From: delisle@eskimo.celestial.com (Ben Delisle)
Subject: Re: [UPI] Report: Book censorship, challenges in schools at 10-year high
Organization: -> ESKIMO NORTH (206) For-Ever <-
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 08:31:52 GMT


[Warning - Rant on...]
	It is the extremist political groups and religious groups 
that are the forces of evil and stupidity; they seek no compramise
in any challenge, only to totally ban any targeted product - from 
anyone. Insead of forcing a blanket cencorship on materials; it should
be incouraged to place the children of closed minded parents on a 
'restriction list' of banned or controlled materials and leave 
other people outside of the consors' range of influence. 
	Maybe it is time to censor the censors, engnore them totally
and continue to use materials reguardless of that they may want. I
would encourage to automatically throw out any request by a minister
(for example) as extremist and not worth the time of a board or 
committee to listen to.
	Books and other media is often ment to be contraversial,
ment to offend; it is the job of these materials and products to 
make people think. In the case of educational domains - to educate
even if something is going to piss someone off, it is necessary.
Often times it is the only way to show a different point of view,
a different way of life ( the way people in another culture may
live ), a different way of thought, what ever. 
	It is fear that motivates censors, it is intolarence
that motivates censors, it is hate that motivates censors, it
is stupidity that motivates censors, it is disrespect that motivates
censors, it is lack of creativeness that motivates censors, it is a
weak imageination that motivates censors.     	
	Where sexist groups are involved in banning some thing because
of 'incorrect' labels of a job title such as a "workmen" instead of 
"workers" may be taking a description out of context, perhapse the 
story is talking about workmen and not a mix of workmen and workwomen.
They also are upset of any thing that (depending on the group(s)
are offended by anything that makes the sexes (or orentiations)
seem (un)equal. 
 	Political and enthic groups have an agenda, some likely revisionist,
they want to make them selves look if they are the only ones
that are right, good, and correct all others are totaly wrong.
They want to get more power. They will allow anything that makes
themselves look better (even when they may not be) and try
to ban or restrict things that make others look good in any way.
	Religious groups (also see previous paragraph)
want to push their beleifs on others, they will say that their 
god(s) or version of god(d) or word(s) of god(s) is the ONLY WAY
or TRUTH nomatter what and all others are WRONG! (They always seem
to scream). They will try to stop any thing that is different
as anti-their-group(insert your relegion here) and call every thing
not-their-group(insert everything else here) as evil, (ever notice
that the word 'evil' has 'VI' in it? {unix humor} ) etc.  
	People who are offended by bad words, swearing, probably
arn't happy that sometimes there will be salty ways to say things 
that no other 'normal' ways would properly fit or be approiate.
They may or may not be aware that in all societies that there
are different strata; where the language will differ and verious
amounts of nastyness will exist. They may not want themselves and 
others to see how people in 'lower levels' may speak or act. 
  
	In most cases it seems that they (the censors) merely want 
to hide any alternatives, and push their world view on all around 
them.
	May be it is time to intentionally offend others,
offend someone every day!
	All odds 1:1, no risk, we are all the same, all alternatives
are to be removed and destroyed, all (decsenters) are to be purified
and assilimated, resistance is useless, we have guns.    
 
[Rant off.. It is the middle of the night and I can't type straight 
and can't think in an articulate mannor.]   

 
--
 +-(c)--------------------------+   Freedom is to the soul is what  
 | delisle@eskimo.celestial.com |   fresh air is to the lungs, and  
 +------------------------------+   knowledge is to the mind.