Fear and loathing in Rochester
The right-wing fear mongering coming from the County GOP continued unabated this weekend with another D&C editorial about the greatest threat facing Monroe County right now: pornography at the library. I don’t have a strong opinion about this issue (I just don’t think it’s that important and I tend to believe there’s an easy solution of some kind), but I do have a strong opinion about this: this is blatant fear-mongering straight out of the Stephen Minarik playbook. Is it any coincidence that fast on the heels of its COMIDA and Water Authority scandals, the County Republican party starts in on the Pledge of Allegiance and pornography? I think not.
Our good friend DragonFlyEye is all over this one:
So, let’s be clear: adult content of all types is in fact being filtered at the Rochester Public Library. There’s not going to be a guy whacking off next to you while you read “Curious George,†honey.
Let’s also address this rhetorical question: “I’m not saying you have to be a pedophile to like porn, but why should we take the chance that the person viewing a pornographic Web site is a pedophile?†Well, it’s good you don’t declare outright that people who enjoy pornography are automatically pedophiles, but you did throw it out there, didn’t you? Why can we not have a rational discussion of issues without some fear-mongering whack job taking things to their utter-most extreme?
DragonFlyEye points out that the woman who wrote this article is from Chili (she is in fact the Chili blogger for the paper), so why is what goes on at the Rochester Public Library such an important issue for her? (Update: As Pete points out in the comments, if she does use the library, then she has right to speak about it.) Then he poses the obvious question:
Or shall we just have Maggie Brooks run our news papers?
We may as well. The Democrat and Chronicle Editorial Board is afraid of the Minarik machine. Try sending in a letter that criticizes Minarik and see if they publish it. Try finding an editorial that criticizes Minark’s slimy mailers.
Someone recently sent me a great George Orwell quote that describes editorial boards like the D&C perfectly. It’s about dogs who perform at circuses. I’ll have more about this later.
Update: This is not meant to be overly critical of the Chili blogger, who has a right to her opinion (even if I think she’s essentially been spun by Brooks and Minarik), my main beef is with the D&C Editorial Board, who shouldn’t run this sort of thing. Especially since they refuse to run anything that criticizes them (or Brooks or Minarik).
The whole pronography at the library flap is a bunch of BS, but the biggest problem is that it is diffcitul to combat politically because you don’t want to seem as though you NEED your porno at the library. With that being said, it is a shame that this is what is being focused on and not actually making anything better for rochesterians. I go to the library often and have never seen anyone looking at porn. I can’t imagine that many people have actually witnessed anyone looking at porn. Furthermore, I have to assume that a large percentage of the population who might look at porn in the library have heard this story and since then gone and looked up porn at the library.
Ugggh.
Porn is NOT illegal. The government telling me what I, or my kids can see IS ILLEGAL. Are there people in Monore County who really want the government controling what they can see? Read the BILL OF RIGHTS. I am tired of so called parents expecting the government (including the schools and libraries) to do the parenting of their children.
I think an important reframe of this debate has to be as follows: what is the end-game for this little adventure? If Maggie gets her way, there is every indication that we may at least potentially be in violation of the Supreme Court ruling on the issue. Are we prepared to go to the Supreme Court to fight it? If not, when do we back down? Either way, doesn’t this seem like an awfully unimportant distraction for a County Executive with a 100 million dollar deficit that needs attending to?
Maggie just needed something in the “moral issue” category to cling to for this elections cycle since she hasn’t gotten much done during her term.
We need to demand that Maggie refocus herself…however town folks do use the Central Library as well so Mia (Chili blogger) had every right to post a concern…
I’m inclined to agree with Pete that Mia does have the right to voice her opinion on this one, however I do worry about favoritism at any news source. I’m sure most of us would agree that the D&C falls at least a little to the right of center, and giving a guest essayist piece to someone that’s already the very vocal Chili Blogger (who’s been defending Maggie to the death on this issue) does have a hint of nepotism.
Anyone know what you have to do to get the coveted “Guest Essayist” spot rather than just an LTE?
“however town folks do use the Central Library as well so Mia (Chili blogger) had every right to post a concern…”
Yeah, you’re right about that. I didn’t mean to make this too critical of the Chili blogger, but I also liked DFE’s piece which _was_ very critical of her and wanted to highlight it. I may not have struck the right balance.
I guess my main problem is that I don’t think the D&C should haver run her piece.
No offense meant-you guys know I love your site, however…other town bloggers (not me) have written into the paper for these editorials and not been singled out like you have done.
I agree. Didn’t mean to be too tough. But I don’t think they should have run it.
I am a whack job, but a fun loving what job. I stand behind what I wrote. Why do you think the D&C shouldn’t have printed it? I don’t work for them
Point blank… do you get favoritism for your guest essayist articles… if not, how does one go about becoming a guest essayist rather than LTE writer?
I like your blog. I didn’t mean to sound too critical and I hope you’re not offended.
The D&C shouldn’t run any of these editorials about things like the pledge (which Minarik wrote about) and porn in the library — we’ve got bigger issues!
We’ve made the Chili Blog on this!
Come blog with me whenever you want. we may disaggree on this issue, but you I’m sure we have more in common than you think. I like shit starters. lol
You did not answer my question about favoritism… nor did you answer my question (in your thread) about whether you think it’s beating a dead horse to try and filter porn.
Thanks, Mia.