2SAFESCHOOLS NOTES

The L-Files

WARNING! SOME MATERIAL IN THIS FILE MAY BE OFFENSIVE"These days parents have a lot more to be concerned about than adult sex shops and the pervert that lives down the street. Pornography may be as close to your child as your friendly and accommodating local public library."
-James Kraemer, 2safeschools

Pornography access to children in America's public libraries and some public schools is an issue 2safeschools has been investigating. Please advise 2safeschools of specific library internet discussions from Go Ask Alice! or other links these groups unlawfully or inappropriately promote or provide to minors. Please include a link (http://) to the material for verification.

Go Ask Alice!
This American Library Association link to Columbia University includes explicit sexually abusive information to minors, mixed in with a storehouse of excellent information. This question to Go Ask Alice! involves bestiality.

A person writes that he had sex with a sheep. "The strange thing is that I enjoyed it more than having sex with my girlfriend," he writes. " I liked it so much that I want to do it again, but I am worried that I may contract a STD from the ewe. I have heard that you can."

Here's Alice's response (also edited):

"Several things might make sex with animals, also known as bestiality, appealing: it can be forbidden, secretive, and/or exciting. An animal doesn't kiss and tell, nor does the animal complain about performance or desire orgasm -- you are in control of the when, where, and how. For more information, check out Bestiality in Alice's Sexuality archives.

About your main concern regarding sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and bestiality, Alice has confirmed with several veterinarians that STDs, including HIV, cannot be transmitted from animals to humans, and vice-versa, since STDs are species-specific. If you remain concerned about potential disease risk in general, Alice recommends that you follow safer sex guidelines, such as using a condom, in all of your mutually consensual sex acts, keeping in mind that securing an animal's consent may be difficult, if not impossible."

Alice concludes with mentioning that bestiality may be illegal and to check, "the legal status of bestiality where you live."

• What's interesting is legality is mentioned but there's no mention that this behavior my be an unhealthy activity. Rather, Alice seems to offer benefits to the behavior, even though the writer didn't ask for that information.

Kiddy Porn
Concerning Callaway County (MO) Public Library: When Fulton police received a report of a man going to the library, accessing the Internet on the library computer, using that library Internet access to view child pornography and then using the library equipment to print out child pornography at the library, and officer went to investigate...The officers and I were shocked that the library through you and Nancy resisted cooperation rather than doing everything you legally could to help. (Excerpt from County Attorney's letter to Library's Attorney, 8/21/98) Library porn logs

• This seems to support allegations that some public libraries employ policies that result in encouraging the illegal transmission of child pornography. According to Filter Facts, "These public libraries not only have privacy screens, but also destroy patron sign-up sheets after use, and employ computer programs that delete any trace of user activity. These policies make it almost impossible for law enforcement to catch pedophiles using public library Internet stations to download child pornography."

The Inalienable Right of 5-Year Olds to R-Rated Videos 5/07/99
Growing concern about children's internet access to porn in public libraries has focused scrutiny on the American Library Association's opposition to any limitations on such access. Now a new controversy in several cities has brought to light an even more extreme ALA policy, concerning videotapes. Philadelphia is the latest city to debate a proposal to eliminate all age restrictions on library access to R-rated videos, in order to comply with the ALA's "Library Bill of Rights."
Read more on this.

• Is it reasonable to now accept that the ALA and some public library administrations have completely lost it?

Librarian advocates children defying their parents
Comments from a librarian from the Cuyahoga County Public Library who advocates children defy their parents, posted to one of the library listserves.

I'd say that you have the right to *try* and censor what your child sees, but I also think that your child has the right, and indeed in many instances, the reponsibility to try and circumvent what you see as your moral authority. What about the instance of a racist parent? or a homophobic parent? or the parent of a Wiccan or Satanist child who wants to keep them from practicing their religion? I absolutely believe that that child has the right to do anything in their power to circumvent their parent's control over their access to information. Thirty years ago, I spent a lot of time sneaking books behind my parents' watchful gaze. I'd expect no less of today's youth. More power to them if they can smash their parents' control of what they read and listen to. Greg
(Reported by Michelle Yezerski, Citizens for the Protection of Children Medina, Ohio. Original Return-Path: ; Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 12:30:44 -0400 (EDT) From: Falcon ; To: ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom List cc: ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom List , [email protected]; Subject: Re: Careful you might show your true colors.... Reply-To: [email protected]; Sender: [email protected] X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.2.08 -- ListProc(tm) by CREN; Greg Weller * * [email protected] *)

• The attitude represented in the above communication is alleged by childrens' protective groups to be a widespread problem among some anti-censorship librarians and groups.

Library Internet access policies attracting child-sex predators?
Woman Charged in Internet Case, 4/17/98
Ft. Smith (AR) Public Library
SW Times Record - Jill Michelle Cronk, 26, was charged with third-degree carnal abuse for allegedly fondling a 14-year-old girl she had typed messages to over a lesbian chat line on the Internet. The girl corresponded with the woman on the Internet using a Fort Smith Public Library computer. Cronk, who had talked to the girl over the Internet for about a month, caught a flight to Fort Smith Tuesday afternoon and met the girl at the library branch on Market Trace, detective Cpl. Ron Scamardo said. FROM: Dangerous Access: The Epidemic of Pornography in America's Public Libraries and the Threat to Children.

• Should libraries offer a service they can not properly supervise?

"Kids often acquire permission for their misbehavior from adults, and all-to-often the most dysfunctional behaviors are promoted outside the control or awareness of the child's parents, by organizations once considered decent, honorable and cherished by our society."
-James Kraemer, 2safeschools

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