On the other side, groups like the Family Research Council admit that the filters aren't as good as most of us would like them to be, but they still support the Internet filtering bill. The new law is worth the trouble in order to protect children, says the council. But a more important question to ask is whether Congress is the best judge for how local libraries should police access that children might have to objectionable material. Better solutions are coming at the local level. Libraries and their local governing boards across the country have been working quite fruitfully with their neighbors on family-related Internet concerns without congressional intervention.
Some local libraries offer patrons a choice of filtered and unfiltered computers.
Some require parental approval before children can use unfiltered computers. Issues involving libraries, schools and families are best handled at the local level. Yet, some of the same members of Congress who rail against big government elsewhere just can't seem to stop themselves from meddling with the Internet content. Maybe more of them need to have their Web pages blocked. Perhaps then they will realize how you can't restrict somebody else's rights without restricting your own, too.