Sarah Palin pushed to remove Pastor's book from bookstores (confirmed)

[bushisanidiot]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080912/ap_on_el_pr/palin_librarian

" GOP campaign downplays Palin book-banning inquiry

By GARANCE BURKE, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 42 minutes ago

WASILLA, Alaska - The McCain campaign is defending Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's much-criticized inquiry into banning books at her hometown library, saying her questions were only hypothetical.

Shortly after taking office in 1996 as mayor of Wasilla, a city of about 7,000 people, Palin asked the city's head librarian about banning books. Later, the librarian was notified by Palin that she was being fired, although Palin backed off under pressure.

<snip>

Still, one longtime library staffer recalls that the run-in made everyone fear for their jobs.

"Mayor Palin gave us some terrible moments and some rather gut-wrenching moments, particularly when Mary Ellen said she was going to have to leave," said Cathy Petrie, who managed the children's collection at the time.

Recent outrage has been fueled by Wasilla housewife Anne Kilkenny, whose 2,400-word critique of Palin's legacy as mayor is widely posted on the Internet. Kilkenny described Palin's actions as "out-and-out censorship."

<snip>

The Rev. Howard Bess, a liberal Christian preacher in the nearby town of Palmer, said the church Palin and her family attended until 2002, the Wasilla Assembly of God, was pushing to remove his book from local bookstores.

Emmons told him that year that several copies of "Pastor I Am Gay" had disappeared from the library shelves, Bess said.

"Sarah brought pressure on the library about things she didn't like," Bess said. "To believe that my book was not targeted in this is a joke."

<snip>

Jim Rettig, who heads the American Library Association based in Richmond, Va., suggested that lingering quarrel raises issues that are still relevant as librarians prepare to celebrate Banned Books Week later this month.

"Librarians are very committed to the principles of the First Amendment of the Constitution and that means we don't allow one individual or a group of people to dictate what people can or cannot read," he said. "Most librarians if they got that sort of a question would be curious as to what the intent of the questioner was."

[Motown_Johnny]

I would love to see an interview with this guy

[YDogg]

1. but has the ALA taken a public stand against her actions, or the threat she poses???

I think not.

[fasttense]

2. Not only was she trying to censor what books people could read,

She was trying to censor what religious views people should be exposed to. Is this really America?

Well it is clearly Palin's view of America.

"Records on the city's Web site, however, do not show any books were challenged in Wasilla in the 10 years before Palin took office."

Banning books and establishing which religions are appropriate seems to be how Palin plans to control us.

[catgirl]

6. Palin is extremely anti gay

amongst other things.

[bushisanidiot]

7. Apparently she disagrees with Pastors talking to gay congregants

I'm sure that's exactly how Jesus ministered to gays. :sarcasm:

[uponit7771]

11. West coast AG's are extremely anti gay.

[Bosso 63]

3. Its a bad idea to piss off librarians.

[bushisanidiot]

4. September 27–October 4, 2008 is banned books week. Sarah's censorship problem isn't going away

anytime soon.

http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.cfm

"Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, this annual ALA event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. This year, 2008, marks BBW's 27th anniversary (September 27 through October 4).

BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.

BBW is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, American Library Association, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Association of American Publishers, National Association of College Stores, and is endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress."

[yourout]

5. This should scare the hell out of anyone that is not a Fundie.

[OHDEM]

8. How do we get the MSM to cover the book banning?

Even if she didn't ban anything because librarians are awesome & wouldn't let it happen. It's a story just that she would ask such a question & eventually drive away a good person. I just saw Ed Koch this morning on CNN talking to whatever woman was working & he mentioned Palin asking about removing books & this person at CNN kept insisting that it didn't happen. "We found that story to be false." I was screaming at my TV. How do we get the truth out there when the media is this lazy & stupid???

[bushisanidiot]

9. She did push to have "Pastor I Am Gay" removed from local bookstores

and several copies of that same book mysteriously disappeared from the Wasilla Library.
It's all listed in the above story.

[stillcool]

10. send this story to CNN