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in support of free expression
The information presented here by the National
Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) may be freely redistributed in its entirety,
provided that readers are informed that the information was obtained from
NCAC's World Wide Web site and that credit is given to the appropriate source
of whatever information is used. Permission is expressly granted for the information
obtained to be made available for file transfer from installations offering
unrestricted anonymous file transfer on the Internet. Information found here
may not be sold for profit or incorporated in commercial documents without
the written permission from the National Coalition Against Censorship.
©Copyright 2005 NCAC
WEB DESIGN
Jeanne Criscola Criscola Design
free speech first amendment censorship
Good News: Library Filters Rejected
February 2000
Holland, Michigan
On February 22 the community defeated, 55 to 44, a proposal to require filters on all Herrick District Library computers. For an article in The Holland Sentinel, click here.
Background (Posted January 2000): On February 22, 2000, Holland, Michigan, will vote on a proposal to force the city to withdraw funding from the Herrick District Library unless the library installs filters to restrict Internet access. The petition to put the issue to a vote was sponsored by a local affiliate of the American Family Association, and is also receiving support from the Family Research Council. Both groups have made Internet censorship a priority. Their goal is to prevent minors from accessing "materials that are obscene, sexually explicit or harmful."
NCAC opposes government deciding for individuals what they can see or read, in cyberspace as well as real space. We also oppose private groups like the AFA or FRC imposing their viewoint on a whole community. Leaving aside the fact that "harmful" is a vague and subjective standard, filters block a lot of useful information. Sites about breast cancer, gun control, the Holocaust, racism and religious groups have all been blocked. NCAC's own website has been blocked because of the word "pornography." See NCAC's two briefing papers on Internet censorship, The Cyber-Library and Censorship's Tools Du Jour, or call for copies.
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