[bksvol-discuss] Re: Comments about "strong language" or "violence".
- From: Cindy <popularplace@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:15:04 -0700 (PDT)
Lori, a slight correction. It's also there for those adults who prefer not to
read such books. As to the minorsd who are prev ented rom downloading books
marked Adult, their parents can send in a permission letter that will allow
them to.
Cindy
Wish List (i.e., books wanted added to the collection) and books-being-scanned
list available at sites below
Wish List: https://wiki.benetech.org/display/BSO/Bookshare+Wish+List
Books Being Scanned List:
https://wiki.benetech.org/display/BSO/Books+Being+Scanned+List
--- On Sun, 3/28/10, Lori Castner <loralee.castner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: Lori Castner <loralee.castner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Comments about "strong language" or "violence".
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sunday, March 28, 2010, 2:37 PM
Denise, in my opinion, you said it very
well.
Lori C.
----- Original Message -----
From:
Denise Thompson
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 2:34
PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Comments
about "strong language" or "violence".
I swore I wasn't going to enter into this
discussion since we don't set policy for bookshare anyway, but Roger you
pushed me over the edge. Actually I agree with you in principle, but I would
have to say that in my opinion in trying to make a point you've sort of gone
over board here. The folks who are restricted from reading books marked adult
are those under age. Parents provide guidance and/or make decisions regarding
their children in many arenas in life. What sites they visit on the Internet,
what TV shows they watch, what kids they hang out with... all in an effort to
help them develop the values they deem most important. That varies for each
of
us. When a child becomes an adult- in most states- 18 years of age, they can
read what they want, visit whatever sites they want on the Internet, etc. I
hardly think calling bookshare's policy of restricting books with adult
content the same thing as banning books from adult African Americans or adult
women, etc. It seems to me that with that argument you've slipped into apples
and oranges. Now of issue of what constitutes adult content is different and
frankly won't be answered here. The US supreme court and most other levels
have given opinions and folks just don't agree on the definitions. A little
healthy discussion is good. I think we've done that and now it's getting into
the nonconstructive stage. I'd suggest we move on and let Bookshare decide.
If
we don't like it we can quit as volunteers or suck it up and proceed with our
jobs anyway.
Denise
At 11:03 AM 3/28/2010, you wrote:
You are engaging in semantic
pedanticism. You are against banning, but if you call it restriction then
it
is okay. The simple fact is that those so-called restricted books are still
banned for a certain group of people who fall into a certain status. Even
if
they are permitted to read them with parental permission it is not the
person who is doing the reading who decides what to read. Think about other
groups of people who might be restricted because of their status. Can you
imagine being prevented from reading a book because you are a woman? Would
you think it was perfectly alright if you could have access if you got
permission from your husband or, if you were unmarried, from your parents,
uh, father? That exact situation has been reality in the past and is still
reality in some parts of the world. How about this? Imagine being prevented
from reading or even learning how to read because you are Black. That has
been reality in this country too. Would it be justified if it was allowed
on
the condition that your owner gave permission? Okay, the Bookshare system
works, but what does it work to do? It works to restrict the rights of
people simply because of what they are. The fact that it works is
reprehensible itself.
_
_ _
"As a woman I have no country. As a
woman my country is the world"
Virginia Woolf
The Militant:
http://www.themilitant.com
Pathfinder Press:
http://www.pathfinderpress.com
Granma
International:
http://www.granma.cu/ingles/index.html
-----
Original Message ----- From: "Ann Parsons" <akp@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To:
<bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2010 8:33
AM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Comments about "strong language" or
"violence".
Hi all,
Actually, Roger,
you're confusing the issue somewhat. The method used by Bookshare
makes sense. What it does is restrict books rather than to ban
them. If you are under eighteen your access to adult content is
blocked. the block can be resinded if the child's parent or guardian
agrees. For adults what this rating does is merely place adult
content behind a gate, if you will. It is tabu, not banned.
I
agree that those who want to ban books are wrong. Banning books
makes them unavailable to anyone. Deliberately destroying or
removing books from libraries is anathema to me. Restricting them is
a different story.
What bothers me most are those who decide that
certain books are evil or bad and they have not read them. This, I
feel, is prejudice and the beginning of totalitarianism. When a
church or a government tells its members or citizens they can't read X or
Y, that's restricting knowledge and therefore restricting the power of
the
People. The whole Harry Potter hoodoo is a great example of
ignorant idiotic people making a judgment about a series of books without
reading them. Nowhere have I found a clearer statement of morals and
ethics and what is right than I have in the books by J.K.
Rowling. <smiling> I dunnow how other books can be
accepted without question as Young Adult. Frankly, I think the whole
rating system stands on its head sometimes. However, the Bookshare
method seems to be working, even though we proofers sometimes have to
fiddle with the rating because the computer isn't smart enough to make
decisions of this kind.
BTW, I don't think we need to resort to
name-calling in order to make a point. It retracts from the
argument, frankly.
]Ann P.
--
Ann K. Parsons
Portal
Tutoring
EMAIL: akp@xxxxxxxxxxxx
web site: http://www.portaltutoring.info
Skype:
Putertutor
"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who
wander are lost."
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