Teacher Barred from Posting Banned
Books List Gets Day in Court A federal
district court judge in Virginia will hold a hearing on Monday to determine whether school
officials in Harrisonburg violated the First Amendment when they ordered teacher Jeffrey
Newton to remove a list of banned books from the door of his classroom last year on the
eve of Banned Books Week. ABFFE, the American Library Association and the other sponsors
of Banned Books Week have joined Newton and several students in challenging the order,
which concerned a list of challenged titles that is prepared every year as promotional
material for Banned Books Week.
The principal of Spotswood High School
ordered Newton to remove the list after a parent complained that it contained several
titles that were "inappropriate" for students, including "Women on Top: How
Real Life Has Changed Women's Fantasies," "The Joy of Gay Sex," and
"Understanding Sexual Identity: A Book for Gay Teens and Their Friends." The
plaintiffs have asked the court to order the list put back on Newton's door.
Giuliani Gives Up Effort to
Punish Brooklyn Museum for "Sick Stuff"
New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has
abandoned his attempt to punish the Brooklyn Museum for mounting an exhibit that
included art that he believed denigrated the Catholic religion. Last week, Giuliani agreed
that the city would continue to provide funds to the museum and would cease its effort to
evict it from a city-owned building. The controversy began last fall when Giuliani, who
had not seen the exhibit, denounced it as "sick stuff" and claimed that a
painting of the Virgin Mary by an African artist denigrated religion because it
incorporated elephant dung and small sexually explicit pictures clipped from magazines.
The mayor claimed the city had a right to withhold public funds from the museum, but a
federal district court declared him guilty of censorship.
ABFFE joined many of New York's leading
cultural institutions in filing a friend of the court brief that argued that if Giuliani's
act was upheld it would give elected officials enormous power to censor expression that
they found offensive in all publicly supported cultural institutions, including libraries,
theaters and symphonies. The mayor has been challenged repeatedly for violating First
Amendment rights. Yesterday, a federal judge overturned his restrictions on the size of
demonstrations in front of City Hall. Last week, another judge criticized Giuliani for the
city's "relentless onslaught of First Amendment litigation."
US Senate Blocks Latest
Attempt to Change the First Amendment
For the fourth time in recent years, a
narrowly divided U.S. Senate has blocked an attempt to amend the First Amendment to allow
the punishment of people who desecrate the American flag as a symbol of protest. The
Senate rejected the so-called "flag" amendment, which has already passed the
House four times and would probably be ratified if it were sent to the state legislatures.
Although 63 Senators supported the amendment, 37 opposed it, denying it the necessary
two-thirds vote. Once again this year, two Vietnam veterans, Robert Kerrey of Nebraska and
Charles Robb of Virginia, delivered powerful speeches in opposition to the amendment. Both
insisted that they had fought not only for the flag but for the principle of free speech,
which must include the right to treat even the symbol of American freedom disrespectfully.
The anti-amendment forces were bolstered by
former General Colin Powell's announcement that he opposed the amendment. During the vote,
Robert Byrd of West Virginia and Richard Bryan of Nevada announced that they had changed
their minds and now oppose the amendment. Nevertheless, the vote in the Senate is so close
that the pro-amendment forces are unlikely to give up and will hope that the upcoming
elections bring changes in the composition of the Senate that will bolster their chances.
ABFFE's Harry Potter Button a
Big Hit with Booksellers, "Muggles" Grows
The button that ABFFE has created to support
the Muggles for Harry Potter campaign has been a big hit with booksellers.
Only a month after the button was introduced, over 100 booksellers have placed orders, and
ABFFE's inventory is dwindling. In response to this strong demand, ABFFE will order more
of the buttons and is taking steps to spur demand further by directing members of Muggles
for Harry Potter to stores that are selling the buttons.
More than 1,800 people have
become Muggles since early March when ABFFE, the Association of Booksellers for Children
and several other groups created an Internet web site to help fight efforts to censor
Harry Potter books and other children's and young adult titles in the schools. There are
Muggles in every state and in many countries around the world, and 50 new members are
joining every day. The ABFFE web site will soon feature a directory of stores that carry
the button to make it easier for Muggles to find them in their area.
ABFFE is taking two other steps to help
bookstores support the Muggles campaign. It has prepared a flyer explaining the purpose of
Muggles for Harry Potter that stores can display along with the buttons. In response to
bookseller requests, ABFFE is also preparing a poster that features the same art as the
button. The posters will be available in May.
The Muggles for Harry Potter buttons can be
ordered through ABFFE's online store
or by fax, (212) 587-2436. They are sold in 100 button bags, and there is a limit of 2
bags per order. They are $35 per bag for ABFFE members; $45 for non-members. Repeat orders
are welcome. Credit cards only, please.
Quote of the Day
"I don't trust the librarians, given
their historic opposition to censorship." Colorado State Senator Doug Lamborn
(R-Colorado Springs) explaining the need for mandatory filtering of Internet content in
libraries.
Previously in ABFFE Update
