Ok. Weird blog morning. The first two sites I visit today have links to some pretty alarming stories.
The first I found on PBW's blog. It seems another crazy piece of legislature has made headlines, this time in Alabama. Luckily, it died rather quickly. In State Representative Gerald Allen's narrow, little mind banning books is not about censorship if they deal with immoral issues such as homosexuality. You can read a little more about his homosexual paranoia here.
I want to know how somone like this gets to keep his job. He's messing with the Bill of Rights, people. Perhaps a little recap of the First Amendment is in order.
See that little line in there about "shall make no law....abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press..."? Books, people. It protects our books. It protects the publishers' rights to print books which may not support any given political or religious agenda.
And now I feel need the need to address homo-paranoia. Let it go, people. It's not contagious. And I'm pretty sure reading about homosexual characters is not going to make someone switch sides, if that's your concern. But perhaps that's not the real issue. Perhaps the real issue is that it may enlighten a few readers, lessen the fear and ignorance. Perhaps the issue is about passing along our prejudices.
I could go on. Really I could.
But I need to mention the other odd-ball link I found today on Michelle's blog. How crazy is this story? Can you imagine being contacted by the government because some nutjob has adopted your character's name and more? Unbelievable.
The first I found on PBW's blog. It seems another crazy piece of legislature has made headlines, this time in Alabama. Luckily, it died rather quickly. In State Representative Gerald Allen's narrow, little mind banning books is not about censorship if they deal with immoral issues such as homosexuality. You can read a little more about his homosexual paranoia here.
I want to know how somone like this gets to keep his job. He's messing with the Bill of Rights, people. Perhaps a little recap of the First Amendment is in order.
Amendment I
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.
See that little line in there about "shall make no law....abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press..."? Books, people. It protects our books. It protects the publishers' rights to print books which may not support any given political or religious agenda.
And now I feel need the need to address homo-paranoia. Let it go, people. It's not contagious. And I'm pretty sure reading about homosexual characters is not going to make someone switch sides, if that's your concern. But perhaps that's not the real issue. Perhaps the real issue is that it may enlighten a few readers, lessen the fear and ignorance. Perhaps the issue is about passing along our prejudices.
I could go on. Really I could.
But I need to mention the other odd-ball link I found today on Michelle's blog. How crazy is this story? Can you imagine being contacted by the government because some nutjob has adopted your character's name and more? Unbelievable.
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