West Bend Parents For Free Speech

I'd like to encourage everyone that can to attend the following event at Fireside Books & Gifts this Saturday, August 1st.  If you are unable to attend, please show your support of Fireside Books, its events and personnel by visiting the store very soon to select a new book or make another purchase.

As an independent bookstore (formerly a Little Professor Book center location), Fireside Bookshas provided invaluable, helpful, knowledgable and courteous service to this community for more than 25 years.  Some residents have announced boycotting the store and encouraged others (through blogs and other websites) to do the same.

Show your support of Fireside Books.  Attend the event and/or patronize the store.

PRESS RELEASE

On Saturday, August 1, Fireside Books and Gifts in West Bend will host the authors of a book that everyone in the area should read.

In light of the controversy that has enflamed passions on both sides of the censorship issue and led to the non-reappointment of public library board members, this is an opportunity for community members to look at one aspect of the issue from the viewpoint of a couple who speak from very real personal experience.

Paul and Hjordy Wagner know what it's like to have a child come out of the sexual orientation closet. In fact, they've had that experience not once, but twice. Both of their sons are gay. Their book "Ready or Not? They're Gay" tells the story of their acceptance of their sons' sexual identities and encourages others--in a non-confrontational and loving way--to come to the same acceptance of gay and lesbian young people in our society.

The Wagners--who live in Eau Claire--embraced their sons' sexuality immediately, but they soon realized that for many other families the transition is not easy or smooth. Many young gay people today--if they muster the courage to come out to their families at all--are ostracized, even abandoned, by their loved ones. " Ready or Not?" attempts to equip other families with the attitude and compassion to help them accept the news of a gay child or loved one in a healthy, positive way.

In addition to the Wagners' personal experience, the book includes a range of perspectives from their circle of family and friends. It offers sensible guidance for parents and teachers of gay students and provides suggestions from the GLBT community on how to make the coming-out conversation more loving and sincere.

The event on August 1 will begin at 10:30 a.m. The Wagners will begin with a short talk and then answer questions from the audience. Afterwards they will sign copies of their book.

Those interested in attending should call the store (at 262-334-1444) to reserve a seat. Fireside Books and Gifts is located at 1331 West Paradise Drive, between Wal-Mart and Office Max.

As you may have read in other blogs (it's all the talk in West Bend!), I recently made a trip down to Chicago to participate in a panel discussion about how libraries handle book challenges, and to share the West Bend story with attendees at the American Library Association 2009 Annual Conference.

I drove down to Chicago on Sunday on my own and arrived around 2:00pm.  I avoided the tolls and instead entered the city via Highway 41.  Worked well as I avoided the headaches of driving on 94 in Illinois.  (In the past, I have occasionally missed the turns to access the cash toll lanes and breezed right on through the EZ Pass lanes, and I own no EZ Pass!)  My hotel was about 2 blocks away from Millennium Park, so I spent a little time checking that out (hadn't been there before) and took pictures of the Cloud Gate and Crown Fountain.  There was also some other cool stuff like chalk murals being created on the ground, music, etc.  I went to the park shop and bought a Chicago t-shirt for each of the kids, then went to check into the hotel.  I met up with Mary Reilly-Kliss, former library board member (and new friend!), and we road a shuttle bus over to McCormick Place to check out some of the exhibitor booths at the conference.  We only got to visit it for a little while before it closed for the evening, then we road the shuttle bus back to the hotel.  Shortly after this, we met up with the rest of our library group to have dinner.  Afterwards, we briefly went over our panel discussion/presentation for the next morning.  Around 9:30pm, I decided to take another walk to Millennium Park and got some great photos of the Crown Fountain at night.  I'll try to post some photos in the next few days.

