Generally Throwback Thursdays are to reminisce things that the blogger in question, me in this case, about items from their past like old photos, follow-up on previous linked resources, or “remember when that was cool” blog posts. I’ve done all of that but today I’d like to do something a little different.
Today I’m highlighting thew work of another blogger and pointing you to a post titled The “virtues” of censorship, pt. 3: searching for “safe libraries” from October 2011. It’s a long read but completely worth it. Some of my readers will understand why I’m posting this while others will not and I’m OK with that.
Here’s a brief sample:
As a just-the-facts-ma’am messenger, it is clear that [he] has failed in his endeavor. Besides misconstruing, misinterpreting, or ignoring relevant facts (all of which are deadly practices for anyone who claims to be an accurate reporter), [he] does not construct his reporting in an unprejudiced manner. The “Porn Pushers” page is clearly structured as an argument. He refers to “evidence,” all of which is presented in the form of an outline meant to lead readers to a single, inexorable conclusion. Since [he] is following the conventions of persuasive argumentation, drawing connections between disparate facts and assertions in order to convince the reader of something, it is undeniable that he is interested in enacting social change. What is most irksome to me is that [he] adamantly refuses to acknowledge any agenda beyond being a so-called “messenger.” Despite the abundant evidence that he does have an agenda, he asserts that he has none. Since I don’t believe for a minute that anyone with such intent focus in his life’s work (discrediting the ALA and its OIF) could possibly be so moronic as not to have any larger agenda at all, let me speculate. I won’t pretend that I have any hard evidence to back my claims. I’m not going to play the part of empiricist. I am going to provide an armchair psychoanalysis of [he] that I believe is applicable to others like him.
Someone might even consider my posting this “harassment” of some sort. But it’s not harassment, because I’m just the messenger, creating an online record. (And, not even violating anyone’s copyright in the process.)
After reading the original feel free to submit a comment here if you wish. However, please be aware that this is my site and in no way, shape, or form, is it a public forum. I am in complete control and under no obligation to allow your comment to appear on my site for any reason. That’s not censorship, that’s me controlling what’s in my space. If you disagree, I am not preventing you from posting your comments anywhere else on the Internet.
Image credit: Hartwig HKD
As part of its vast collection of literary and historic treasures (the Magna Carta, Leonardo da Vinci’s notebook), the 
