That kind of stimulation was not what I had in mind

[SS-18 ICBM]

A Seattle woman is complaining that she was at the Lake City library with her kids recently, when she saw a man watching hard-core porn on a computer, with the screen facing toward toward the room.

She asked the librarian to move the man to a more discreet location. The librarian refused.

"She could see the screen from the information desk where we were standing and was sympathetic, but said that the library doesn't censor content," said Julie Howe, in an email published Tuesday on the neighborhood blog, Lake City Live.

"And they can't be in the business of monitoring what their patrons are doing at any given computer."

Howe, who had in the DVD section when she saw the man's screen, then asked him to move to another computer. He also refused.

In short, library policy allows viewing of pornography because blocking it would be against First Amendment protections. Agree or disagree?

Personally I don't think that's the intended effect of limiting censorship. Libraries are for public learning and entertainment. Keep the private stuff in your own home.

Also, I realize the tags may be boring. I apologize, for I am no JollyRoger. Keeping this thread non-RD because I want to hear what funny tags could have been put. But with the subject matter in mind, keep it PG-13 and try to discuss the main issue.

 

[ParkCungHee]

Well, I think it's the "public entertainment" part it qualifies as. I think the policy could be defended in court if the Library was defining the use of their computers as "for educational purposes" of course, they'd also have to kick people off for checking their Facebook, but that sounds like a good idea.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

What about decency laws? Libraries often have children there.

 

[Synobun]

Law wise it's legal. However not everything is based on laws, and this man should keep his porn viewing to a private location, or at least a location where there will be no children.

 

[Masada]

Can you just write a clause into the usage agreement that requires that patrons not use the computers for indecent material?

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I think, if you are going to watch stuff like that, you should be made to go to a place where people cannot see it so easily.

I have to admit I laughed though.

 

[Quackers]

That guy should be slapped hard around the face..

 

[downtown]

Yeah, I think clearly the library ought to be able to limit public viewing of that sort of content in an area where children are present. Viewing of pornographic material by minors is already illegal in the US, is it not?

 

[Joecoolyo]

Yeah, I think clearly the library ought to be able to limit public viewing of that sort of content in an area where children are present. Viewing of pornographic material by minors is already illegal in the US, is it not?

Is it?

Damn, I've racked up quite a sentence then.

 

[bombshoo]

Well the guy/library can't use free speech protection for the issue, as hardcore porn clearly falls in the category of unprotected obscenity in the First Amendment department doesn't it?

 

[cardgame]

Yeah, I think clearly the library ought to be able to limit public viewing of that sort of content in an area where children are present.

Absolute agreement from me.

Viewing of pornographic material by minors is already illegal in the US, is it not?

Does anyone outside nosy old ladies care?

 

[bombshoo]

Does anyone outside nosy old ladies care?

I thought all librarians were old ladies. Except you know, those hot librarians.

This must have been one of those hot librarians.

 

[Kozmos]

Looks like he was after some hard reading.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

There we go.

 

[CavLancer]

That guy should be slapped hard around the face..

I will agree, but first I'd add a crochet mallet or some such instrument that would bring the lesson home.

 

[warpus]

library policy allows viewing of pornography because blocking it would be against First Amendment protections.

Ridiculous.

Screw the first amendment, watching porn in a library isn't appropriate.

It really seems like the people in charge of the library were too lazy to come up with a good rule, instead allowing "everything".

 

[rugbyLEAGUEfan]

He should definitely be booked

 

[LucyDuke]

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Or keeping creepy dudes from watching fap-fodder in the middle of the public library?

 

[GoodGame]

EDIT: I thought this thread was about raising the debt ceiling to fund actions to further stimulate the economy!

In short, library policy allows viewing of pornography because blocking it would be against First Amendment protections. Agree or disagree?

Personally I don't think that's the intended effect of limiting censorship. Libraries are for public learning and entertainment. Keep the private stuff in your own home.

Also, I realize the tags may be boring. I apologize, for I am no JollyRoger. Keeping this thread non-RD because I want to hear what funny tags could have been put. But with the subject matter in mind, keep it PG-13 and try to discuss the main issue.

This is amusing from the point of view of unraveling the finer points.

A "common sense"/"reasonable person" stance is to say that pornography is a form of free speech, that a library is a place where free speech can occur (at least in the form of media consumption), but that it is also a public place and some public behaviors construe endangerment/corruption of minors. The last point would depend upon the local laws as to whether that were true or not.

I didn't "consume" the source article so I don't know all the details (was the man watching with the audio on? is there a privacy filter on the screens? was the man using a card catalog computer, or one computer in a "bank" of computers?).

I'd be curious what would happen if this were to go up before SCOTUS. I think it'd be kind of like past decency rulings where pornography is ruled a kind of free speech. I suppose it'd be a question of whether or not the ideals of the public library system require that libraries provide such materials. Also, what if libraries are required to host those materials----do they have to then become "adults only"? Will there be a compromise with an "adults only" section to the library just for the use of the internet services? (Growing up my local library did have "adults" section but of course they didn't block you from reading in it if you were a kid).


Ridiculous tag:

Spoiler :

Don't cry fire, Don't cry "I'm coming" in a public place

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

As I said, couldnt they have just put him in a computer in the corner of a small room where people would nto see it in public.

Also, if that was an LCD screen, a lot of times (not always) you cannot see them unless youre right behind it. So I was wondering if the woman was actually just standing over his shoulder.