Tuesday, September 14, 2010

My Game, My Rules

This Blog is a place where my opinion trumps yours. My opinion is this: Libraries are places where reading materials of all stripes should be available to everyone. The community should not direct the content of libraries. The majority should not have the right to dictate to the minority what they can and should read. Libraries should be places where the freedom to seek and find material with different points of view is guaranteed. No vocal group, majority or minority should have the final say in content of libraries. Libraries that have a point of view should be identified as such: Library of Flat Earth; Library of Religious Intolerance; Library of Dangerous Ideas.
Anyone that wants libraries to be crafted to support certain points of view can try check out books on Democracy or Women’s Rights at the State Library of Iran. Or try to hold a protest march against the Communist Manifesto in Beijing. Get real folks. Freedom comes with some level of discomfort because it means that the opinions of others must be tolerated.
Image: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CENSORED.JPG

No comments: