Filtering gay content …
p2pnet news view Freedom | P2P:- In April, “A school librarian and two Tennessee high school students have told the American Civil Liberties Union their school district has, ‘ blocked access to online information about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues’,” p2pnet quoted the School Library Journal as saying, going on:
“As many as 107 Tennessee public school districts could be illegally preventing students from accessing online information about LGBT issues by activating the Internet filtering category designated ‘LGBT’,” says a letter from the ACLU to school officials at Knox County Schools, Metro Nashville Public Schools, and the Tennessee Schools Cooperative, according to the story.
“As a result of using the Educational Networks of America (ENA) filtering software students using school computers cannot view political and educational information about LGBT issues and well-known nationals organizations such as the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), and the Human Rights Campaign,” it says.
Now, in a Reader’s Write, “If you would like the perspective of a developer of a filtering product, who if given the chance to do it over again, here goes,” says Filter Developer, continuing »»»
Having an intimate knowledge of the Internet, I recognize that there is exponentially more harmful content than educationally beneficial content available on the Internet.
I now realize that trying to block out the harmful content while still allowing access to the beneficial content is a completely foolhardy goal that simply cannot be accomplished. A considerably more realizable goal would be to identify quality, relevant educational material available on the Internet and provide access to that using a white-list at the exclusion of everything else.
This is exactly the approach schools take when choosing textbooks and I believe the same approach would work well with the Internet.
I should point out that this is the polar opposite of the message I was preaching several years ago, but having spent 11 years playing Don Quixote, I have finally come to this new conclusion.
I know a lot of people would be outraged at my opinion, but I have seen more than anyone`s fair share of the garbage available on the Internet. By virtue of being a developer of an Internet filtering product, I have acquired an intimate knowledge of things I wish I had never seen or heard of.
I thought by developing a filtering product I would somehow be protecting others from this stuff, but after 11 years of watching how the peddlers of the filth sneak and weasel their way past the filters, I now realize I have spent countless thousands of hours trying to stop a giant snowball from rolling down a very steep hill.
“I am not suggesting that the material referenced in the ACLU letter should or should not be allowed, I am simply saying the schools shouldn’t be obligated to provide access to anything not specifically related to the education they should be providing our children,” s/he adds.
May, 2009
p2pnet – Tennessee schools block gay issues sites, April 21, 2009
School Library Journal – ACLU Asks Tennessee Schools to Stop Banning Gay Educational Sites, April 19, 2009
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May 15th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
âI am not suggesting that the material referenced in the ACLU letter should or should not be allowed, I am simply saying the schools shouldnât be obligated to provide access to anything not specifically related to the education they should be providing our children,â s/he adds.
It is the job of the parents to make children immune to questionable content.
However, instead of talking to their children, parents work 9 to 5 then watch TV.
May 15th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
I think Tennessee should do whats right for Tennessee. We are different here. We are not, the Village, San Francisco, or West Hollywood. We are church going, small town people. Don’t force your values on us, and we will return the favor.
May 15th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
@Jack
I doubt that every single Tennesseean shares your views. America was founded on freedom of speech and freedom of religion (above all else). Nothing here has said that these ideas must be taught in the classroom. Nothing is preventing you from teaching your children the way you think they should be taught. But blocking the information at all borders very closely on the sort of mind control used in 1984 — namely, by preventing the spread of any useful information at all, people became unable to question the present situation.
The argument that making schools keep this information available to those who request it somehow pushes our morals or values into your local culture is invalid. Knowing about other viewpoints, lifestyles, religions, or anything else does not imply that you will adopt that lifestyle, religion, or what have you. It merely means you know about it. Neither I, nor anybody else, is pushing the schools to teach children morals or values. That’s the job of the parents. I, for one, am not even suggesting that the schools should have to teach about gays. I, as with this letter, am only demanding that access to this information not be blocked.
The attitude you just expressed is unfortunately illconceived. It’s been known to ostracize people for being different. It’s been known to keep new information suppressed for decades or centuries. It’s the source of much religious bigotry today. If you believe the information your child learns at school to be faulty, perhaps you should get involved and teach your children what you believe to be true. But blocking information of any sort, because you believe knowing it is dangerous, is unacceptable. I don’t care whether it’s Tennessee, Botswana, or the North Pole, access to the available information is fundamental. The internet just allows much more to be accessed, that’s all.