On Monday morning, we all met for breakfast and then headed over to McCormick Place to find the meeting room.  It wasn't a very large room, maybe room for about 75-100.  (I think we ended up with about 50 attendees.)  After some nervousness because the sound equipment wasn't cooperating, everything was as it should be and we began our presentation.  We began with stats about West Bend; how large the city is, where it is located, and some information about the circulation statistics for the library, the fact that it is the resource library for the community, etc.  Michael Tyree and Kristin Pekoll discussed how the book challenge/complaint was handled by the library and the library's reconsideration policy.  Others, including myself, discussed their roles in the challenge.  We all addressed the fact that the challenge and controversy was discussed often in the media and blogs, and how the information was often incomplete or incorrect, and hard to deal with because of the nature of the Internet.  We all shared things we've learned or questions that have come up as a result of the challenge.  I asked the audience to provide any input as to how library patrons and/or Friends of the Library groups can help libraries deal with book challenges.  Others asked for input on how to deal with the media and blogs.  At the end, the audience was given the opportunity to ask questions.  Some shared stories of how they/their library had dealt with a book challenge in the past.  Others suggested ways to do things differently or other potential resources.

After we wrapped it up, several audience members came up to say hello, introduce themselves, and/or commend the panelists for their handling of the challenge.  It was very nice to get feedback from the library professionals, the ones who must address these kinds of book challenges.

After the panel, almost all of the panelists participated in an abbreviated version of the panel discussion in a virtual conference format.  After this, we went back to the hotel area and went our separate ways; I hit the road to head for home.

I think our panel discussion was worthwhile to those that attended; they certainly seemed to enjoy the discussion and were open in sharing their feelings and insights on the matter.  I hope that someone that attended the talk will read this and post their comments about the discussion.

Contrary to what another has accused, no trash talking occurred.

Please join West Bend Parents for Free Speech as we participate in the Read In organized by Jake Jurss of West Bend.

Participants can meet at the corner of Oak and 5th at 3:00pm and walk to the library.  (If you can't join us right at 3:00pm, simply come when you can!) Bring along (or plan to check out) a book from a banned bookslist/website (search banned books on Yahoo or Google for ideas, or visit Adler Books: Books Banned in the United States.) Participants are encouraged to quietly read their books inside or outside the library.  Jake has a library room reserved and there may be a presentation/discussion of books discussed in the current West Bend issue and/or of the history of book banning in general.

Look for West Bend Parents for Free Speech and if you have not already done so, sign our petition to protect the library from attempts at censorship!

If you will be participating, please make yourself a nametag to wear.  A lot of us have "met" online but not in person; we'd like to connect names to faces!

When the library closes at 6:00pm (summer library hours are now in effect!) some participants willbe walking to Regner Park for a (bring your own) potluck style picnic.

Nicole Robson of West Bend wrote a letter to the editor that was published in the Daily News on May 16th.  At one point she states "the people who are so against what is actually going on in our libraries and around the nation are trying to shut up the people in opposition or continue to falsely twist this into anti-gay agenda or bookburning issue.  Where is the tolerance now for families who don't want those pages to fall ino the hands of their children?  Where's the freedom of speech now?"

I just want to go on record that West Bend Parents for Free Speech has never tried to impede the free speech of others'.  We firmly believe that WBCFSL and all citizens have the right to speak out on this issue, no matter their viewpoint.  That does not mean, however, that we should let the viewpoints go unchallenged, that we shouldn't seek every opportunity to point out how a group's requests inhibit our First Amendment rights and violate the Consitution of the United States.  I support their right to express their opinions and ideas, and I relish my right to point out when and why they do not have merit or infringe upon the rights of others.

As to falsely twisting any information, we have not done so,  nor do we need to.  WBCFSL has done a fine job of muddying up their complaint and requests through their constant changes; there is no need to twist anything.  I will continue to point out that Ginny Maziarka of WBCFSL did start this whole library controversy with a request to remove materials with LGBT themes, so the original complaint could be construed as an anti-gay issue.  (And as far as I know, the only official complaint form/letter that has been submitted to the library concerns LGBT materials, not sexually explicit materials or requesting changes to library policies, WBCFSL's current stance.)  And even though WBCFSL denies affiliation with the Christian Civil Liberties Union, the group behind the lawsuit that does ask for a certain title to be publicly burned, it is no coincidence that this lawsuit comes on the heels of WBCFSL's tirade.  There is a direct correlation between the timing of the Maziarka/WBCFSL complaint and this ridiculous lawsuit.

