Dear Clergy

Dear Clergy:

The town local library allows children access to Internet pornography in the children's section of the library despite the law and the government is doing nothing to stop it.  As one of the houses of worship in or near town,  please get involved in stopping the library from violating the law or getting the government to stop the lawlessness.  Library boards may legally do anything necessary and proper for libraries under the law, but Internet pornography is neither.  Nor is there any use and benefit of Internet porn in public libraries.  Municipalities should not allow lawlessness to fester.  An eleven year old child already saw porn in the children's section and the library's response was to filter only two of the four computers then blame the child when the mom asked why only two.

The best way I know to get involved is to speak up.  To get educated on the issues before speaking up, contact me for private discussion or for a public talk on the issue.  I've been studying this issue for about fifteen years.  The library trustees are well trained in misleading the community so getting a primer from me before they try to mislead you that there's a First Amendment right to porn in public libraries and Internet filters don't work would really help people be more effective in demanding an end to the lawlessness.

Contact me, Dan Kleinman, SafeLibraries@gmail.com.  I'm with SafeLibraries in Chatham, NJ, and would be really happy to speak with anyone or give talks on the topics to congregants.  I know it's a topic no one really wants to discuss but if we don't, more children will see more Internet porn in the children's section of the town's public library.  Can you believe I even have to say this?

I got your names and emails from [local media].

Your involvement may help to protect children from Internet pornography being made available by the [Town] Public Library despite the law.  Many people are needed to bring pressure on the library and on the government to end the lawlessness.  I'm making you aware of the situation and offering to provide an education.  No charge.

Here is what the mother of the victim had to say in the local paper, reprinted by me for your convenience: "Pornography Versus Library Bill of Rights" http://safelibraries.blogspot.com/2015/04/library-bill-of-rights.html

Here is a survey flyer I distributed during the town fair and posted throughout the downtown area that summarizes the issues and please consider posting this at your own location: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/162622236521532399/ [Contact me for help adapting this to your own community.  It is also pictured top right.  Click to see a larger version.  And I have more suggested flyers.]

Thank you so much for considering this.  I hope to hear from you as soon as possible.  The sooner the better for the children, literally.

Thanks again.

Dan Kleinman
SafeLibraries
SafeLibraries@gmail.com

CC: Local media.

URL of this sample letter to send to clergy in your own communities:
tinyurl.com/DearClergy

On Social Media: +SafeLibraries

Follow @SafeLibraries

Pornography Versus Library Bill of Rights, by Colby Sheppard, Westfield Leader, 9 April 2015

Pornography Versus Library Bill of Rights

Imagine the shock to learn the children’s computers in the Westfield Memorial Library have no pornography filters.  Upon speaking to other parents they had the same reaction, “I thought there were filters!”  No, not the case.

The Westfield Memorial Library is one of the only area libraries to not have filters on the computers with Internet access in the children’s department.

In February, the library begrudgingly agreed to put filters on only two of the four computers in the children’s section.  Allowing pornography on any public library computer is illegal in accordance to New Jersey state law.  Also, the U.S. Supreme Court says blocking pornography from public libraries does not violate the First Amendment.  Why then should the citizens of Westfield settle for filtering only two of four children’s computers instead of filtering all computers in accordance with the law?

I learned the library eschews N.J. law and the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, by choosing to follow the “Library Bill of Rights” of the American Library Association.  (www.wmlnj.org/About/Internet%20Use%20Policy.asp)  Result?  Your child has access to hard-core pornography.

Westfield Memorial Library; Internet Use Policy
wmlnj.org/About/Internet%20Use%20Policy.asp

Is this what we want for the children of Westfield?  It should be Westfield’s duty to ensure the library complies with the law, not the American Library Association.  Is Westfield living up to that duty?

The library’s “mission statement” defines the library as “the community’s destination for discovery and ideas – engages minds, entertains spirits, and facilitates lifelong learning for people of all ages.”  What part of pornography does any of that?  What “ideas” should we be getting from watching sex trafficking victims having the worst days of their lives broadcast on library computers?  Pornography goes against the very mission of the library, it’s about time the library starts complying with its own mission statement.  It’s time we get involved and restore common sense and the law.

I’ll be attending city and library meetings to push for compliance with the law that makes pornography illegal in all N.J. libraries.

United States v. American Library Association, 539 US 194 (2003)
laws.findlaw.com/us/539/194.html

I do not want any kid to see hard-core pornography in the library, and I’m asking those who agree to come out to the meetings as well and speak up.  Also, speak up by writing a letter to the library board and let them know your views.  The library should listen to the citizens of Westfield, N.J. law, and the U.S. Supreme Court, not to the American Library Association.  We just need to let our town and our library know we’re awake now and we’re going to speak up for our community.  It might take time, but we’ll get there.

Please join me in advocating for this positive change.

Colby Sheppard

Westfield

NJ law (NJS 40:54-12 [link]) permits library boards to
"do all things necessary and proper" to run libraries.
US v. ALA says, "public libraries have traditionally
excluded pornographic material...." Clearly, Internet
porn is not "necessary and proper." So allowing
Internet porn is acting outside the law. NJ library
boards have no power to exceed the law; municipal
bodies must act to stop the lawlessness.

Source:

• "Pornography Versus Library Bill of Rights," by Colby Sheppard, Westfield Leader (NJ), 9 April 2015, hyperlink added.
• Reprinted with permission.  All graphics/captions were created by SafeLibraries and are not part of the original publication.

URL of this page: safelibraries.blogspot.com/2015/04/library-bill-of-rights.html

On Social Media: @ALALibrary +TownOfWestfield @TownOfWestfield @wmlnj

Follow @SafeLibraries