The Board of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County has been planning for two months to host a “Rock the Vote” event. But second thoughts, and fear of being viewed as participating in partisan politics has caused a cancellation of the event oriented towards young people and first time voters.
Saturday’s event – a day-long series of workshops for various candidates and causes, followed by performances of rock and hip-hop bands – has been moved to locations at the University of Cincinnati and a nightclub.
Here’s the AP story, and there’s a link there to the Rock the Vote URL ; it is extremely slow-loading but will load eventually .
Kudos
Here’s to integrity in the Queen City.
However we shouldn’t expect the same fairness with ALA and their partnership with Your Vote Matters.
Is RTV Partisan?
Based on what I’ve seen on their (slow-laoding) website, they are non-partisan in terms of political party. They serve a market of people aged 18-24 regardless of political persuasion.
Re:Is RTV Partisan?
You’re kidding???
Take a peek for yourself. Can you think of just one these “partners” as wanting to re-elect W?
Re:Is RTV Partisan?
I looked at the site and to my liberal cdn eyes, yes, they have a slightly more liberal than conservative slant. HOWEVER in the information they provide on basic voting in the US (which seems really, really complicated) I found to be unbiased. If I were a young person or a new citizen voting for the first time, this site would provide me with a lot of the information that I need.
I looked at the list of partners but didn’t click on any of them…and so what if those partners are liberal? I found rock the vote to be pretty balanced–granted I didn’t read every single article but I did read the articles on censorship and they don’t rag on the republicans, but the gov’t as a whole. They’re also against a draft being reinstated–an issue that’s important to people the age they’re targeting. So I guess it’s only liberals that are against the draft.
It seems that unless the organisation that is trying to get people to vote is one that has a raging conservative viewpoint you are not going to see them as balanced or valid.
Of course, my opinion doesn’t mean much since I’m a Canadian (or as you prefer “Kanadian” which just looks silly).
s/
Re:Is RTV Partisan?
First your opinion DOES mean much to me. And it’s (C)anadian for you slash.
I disagree re Rock the Vote. What is inferred by, “The last election was decided by less than one-thousand votes. You can make a change”?
This business about the draft is clearly an anti-Bush statement vis-a-vis the war. Would you feel any different if among the Rock the Vote issues was something like, “Last year 950,000 babies were murdered”?
Here’s my problem. If liberals or the ALA want to get other liberals to vote for their man/woman, just say so. But don’t insult my intelligence with these civic minded voter registration drives that lace their campaigns with issues deemed important by liberal PAC’s that double as “partners”.
Re:Is RTV Partisan?
And what about MY opinion tomeboy, chopped liver?
I never viewed the League of Women Voters as a partisan group.
Re:Is RTV Partisan?
And what about MY opinion tomeboy, chopped liver?
No. I like to think of your opinion as fresh meat ; )
Birdie your opinion counts with me too. In spite of our differences, you should know that I do appreciate your thoughts.
As for the LWV, I would consider them non-partisan. That’s one of twenty five nonprofit partners. My point and question. Can you find one, just one, of these Rock the Vote partners that you believe would support W over Kerry? Just one.
Neutrality and the Library
While politically Democratic, I too was dismayed by ALA’s alliance with Your Vote Matters. As an independent body, the ALA, can support anyone it chooses. However, librarians on the front lines have to be neutral. Off the job, our political viewpoints are our own business, but we must keep personal opinion out of the job. ALA should have looked into a more politically neutral partner for this register to vote program. As librarians we have the duty to present all sides of the debate and all viewpoints in the discourse. ALA’s partnership has threatened that neutrality and left those of us in the front line of librarianship trying to explain ourselves.
As to the Rock The Vote, I think the library was wrong in canceling it, especially at the last minute. In looking at their meeting room policy it appears that political groups are welcome to book meeting room time so long as they don’t include campaigning activities. The library should have allowed the Rock The Vote meeting, but, if there was any specific candidate endorsement, they should have taken note and forbid RTV from using library facilities in the future. If they were concerned that it would be seen as an endorsement they could easily post signs indicating that the library endorse no candidate. After all, libraries have had white supremacists use meeting facilities without the public believing that the library supported such political viewpoints.