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Congress Considering Ban on MySpace and Facebook in Libraries
First, libraries were forced to start filtering out obscene content in 2000. Then came the Patriot Act, which granted the government the right to examine the books you checked out and the sites you visited on a library's public computers. Now, lawmakers are trying to ban children from accessing MySpace and Facebook on library PCs in order to keep the kids safe from sexual predators.
The heavy-handed legislation -- a bill introduced by Representative Mark Steven Kirk of Illinois -- is, of course, being fought by the American Library Association. The library wants to protect people's privacy saying that it is essential if a community is to utilize the library for intellectual pursuits.
Library officials agree with the goal of the bill, but they say that educating kids and parents about the dangers of such sites is the only comprehensive solution to the problem, which is a more than fair point. Kids are crafty and aren't only signing on to MySpace at the library. Heck, any kid with a Sidekick could spend all day talking to predators and there would be no way to know.
We think a strong education program and some decent parenting can keep kids safe online, regardless of where they sign on from and what sites they use. [Source: USA Today]
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Comments
148
Subscribe to commentsSheiJul 28th 2008 5:06PM
Instead of lawmakers handling the economy crisis (its a crisis in my life EVERYDAY) there are lawmakers trying to ban myspace and facebook?! YOU'RE LUCKY IF YOU SEE AMERICAN YOUTH IN THE LIBRARY, AND READING A BOOK AT THAT! How bout try banning TV first? There's a thought....
cyberma777Jul 28th 2008 4:36PM
Note to Federal Government - Get out of my libraries! Why are you wasting time on this? Any kid with an iPhone or other decent cell phone can access those sites while in the library anyway. Don't you have more important things to do like solving the serious economic problems of this country? P.S. to Repubs - Tell your religious rightie friends they need a refresher course in Constitutional rights.
GwenJul 30th 2008 12:05PM
I think you forget who is running Congress, it's the Democrats. Tell your Liberal Lefties THEY need a course in Constitutional Rights.
Scott PadgettJul 29th 2008 4:19PM
Gwen, you should look into the situation a little more before trying to blame democrats. Representative Mark Steven Kirk of Illinois, who the article says introduced this bill is a REPUBLICAN. Hopefully the democrats in congress will be wise enough to squash this...
CitizenJul 28th 2008 5:26PM
Uhh? Why would the Congress have anything to do with our community libraries. Should the Feds tell us not to let our kids to go to the community park for fear of sex predators too ? Note To Our Congress - Tell your kids not to answer emails from lunatics and not to take candy from stangers. Then get on to some real business!
MichelleJul 28th 2008 11:47PM
It just seems to me that Congress (the opposite of Progress) doesn't want to hit the important items and just want to make more penny ante decisions that affect our civil liberties. My myspace is used to nurture ideas and cultural ideals. We blog back and forth about pressing issues in our country and rally to support worthy causes. I know that not everyone does that but for those who do, a blanket restriction is not only ridiculous, but incomprehensible to me. There are several people in my groups who are under the age of 18 who are active in debates about the issues facing our Nation today. Why take away something from people? It seems incomprehensible. Just keep eroding our liberties. Today it is our kids, tomorrow it will be US. Soon USA will mean Under Surveillance in America.
MichelleJul 28th 2008 11:48PM
It just seems to me that Congress (the opposite of Progress) doesn't want to hit the important items and just want to make more penny ante decisions that affect our civil liberties. My myspace is used to nurture ideas and cultural ideals. We blog back and forth about pressing issues in our country and rally to support worthy causes. I know that not everyone does that but for those who do, a blanket restriction is not only ridiculous, but incomprehensible to me. There are several people in my groups who are under the age of 18 who are active in debates about the issues facing our Nation today. Why take away something from people? It seems incomprehensible. Just keep eroding our liberties. Today it is our kids, tomorrow it will be US. Soon USA will mean Under Surveillance in America.
moniqueJul 29th 2008 10:08AM
This is crazy! How about harsher laws to keep the damn predators in jail!!!!!!!!!! Those sickos need to stay in jail forever... but instead they just register them as sex offenders. Like thats gonna stop them.
Hey congress( lazy asses) how about helping our economy huh!
We the people are suffering!!!
p.s. the person who said the thing about the ipod and other phones is right. Kids will be exposed no matter what. It's the parents responsibility to control them.
