A couple new stories shed some more light on the SD story. The AP Reports Gov. Mike Rounds’ move to shut down the entire teen section was because he thought it included links to material he doesn’t believe young people should see. However, Rounds said the removal of the Web links does not amount to censorship because Internet users still can go directly to those organizations’ sites. Rounds said he made a judgment call, and that’s one reason he was elected. The following is the May 12, 2004, letter Bishop Robert J. Carlson of the Sioux Falls Diocese sent to Gov. Mike Rounds regarding the state Library’s Web site. Stewart Huntington, President, South Dakotans for Open Government, calls the move “far off base.” The Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan agrees.
Another Associated Press Article reports a student group that formed quickly after the link to a Planned Parenthood teen Web site was removed from the State Library Web page wants a seat on a committee that will review the agency’s Internet links.
The Gov and the Bishop
Actually Governor Rounds..it is censorship. Yes of course it is true the link still exists.
It is also true when an internet filter blocks a link the link still exists. That is not really the point.
The point is when a private company provides blocking methodology that is used voluntarily it is not censorship although many people feel it is . Hence the term “censor wareâ€? But when the state does it …it is not voluntary and is censorship.
When the State is joined by the Bishop…well now that is “out of the pailâ€? …something about church and state ring a bell ?
The tragedy is sex education for kids has never been more important. I wouldn’t leave that one to the Bishop. Reasons why ?…well I’m not going there.
Re:The Gov and the Bishop
As I’ve said elsewhere,
I find it weirdly humourous that the Highest electd offical of SD , takes orders from a ranking member of what is arguably the worlds largest pedophile organization, namely the Catholic priesthood.
Re:The Gov and the Bishop
The Catholic Church is not a pedophile organization. NAMBLA is a pedophile organization.
Just because some perverts became priests does not change the mission of the Church. If it did then Washington DC would be a den of crack dealers and thieves because of Mayor Marion Barry (well, not the best example.)
Re:The Gov and the Bishop
Note, I didn’t say the Church, I said the priesthood.
To me, the issue is that NO religious authority figure has the right to detemine what information citizens may have access to. That is a very blatant act against the Constitution.
In the end, it is the individual futures of todays teens that are at stake.
Shame on the Govenor.
Click the link above to read more on this topic.
Re:The Gov and the Bishop
It does not matter if you said the priesthood or the Church, that is a matter of semantics. No religious authority is deciding what information citizens may access. The sites are still there; planned parenthood is not closed -unfortunately.
Your commentary makes little sense; you state that it is a blatant act against the Constitution. A blatant act of what? Censorship – hardly the State did not make the sites close down, it simply decided to take its teen page offline for evaluation and redesign. You also state that in the end it is the individual futures of todays [sic] teens that are at stake. What could that possibly mean? I can foresee no significant harm because teens can’t access a state library teen web page. I would love to see the statistics for that page from a month before this brouhaha and from the day after this hit the news. I doubt that many people looked at it at all. Teens using library pathfinders, come now be realistic you know perfectly well they were using less benign pages. I’ve looked at your blog and you seem obsessed with pornography, did you find those sites from links on the state library web page?
Stop blowing things out of proportion. There is no conspiracy. I agree with the Governor and the Bishop, I don’t think planned parenthood should be linked to from a library website. There are plenty of other more balanced sites including local and state health departments that provide similar information without the political agenda planned parenthood has.
Clean up its own backyard
I think the Church should clean up its own backyard before it preaches to others what is appropriate or not. The hypocrocy of it all!. They are in no position to lecture to others when they cover up wrongdoings by some of their members. For me, the church is an outdated organization that has lost all credibility.
Re:The Gov and the Bishop
mdoneil writes
“There are plenty of other more balanced sites including local and state health departments that provide similar information without the political agenda planned parenthood has.” …………………………
This is the point. The Gov and the Bishop ought not be setting the “political agenda”. It is not about that one planned parent hood link. Its about separating church and state. If you look at country’s that integrate church and state …well it seems like a “bad idea” …in my view ..others may differ.
Re:The Gov and the Bishop
First, the distinction I make between the Church and the priesthood is not mere semantics. The edifice of the the Church contains the it’s massive laity. The edifice of the Church is it’s history, traditions, and its great architectural traditions. The priesthood are the contemporary functionaries that run and manage the edifice.
“Your commentary makes little sense; you state that it is a blatant act against the Constitution. A blatant act of what?”
You sound like you may be Canadian and don’t realize the significance of the Constitution and that the separation of Church and state is one of the fundamental pillars of the Constitution. American law is based upon and must pass the test of the Constitution.
Your question regarding the future of todays’ teens: I thought it obvious. Unwanted, unplanned, uncared for children, born to the very young and the poor, are the chief obstacles to young people trying to climb out of the poverty cycles that trapped their mothers.
“I’ve looked at your blog and you seem obsessed with pornography, did you find those sites from links on the state library web page? “
You’ve made a very curious observation here. The three part article you must be referring to contained a smörgÃ¥sbord of ideas. Yet you only noticed the references to pornography. From that one article you conclude that I am obsessed. Interesting.
Of the links you refer to, in support of your obsession theory, are rather benign. The only link you could be referring to would be to the Internetfilter.com research page. That is a company that makes a business of blocking pornography.
The left side of the page is nothing but information about internet filtres, You know, porn blockers. The right side of the page displays Internetfilter.com’ unencrypted site blocking list.
Numerous ideas put forth but you only hear pornography. An exhaustive resource of filtres on the on the market but all you saw was pornography.
I don’t think it is me who is obsessed.