merely because it shelves the same few young adult books dealing with sexuality (both hetero- and homo-) in the same ways the vast majority of other area libraries do.

I tire of trying to retort all of Ginny's ignorant rhetoric (and I've been banished from commenting on her site anyway). However, I strongly urge everyone to read the comments of "Local MLIS Student", who calls on Ginny to stop being so negative and confrontation, and instead focus on youth literacy:

Honestly, you should really stop and consider the fact that so many other area libraries shelve the books you question in Young Adult sections. You should stop and consider the fact that the books you question are written, promoted, and shelved for young adult audiences, not children. You shoudl stop and consider that numerous professional and academic publications and experts view these materials as appropriate for young adults.

You should stop and consider that nearly everyone can find books in a library they don't agree with. That's the nature of a free society with freedom of expression. This isn't some kind of liberal agenda, nor some kind of conspiracy by the ALA to run local libraries. It merely is nature of the kind of society we enjoy.

If I were you, I'd focus my energies on teaching kids how to judge sources of information, how to make informed decisions about all the media content they encounter, how to reconcile the information they confront with their personal beliefs (and belief systems), and how to get along with people whose belief systems might differ from their own.

This is how we protect children; not by putting certain information out of reach.

Well spoken. Will Ginny listen?

PFOX Issues Bogus Press Release; Calls Library Selection Process "Censorship"

The Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX) organization, a group seemingly committed to the "conversion" of gays that the APA recently declared ineffective and harmful, has issued a press release criticizing the West Bend library for "ignoring" their requests "that the Library balance some of its homosexual material for children with material written by ex-gays or with a heterosexual slant."

First off, I have no idea what a book with a "heterosexual slant" means, but likely ALL THE OTHER BOOKS that don't address GLTBQ issues fit this bill.

Secondly, the library HAS included some reparative-therapy titles as suggested by Ginny Maziarka, as noted here. I recently searched the West Bend library for the over 1 dozen books Maziarka suggested the library acquire (provided within this PDF....which I'll post about soon, and relisted by Ginny here), and found these titles now shelved at the library:

• 101 Frequently Asked Questions About Homosexuality by Mike Haley
• The Heart of Female Same-Sex Attraction by Janelle Hallman

Other titles might be in the process of being acquired. However, when I searched for these 12 titles on other local library systems (similar to this analysis of Ginny's problem texts), I discovered that of the 14 books Ginny (and presumably, PFOX) wants shelved, only 2 other area libraries held any of the books in question:

• Racine Public Library holds Restoring Sexual Identity and Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth
• Waukesha Public Library holds My Genes Made Me Do It and Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth

That's it -- two libraries. So West Bend seems to be following local standards regarding the acquisition of these types of texts; hardly ignoring PFOX or Ginny Maziarka.

This speaks to PFOX's other allegation: that the West Bend library is engaging in censorship by not shelving more "ex-gay" texts. The fact of the matter is, that almost NO libraries in southeast Wisconsin carry ANY of the books suggested. That's not censorship, but likely the professional and educated analysis of what books are suitable to be shelved in the library. If the books requested were positively reviewed by reputable publications or organizations, you'd think more libraries would carry them. Yet, they do not.

That's not censorship; it is called responsible and professional librarianship.

//Update: This press release is being covered all over the place, unfortunately. Luckily, others agree as to its idiocy. One great analysis is here.

Psychologists Reject Gay "Therapy"

Recently, the American Psychological Association declared that attempts to "convert" homosexuals into heterosexuals through "therapy" has no scientific basis, and may actually cause harm to the patient.

From the New York Times report:

In a resolution adopted by the association’s governing council, and in an accompanying report, the association issued its most comprehensive repudiation of so-called reparative therapy, a concept espoused by a small but persistent group of therapists, often allied with religious conservatives, who maintain that gay men and lesbians can change.

No solid evidence exists that such change is likely, says the resolution, adopted by a 125-to-4 vote. The association said some research suggested that efforts to produce change could be harmful, inducing depression and suicidal tendencies.

And CNN reports:

"Contrary to claims of sexual orientation change advocates and practitioners, there is insufficient evidence to support the use of psychological interventions to change sexual orientation," said Judith M. Glassgold, chairwoman of the task force that presented the report at the group's annual meeting in Toronto, Canada. The Washington-based association represents more than 150,000 members.

"At most, certain studies suggested that some individuals learned how to ignore or not act on their homosexual attractions. Yet, these studies did not indicate for whom this was possible, how long it lasted or its long-term mental health effects. Also, this result was much less likely to be true for people who started out only attracted to people of the same sex."

In response, the group's governing Council of Representatives passed a resolution Wednesday urging mental health professionals not to recommend to their clients that they can change their sexual orientation through therapy or any other methods.

The group's Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation reached its conclusion after its review of 87 studies conducted between 1960 and 2007 and finding "serious methodological problems" in the vast majority of them.

This doesn't bode well for Ginny Maziarka's desire (ie, here and here) to include gay conversion literature in the young adult section of the West Bend library.