BLACKEYJul 29th 2008 3:24AM
remember KHMER ROUGE and POL POT of Cambodia; HITLER; STALIN; so many other dictatorial asses. now; in the land of the free and the home of the brave; as well as it's rulers; it's an attack on freedom of speech and/or expression / thoughts. the above attacked the libraries; the schools; the churches; and any other group of people who had any idea or thoughts not consistent with theirs. burning and banning books; thoughts / expressions; ideas; writings; or any philosophical idea not dreamed up by these psychopaths. murdering of thousands even millions of those damnable dissenters and disagreeable asses was everyday routine. now the us govt is routinely invading our privacy; and stepping on the constitution like in was trash in the street. where does it stop? look to history!!
vinnieplumJul 29th 2008 6:37AM
Bulletin: Congress is considering requiring libraries to remove the word "Patriot" from librarry dictionaries, fearing people will learn of its misuse in the term "Patriot Act." "Freedom" and "Liberty" are also words under scrutiny.
Our representatives are hard at work protecting us from the dangers lurking around every corner; dangers defined by the religious wrong, Big Pharma and Big Energy. But who is going to protect us from Congress?
Roll up your pants, people. It's already too late to save your shoes and socks.
ScamN2Jul 29th 2008 6:52AM
Maybe congress should first sign into law, that if a person get's caught diddling with a child, he/she gets executed ................mandatory, instead of releasing them back into society, then if that doesn't work, who knows what will?
redwillowJul 29th 2008 10:16AM
finally - someone else who feels that there should still be consequenses!! There are just some things that should not be 'rehabitable'.....and the American people are not (thanks to Bush) in a position to keep shelling out tax dollars for their and other repeat offenders' upkeep. Right now, I (and my kids) would have a higher quality of life in prison, thanks to our economy. Gotta Love George!!
kittsongstadJul 29th 2008 11:48AM
Exactly. When they decide to get tough on monitoring these idiots that are already loose in the streets and start focusing on crime instead of building city halls off the fines we pay for minor traffic offenses, they can have my **** myspace.
MistyJul 29th 2008 12:59PM
I'd second that law!
wimbccJul 29th 2008 1:30PM
I totally agree. They should just be executed. If DNA put them in jail, execute immediately after the trial. If all he/she was arrested on and convicted on was circumstancial evidence, then there should be a wait time in the event that he/she might really be innocent to prove that. I would give them 2 years (in prison) to prove that he/she is not the guilty party. If case is almost ready to prove innocense at the end of the 2 year time frame, then an extension could be granted if there is enough evidence to prove that the party may not be guilty. I understand that innocent people do go to jail for crimes they have not committed but at the same time our prisons are rotting with skanks who are guilty with the DNA proof and those should be executed right now!
SteveJul 29th 2008 7:07AM
Why is Congress so afraid to face what they help create, the current economic disaster brought on by the looters in the White House. Bush and the gang are bankrupting this nation if they have not already done so. Bush and the gang hold no allegiance to our nation. In fact Bush is held in high esteem in Saudi Arabia by his boy friend Prince Bandar. Holding hands and smiling after coming from behind the barn. Now wasn't that so cute. While Bush and his prince were behind the barn, our troops were dying for less than nothing. And dying for Bush is dying for less than nothing. Goddamn Bush, his gang and anyone who supports the looting of our country to this bunch of rapists, looters and war criminals.
prad762Jul 29th 2008 7:12AM
The Patriot act keeps America safe. Thank God for people like President Bush, Representative Kirk, and Senator McCain. They understand the dangers of free and open communication. The only way to protect our country from terrorists is to fight them in Iraq and restrict our freedoms here. Terrorists are using Myspace and Facebook to communicate with each other from public libraries everyday. I'm voting for McCain. He understands the dangers posed by public libraries. Remember: If your not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about.
egriffinJul 29th 2008 8:55AM
Okay, while I am all for regulating sites like MySpace and such, a ban is rather silly when these folks at the library could easily put a block on such sites! The technology is there people, use it!
Don't the government have better things to do than to fool with this?
Besides, the parents are the ones that should be rearing these kids.
And to those parents that think this is a good idea, remember this....if you allow the government to regulate this, your favorite things or your beliefs WILL be next!
hmsyv08752Jul 29th 2008 1:04PM
Either you are being entirely sarcastic or you are a complete and total idiot. You do not deserve the right to espouse your dribble; however, in a free society you have that right. I totally detest you line of thought, it is contrary and is in complete opposition to freedom of thought and expression. Yes, freedom does have a price, but to quote Ben Franklin, "those who would trade liberty for security, deserve neither".
You would have made a good solider in pre-World War Two Italy and Germany, when the freedoms we cherish here were being crushed in the name on national security. You should be very afraid of ideas, perhaps the free and open exchange of them will finally put the last nail in your coffin (and in the event you are being sarcastic....bravo to you for being so incredibly believable....)
SteveJul 29th 2008 7:17AM
Congress won't face up to what they help create, an economic crisis in our nation. So it is all about diversion, diversion, diversion. Always change the subject or give them a lot of bullbush to digest. I would advise that children stay away from the hall of Congress lest they be abused in person rather than by legislation!