Oops I did it again
Sep 9th, 2008 by Cathy Jo Nelson
I suppose it is self-inflicted censorship. You see, Friday I wrote a post about censorship that included references to Sarah Palin and my own library collection. That post absolutely disappeared. Have I been censored? The only reason I am aware is because MaryaAnn Sansonetti read the post in her reader today, and tried to comment but got the dreaded “Not Found” message. She emailed her comments instead, alerting me to a missing post.
It is a mystery what happened to the post. It was there Friday, September 5, as my blog stats indicate below, and while not remarkable in numbers, it was read at least ten times that day. That post EVEN got a ping from Doug Johnson in the next day or so.
The only possible reason it is gone that I can think of is that the very next day I was having theme issues, and spent a while trying to get my blog theme to cooperate. I kept trying to “re-apply” the theme, as after that post, for some odd reason everything became centered in the blog–posts, sidebar, everything. I must have deleted it unknowingly. That is the only explanation. It is funny to think I wrote about censorship and then became a self inflicted target of the exact issue. Oops..
Or…. maybe a higher authority is watching and monitoring my every move. Can you spell c-o-n-s-p-i-r-a-c-y t-h-e-o-r-y? (Wow that needs to be accompanied with dramatic music of some kind.) I asked MaryAnn to copy/paste it and send it back to me, and here it is pasted below. I will not be censored, not even by myself. Hmpph. Guess that’s a newbie mistake I’m making a little late.
“Censorship Watch–>Sarah Palin”
Wow. I am shaken to the core after reading in several locations over the last few days about the Republican VP candidate’s connection to book banning. Read about it here, here, and here.
I’m really curious as to exactly what book (or books) she wanted taken out of the library system. The furor brought about the resignation of the librarian I gather, and she (the librarian) has yet to talk publicly about the incident. I’ll be watching this one keenly.
Who am to talk? I just got a book in a large book order about a teen who gets pregnant and decides to have the baby. The book superficially looks like a children’s book with childlike watercolor illustrations. The reviews were good and an interview of the author (Eve Bunting) reveals her brainstorm for writing it came after hearing from her son who is a high school teacher tell about two students, one fourteen and one fifteen, being pregnant. I’ve heard of students in my own teaching context of being pregnant or already having children. So I ordered the book. Since it has arrived, I have checked it out to the guidance counselor. It is 56 pages, short enough for a counseling session or two, and rich enough in content to give both the counselor and a would be student needing counseling about this topic some conversation starting points.
Am I practicing censorship now? Reading about Palin almost makes me want to retrieve that book and put it proudly on the shelf in my middle school library. I am not ashamed of having the book. I think it has just as much merit as the anime books that are ever so popular but filled with graphic artists renditions of big boobed curvy women and chiseled muscular guys with six-packs for stomachs. No one questions those books. Why shouldn’t I put it back on the shelf instead of letting it reside in the guidance counselor’s office?
I wait anxiously to find out what Palin found bad enough on the shelf to cost one librarian her job.
Here is the email that alerted me to the issue/problem:
Hey there … I wanted to comment on your censorship post. I guess you retracted it. I don’t think you are being a censor … I think you are being responsible. You know guidance will use the book for “good.”
I am not going to go in to what I think of Mrs. Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska…. Mom told me if I can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all… So that is that.
MA
LOL–Cathy, I’m having the same issue! I ordered an SLJ starred review book on gay teens. Our school is very progressive–has a GSA, etc.–but I looked through the pictures when it arrived, and like you, gave it to our school counselor. I have a 6-12 library, and I just pictured 11 year olds seeing these images of teens locked in passionate embraces, lying in bed together and cringed.
I have several gay-oriented books on the shelves, but pictures were just too much. I fret over the decision, though. I justify it by saying I didn’t pull the book, just made it “alternatively available.” Glad to see the comment above agrees!
As to Palin, well, Mom would wash my mouth out with soap if I said what I really thought…