A good, real-world example of available information not changing lifestyles are some of the nomadic tribes bordering the Sahara desert, who have television from the cities and access to public libraries and so forth. They still choose to live a nomadic lifestyle, following islam and herding camels. Making information available to them did not change their minds or their lifestyle. Why should Tennessee not be able to do the same?
As for the last rhetorical question, there are basically three reasons why this would be true. First, the people aren’t happy, and when they learn about better lifestyles, they decide to try to adopt those lifestyles to increase their happiness. Second, they lack the pride of their native land, or the values of their people. When such a person gets information, they may or may not keep doing what they’re doing. Third, there is a logical contradiction in what’s going on. When children catch wind of logical errors, they are often much better at spotting them than adults. And they aren’t generally satisfied by “because I told you so”. (Ever seen a kid start asking “Why?” — if the parent says “because I told you so”, it utterly fails to stop the flow of questions).
The solution to the first two is to solve the root problem. Make the people happy, or teach them pride (or give them a reason to have pride, if need be). If you can’t do that, then perhaps it’s time to really think about what you’re doing. There is no solution to the third. But if you feel that learning new information might make your children not believe you, then I suspect you have worse problems than lesbians.
I’m sorry to sound so harsh, but I had to say something.
May 15th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
If yah wanna be ’safe’ .. turn off the internets.
Problem solved.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
That’s just gay– oops!
*BANNED*
May 16th, 2009 at 8:18 am
I run a Transgender and Transsexual support site and I am a long time Tennessee resident not everyone in Tennessee shares Jacks “Values.” Tennessee needs to move into to the modern age in more ways than just this one. But this is a start. Oh back to my site. It is mostly PG rated with only one area which may reach an R rating. So there’s absolutely no reason it should be blocked. The site is highly moderated and is child friendly. We actively take steps to ensure that minors are helped but not preyed upon.
May 17th, 2009 at 3:03 am
Jack:
“I think Tennessee should do whats right for Tennessee. We are different here. We are not, the Village, San Francisco, or West Hollywood. We are church going, small town people. Donât force your values on us, and we will return the favor.”
Oh, definitely, you’re “different” there. (You did real well with that “Separate but Equal” thingy.
“Church-going, small town people” have participated in some of the bloodiest chapters of this country’s history (and then sold racist postcards as souvenirs, like any good “capitalist” folks would)
http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/
But you do have a point: when that Matthew Sheppard guy beat those two redneck “Straight” guys, and strung ‘em on a fence, we all learned just how super-ultra dangerous gays really are
Trust me, I know a lot of “small town, churchgoing”, provincial, bigots hearabouts, too
May 17th, 2009 at 3:12 am
“A good, real-world example of available information not changing lifestyles are some of the nomadic tribes bordering the Sahara desert, who have television from the cities and access to public libraries and so forth. They still choose to live a nomadic lifestyle, following islam and herding camels. Making information available to them did not change their minds or their lifestyle. Why should Tennessee not be able to do the same?”
Kong:
1. That example won’t do Nashville Jack any good, because I’m pretty sure — thanks to his “Small-town, Church-going” ejimikayshun and all — he just plum dunno what that thair “Sa-hay’rah Dezzurt” could be. (Probably won’t find out until we go to bomb it off the map in a few years, in case there’s any “uppity nigras” there.
Yes, I am an asshole
I’m honestly not intending to carricature all Southerners this way (You just go ten miles in any direction from where I am here, in Pennsylvania, and it’s like a freakin’ Hee-haw jamboree), but what’s next? “Kansas School districts have restricted Internet access to websites related to “evolutionary biology” and other so-called “scientific” issues.” — wouldn’t surprise me in the least, actually.
Peace out, Y’all (even you, Cletus!)
May 18th, 2009 at 2:31 am
@Jaykong: Very well said. Well laid out point with a clear ending. I applaud you!
@Henry Emerich: Sarkasm is your forte. Keep at it.