Comment Censorship at WISSUP

[Note: I've been banned from WISSUP; see update at bottom of post]

After keeping her hands off comments for a while, Ginny Maziarka has reverted back to censoring comments at her WISSUP blog.

Some removals are more reasonable than others. On her odd post about the hodag, someone named "Ginny's Third Chin Speaks Out" left a rude remark, which Ginny deleted. Fine.

But she's also removed a comment of mine (and one by "Rolf") at her post complaining about Fireside hosting a book signing by a Wisconsin couple who have raised two gay sons.

About 90 minutes after Ginny published this post, I commented that she's merely re-hashing her old argument, that many pointed out was illogical and misplaced months ago. In doing so, I called her "stubborn" and "single-track-minded". I also wondered aloud if her real issue was the fact that the parents are celebrating the gayness of their children.

Over 3 days later, Ginny responds to me with a query about "what author [Fireside] will be offering next to our community to lend insight into the opposing viewpoint"

Then, over 3 days after that response to me, Ginny gives me this ultimatum:

I'll say this as respectfully as I can. I have allowed you to post time and again on my blog. I've tried to give you your say, yet your personal attacks come one right after the other...to the point of harassment. Therefore, this is simply a first request that you tame your commentary and stick to the content of the blog post. If you cannot do what I request, I will ask you not to post on WISSUP in the future. Thank you.

Mind you, I made no other comments on this post since my first 5 days prior, while Ginny had been interacting with other commenters with some frequency.

Seeing this, Maria Hanrahan asks Ginny which comments of mine she feels are personal attacks, and why she didn't bring this up sooner, so no other comments had been made.

Ginny refuses to answer Maria because " The request was directed towards others, not you". (This is that stubbornness I was referring to)

So, a few hours later, I left a comment saying, essentially, "Ok, Ginny, answer Maria's question for my benefit, since it was directed at me." And I also said something to the effect of "If you think being called "stubborn" is a personal attack bordering on harassment, then perhaps the blogosphere isn't the place for you. If you can't take the heat...."

I can't paste my exact words, because Ginny deleted the comment! She even celebrated her "wielding the sword of truth" with an exclamatory "Poof!"

I posted a new comment a few minutes ago (see screenshot) asking for an explanation, and in the time it took me to write this post, she deleted that as well.

Unbelievable.

Oh, and the original -- apparently offending -- remarks haven't been deleted, only my comments questioning her reaction to them. Yes, this is crazy.

// UPDATE: Well, folks. It seems I've been banned from commenting at WISSUP.

After Ginny deleted the comment mentioned above, I left a simple reaction: "WOW" (screenshot at right). Ginny proceeded to delete that comment, and left this message:

As you will note, CCWB is no longer posting here. This is because I feel the harassment CCWB has delivered on this blog has been an ongoing issue that I have been patient with for way too long. I feel CCWBs rhetoric hinders the intelligent conversations taking place, is used as a distraction, and that CCWB is trying to draw attention to himself. I gave one opportunistic warning, now poof!, gone.....

We'll miss ya.

I find it truly amusing that:

(a) I had comments deleted and was banned merely because I was asking for explanation of a warning and the subsequent removal of comments,

(b) none of my comments after the warning could even come close to constituting a personal attack or harassment (in fact, the only comments I left after the "opportunistic warning" are those noted above, and this one asking Dan Kleinman for clarification of an accusation he made of another commenter), and

(c) that Ginny feels my rhetoric is hindering what she sees as otherwise "intelligent conversations" on her blog.

POOF!

.....UPDATE: Ginny has now changed the settings on WISSUP so only people with Google or OpenID accounts can leave comments. No more anonymous comments, or simply providing a name/url. Whatevs.

WISSUP Fail

Referring to being the public voice for the so-called "West Bend Citizens for Safe Libraries", Ginny Maziarka recently commented that "I wish someone else more skilled than myself would take this over...."

Looking at the recent posts at WISSUP, it seems Ginny is indeed shifting her focus away from this latest pet peeve. Readers of Ginny's flagship blog have recently been treated to the following:

• A story about a vendor whose lease wasn't renewed at a mall in North Carolina, presumably because some patrons of the mall didn't like what he was selling
• Next came a story about how much Ginny enjoyed a concert by Darryl Worley, known best for his nude photos in Playgirl.
• Then a post about the "Ready or Not...They’re Gay" book signing at Fireside, basically a repeat of her rant from back in June. (This was at least tangentially related to the library controversy)
• Next, a random post confirming the existence of the website Gail.com.
• Then, a pie recipe.
  
• A symphony concert.
• Next, a comment about President Obama supporters should expect rudeness and hostility in public venues throughout Washington County.
• Then, a post to Glenn Beck's ridiculous conspiracy theory about the government taking over your personal computer if you visit the Cars.gov website (thoroughly debunked, btw).
• Then a repost of Boots & Sabers criticism of a letter to the newspaper about the library controversy (that's the 2nd relevant post).
• And finally, a post about the fictional hodag. (Huh?)
  

I fear Ginny is a bit burnt out. Good thing she has Dan Kleinman to help out with her Timeline of "Oppression" and "Covert Involvement" of Evil Outsiders.