Blatherskite

Oh. My. God.:

Two uniformed men strolled into the main room of the Little Falls library in Bethesda one day last week and demanded the attention of all patrons using the computers. Then they made their announcement: The viewing of Internet pornography was forbidden.

The men looked stern and wore baseball caps emblazoned with the words “Homeland Security.” The bizarre scene unfolded Feb. 9, leaving some residents confused and forcing county officials to explain how employees assigned to protect county buildings against terrorists came to see it as their job to police the viewing of pornography.

I am imagining this scenario in the public library in which I work. And I am dumbfounded. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

The article goes on to explain that the two officers will be disciplined. THANK GOD. Thank God somebody understands the whole point of the library and that it exists to recognize one’s constitutional right of privacy. Much to the Bush’s Admin’s dismay, but nevertheless. The librarians are trying, anyway.

How awful for the patrons of the library! Can you imagine? Your sitting at your local public library’s internet station, innocently reading your e-mail or perusing your daily blogroll adn some asshole in a uniform comes in and annouces that looking at porn is forbidden. Wha??? First of all, we aren’t living in Nazi Germany, second of all, who says everyone in the library looks at porn? It’s actually very rare that people come into the library to look at porn. Once in awhile there are one or two people, but not really all that common.

sigh. Damn Neo-fascists.

Read the Washington Post article here. And thanks to Mandrake from Daffodil Lane for pointing me to it!