Since certain other bloggers are so prone to calling others that don't agree with them "misinformed," I thought it would be prudent to point out some misinformation recently made public by some supporters of WBCFSL.

Randy Marquardt, in a letter to the Daily News, writes: "The controversy started when certain books (that are objectionable to many) were featured as recommended reading on the YA page of the Website. Someone chose to select and feature them ? supposedly the youth librarian, who answers to the director, who answers to the Library Board."  If Marquardt is referring to the "Out of the Closet" booklist category that Ginny Maziarka originally asked to be removed, he is wrong.  Booklists are not necessarily recommendations; they are selected lists of books, usually on a specific topic or in a particular genre, arranged in some kind of order (by author, title, subject, theme, etc.), that may include brief descriptive annotations, used mainly in readers' advisory.  They help readers (in the case of the West Bend library website, YA library patrons) to find books that have a similar theme, along the lines of "if you like this book/this topic/this theme, maybe you'll like these, too."  Maziarka would like people to think the booklist in question is a list of books based on sexual content, but in truth it is a list of books featuring plots or characters concerning a specific sexual orientation.  That is the real reason for the complaint and therein lies the rub for Maziarka.

I'd also like to point out that even if certain books are objectionable to many area residents, they are also NOT objectionable and quite valuable to many.  Therefore, the only way to truly address the issue of whether or not certain books are appropriate for children is to leave that decision in the hands of the parents, who get to decide that for their children and no one else's.

In her signing of the WBCFSL online petition, Karen Hollingsworth notes, "Trying to inflame the issue does not change the truth of the facts.  Pornography as defined by our laws does NOT belong in our library at all. Attacking us and subverting what we are proposing makes me wonder just who is the one who is perpetuating the injustice here? I am not trying to impose my values on anyone else or their children, conversely, where is my respect? Truth, common sense, decency and obedience of our laws must prevail."  Nice note, Ms. Hollingsworth.  Unfortunately, it does not apply at all to this situation:

1) No one in our group, the most public in speaking out against the WBCFSL petition, has inflamed the issue or made personal attacks.

2) The material in question categorically DOES NOT meet any legal definition of pornography (the legal term is actually obscenity.)

3) Endorsement of the WBCFSL petition DOES impose values on others, as it asks for changes to policies concerning how material is categorized and shelved, based on someone's subjective opinion concerning sexual or other content in the book.

4) Obedience of our laws prevails with the current library policies in place.  Changing them to the degree that WBCFSL asks would infringe upon the First Amendment rights of other citizens/library patrons.

West Bend Parents for Free Speech doesn't want to push any books on anyone that is not interested in them or does not find them valuable.  We do, however, want to preserve our rights as parents and library patrons to be the decision makers about what is approrpriate for our kids and what isn't.  We don't want the library staff, library board, an individual or a citizens' group telling us what is best for our children.  And we do not want censorship of any kind (including the potential to move books to make them less accessible to a group of library patrons) of the materials at the library.

I've just gotta ask......if Ginny Maziarka and WBCFSL insist that this library complaint is not a gay issue (or no longer a gay issue), why does Maziarka continue to use the labels "gay" and "lesbian" to tag her own blog posts on her WISSUP blog?

I stand by my belief that this is an LGBT issue and a heterosexual issue and an everything else issue......censorship effects all citizens.

After the Common Council meeting on Monday, May 4th, I (along with the Hendricks) had a conversation with Alderman Tony Turner about the library issue, the council's vote not to reappoint the 4 library board members, and Turner's perception that the library board was "unresponsive."  It was a discussion that didn't really go anywhere; Turner stands firm in his (mis)beliefs.  One thing he did seem to suggest, however, was that it would be nice if the two sides on this issue could come to a compromise.  More about that later, but first I wanted to point out what would happen if WBCFSL gets its way and gets library policies changed.  Let's imagine this is only going to effect the Young Adult section.

