On Getting Lumped In With Others; And SafeLibraries Makes Three

Marta L. Magnuson
UWM Adjunct Professor

I get lumped in with others.  It happens to me a lot.  It just happened again, to which I say, And SafeLibraries Makes Three:

• "Perceptions of Self and the 'Other': An Analysis of Challenges to And Tango Makes Three," by Marta L. Magnuson, American Library Association, 12 May 2011, updated 10 October 2011. 

But this time the author, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, School of Information Studies Adjunct Professor Marta L. Magnuson, pictured at right, had the integrity to review my response and the underlying Swanson 2007 reference, then edit her work accordingly.

Here is the relevant paragraph from the original 12 May 2011 version that incorrectly lumped me in with others for "us[ing] parental rights as reasoning for censoring And Tango Makes Three."  In reality, I never support censorship, and especially not a children's book like And Tango Makes Three.  What will be removed or changed is highlighted.  As you will see, And SafeLibraries Makes Three:

Parents and library board members were not the only people who voiced their opinion about the rights of parents. Along with Medved’s comments for USA Today, Dan Kleinman, who runs the website SafeLibraries.org, and Randy Thomasson, president of the California-based Campaign for Children and Families, also used parental rights as reasoning for censoring And Tango Makes Three.  In fact, Thomasson went so far as to attack libraries, telling parents that they "can no longer trust libraries to protect their children's innocence or uphold appropriate standards.  Voters should demand that books with harmful content be removed from school and city libraries" (Swanson 2007, A20). 

Here is the paragraph as corrected on 10 October 2011:

Parents and library board members were not the only people who voiced their opinion about the rights of parents. Along with Medved’s comments for USA Today, Randy Thomasson, president of the California-based Campaign for Children and Families, also used parental rights as reasoning for challenging And Tango Makes Three.  In fact, Thomasson went so far as to attack libraries, telling parents that they "can no longer trust libraries to protect their children's innocence or uphold appropriate standards.  Voters should demand that books with harmful content be removed from school and city libraries" (Swanson 2007, A20).

So Marta L. Magnuson had the integrity to consider my concerns respectfully, then immediately make changes.  In contrast, the American Library Association [ALA] heard my complaint about the Office for Intellectual Freedom's "censorship map" plagiarism almost a year ago that it only correctly attributed recently, but I digress and will expand on that in a future post (– so subscribe).  At least with intellectual theft left uncorrected for so long like that in violation of the ALA's Code of Ethics, it makes me appreciate honest people like Professor Magnuson all the more.

And look what else was she changed.  Censoring was changed to challenging.  I'm tellin' ya', Marta L. Magnuson really impresses me as being intellectually honest.  What a breath of fresh air given "the nonsense of Banned Books Week" with "the ALA and its minions ... going on about nonexistent censorship in America."  The ALA now has one less minion.

Brava, Marta L. Magnuson.

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