1)  Someone (Maziarka has not suggested who) will decide the criteria for examining young adult material and categorizing it accordingly, based on how explicit the sexual content is.  (By the way, Maziarka does not offer any clear indication as to what this adopted policy would address other than material that "depicts, describes, or represents, in a patently offensive way with respect to what is suitable for minors, an actual or simulated sexual act or sexual contact, actual or simulated normal or perverted sexual acts," etc.  Does this mean that kisses would be considered sexual contact?  We don't know.)

2) Someone (again, unknown if this would be a person such as a library staff member, a committee, or some other entity) would have to read through all of the material in the YA section to determine where books would be classified according to the above criteria.

3) Someone (unknown) would have to develop a policy for dealing with challenges to how the books are classified.

4) Someone (the taxpayers of West Bend) would have to pay the costs of developing and putting this policy into operation, including paying someone to read through all of the YA materials. (Please let me know where to apply for the job!)

5) Someone (the taxpapers of West Bend) would have to pay the legal costs of fighting lawsuits made against the library and/or the City of West Bend because these policies are unconstitutional.

So, in a nutshell, here is what WBCFSL wants to take away from you:

1) Your right, as a parent, to decide what material is appropriate for you and/or your children

2) Your child's access to YA materials that are no longer carried in the YA section.  Yes, they are still available in the adult section, but your child doesn't know this because he/she looks for YA material in the YA section.

3) Your money.  Your taxes will pay the cost of developing this program.

4) More of your money.  Your taxes will pay the cost of operating this program.

5) Even more of your money.  Your taxes will pay the legal expenses of the lawsuits to follow.

Now, Turner suggested the two sides could come to a compromise.  I believe he may have had something in mind along the lines of the library agrees to move a few books and maybe WBCFSL will drop the rest.  Of course, I am in no position to speak for the library, but here is what would have to happen in order for me to walk away from this issue:

Ginny Maziarka and WBCFSL would have to cancel all of their requests, to remove/ban books, move books to other sections, and withdraw their petition that asks for the library to create new policies that would categorize the books based on sexual content.

If that happens, I'll be glad to walk away from this issue.

Contrary to what Ginny Maziarka stated on behalf of WBCFSL in theDaily News on Tuesday, May 5th, a request to rescind the library board appointment vote can still be made, and can be made by any member of the Common Council, not just those in the majority vote.

The reconsideration request would have had to come from one of the council members in the majority vote and would have had to been on the agenda for this last council meeting on Monday May 4th.  A rescind motion can still be made and can be made by anyone on the council.

WBCFSL has threatened to move forward with the ethics complaint against Nick Dobberstein if the rescind request is on the agenda for the next Common Council meeting on May 18th. (I believe they may have also threatened to throw down their toys, leave the sandbox and have a temper tantrum if they don't get their way.)

See the statement below issued today on behalf of the National Coalition Against Censorship, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, and the Freedom to Write and Freedom to Read offices.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/index.asp?layout=talkbackCommentsFull&talk_back_header_id=6597904&articleid=CA6654956

A letter to our Common Council is linked here: http://www.abffe.com/westbendltr.pdf

"After being given approval to use their parking lots, Hobby Lobby, Quilted Bear and the Germantown alternate location, were intimidated by the caller, Maria Hanrahan, who admitted this to this blogger via this blog's comment section (which will not be posted here as she has her own blog)."  Ginny Maziarka, on her WISSUP blog

Since I am not allowed to post comments on the above blog, including not being able to respond to accusations, I wanted to address the above false statement, which implies I admitted to the blogger that I intimidated the businesses.

I called Hobby Lobby and the alternate Germantown location (I did not called the Quilted Bear).  I did not ask them to do anything, such as cancel the petition signings by the other group.  I only asked them if they were aware of it.  At Hobby Lobby, I never even spoke directly to the store manager until Saturday morning.  At that point, he had arrived at the store and already, prior to any conversation with me, asked WBCFSL to remove themselves from the Hobby Lobby parking lot and remain on the public sidewalk, as is the rule for all advocacy groups using space near Hobby Lobby.