China is the perfect test case for the intersection of commerce and intellectual freedom. With 1.2 billion people and the world's fastest growing economy, China is the second largest recipient of foreign capital. It is not an exaggeration to say that China has our nation's economic future in their hands as it holds over $1 trillion in U. S. Treasury securities, nearly half of our foreign debt.
The Chinese Communist Party's Propaganda Department supervises the country's newspapers, publishing houses, radio and TV stations, movie industry and the Internet. What is surprising is the influence China has been able to exert outside its borders on Western institutions that claim to espouse intellectual freedom.
In 2005, Yahoo aided Chinese authorities in identifying newspaper journalist Shi Tao, who had sent e-mails critical of the government under a pseudonym on his Yahoo account. Shi was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Initially, Yahoo pleaded ignorance about the incident when representatives of the company tesified before Congress. However, human rights organizations have found evidence that directly contradicts Yahoo's testimony. Yahoo contends that it must respect the laws of governments in jursidictions where it is operating. Nevertheless, Yahoo's cooperation with Chinese authorities has raised ethical and intellectual freedom questions for multi-national corporations operating under authoritarian regimes. Yahoo has since sold a majority stake in its Chinese operation to a local company, thereby, giving up management control. In March, Yahoo's rival Google shut down its Internet search service in mainland China, saying it no longer wanted to self-censor its search results to comply with Chinese law.
Equally disappointing is the reaction of the Library of Congress, an institution one would expect to defend intellectual freedom issues. A New York Times article describes how Denise Chong author of "Egg on Mao", the story of a Chinese protester who threw paint -filled eggs at portrait of Mao during the 1989 Tiananmen Square riots, was declined an invitation to speak before the organization. The article reveals that the book's politically sensitive content and the library's relationship with the National Library of China were factors in the decision.
Last fall at the Frankfurt Book Fair, Chinese dissident writers Bei Ling and Dai Qing were scheduled to address a symposium on censorship and self-censorship. China made clear that if organizers wanted to include the dissident writers, it would pull out of the symposium altogether. The fair's organizer's bowed to Chinese pressure and revoked the writer's invitations. Dai Qing managed to get a German visa as the guest of PEN club of independent writers. But when Dai got to the airport, she found that her plane ticket had been mysteriously cancelled. The director of the Frankfurt Book Fair, Juergen Boos defended the decision as a "necessary" compromise. Critics assert that this action seriously damaged the event's credibility.
My concern is that academic institutions, internet service providers, libraries and book distributors who should be at the forefront of the fight for intellectual freedom are compromising those values for commercial purposes. Western books about China empathize the country's economic success over its political repression by ignoring the regime's unsavory aspects. Chinese dissidents are risking their lives in the defense of intellectual freedom yet Western academics are unwilling to sacrifice for fear of alienating their colleagues in the safe harbor of a democratic society. If the institutions that claim to cherish the principles of intellectual freedom don't apply them in practice than how can we expect anyone else to.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Blog #4: Murder and a Connecticut Library
On June 27th, the annual ALA Intellectual Freedom program in Washington, D.C. will feature a discussion of how the Cheshire (Conn.)Public Library handled the controversy over a book about the murder of a prominent family in that community. On a rainy night in July 2007, two men allegedly invaded the home of Dr. William Petit and his wife, Jennifer, killing Mrs. Petit and the couple's two daughters ages 11 and 17. Dr. Petit was left severely beaten but alive in a burning house. In a book based on the case titled In the Middle of the Night author Brian McDonald interviews one of the killers charged in the murders in apparent violation of a court imposed gag order. The book was released for publication last September in advance of a trial scheduled for this January.
Cheshire Library Director Ramona Harten is faced with the decision of whether to stock the book. Harten decides to order two copies amid a firestorm of controversy. Several members of the Library Advisory Board criticize the decision and accuse her of being insensitive toward the Petit family. Harten defends her decision on the grounds of free speech rights and the book's relevance to the community. Twenty-one libraries in surrounding towns also ordered the book.
Friends and neighbors of Dr. Petit want the book banned- or at least kept out of the Cheshire Public Library until the trial is over. They charge that the author and alleged killer are profiting off the pain and suffering of the Petit family and Cheshire community. Some residents consider it reprehensible that the library would carry the book under the guise of intellectual freedom. They argue that publicizing the book sensationalizes murder and encourages copy cat crimes. Over 1,200 residents signed petitions protesting the library's decision to carry the book. A special library board meeting is convened to hear resident's concerns. Despite the outcry, the Chelshire Library Advisory Board votes 5 to 1 in favor of the director's decision.
The people of Cheshire are entitled to their views about how their tax dollars should be spent and are within their rights to complain to the library board. There are legitimate criticisms of the book such as that it was poorly written, self-serving, and a manipulative attempt by the alleged perpetrator to shift the blame and influence potential jurors at trial.
However, keeping the book out of the library is censorship and contradicts our professional commitment to intellectual freedom. Libraries are an educational pillar of our democracy and the communities we serve. We must rise above the understandable emotion of the moment not by censoring the book but by explaining our selection criteria and how it applies to particular material. The people of Connecticut need to decide for themselves what books they wish to read. As librarians, it is our job to provide access to relevant materials however unpleasant and controversial that process may become.
The book should be available to anyone who wants to read it. There are many books not stocked because of the librarian's decision rather than because of a lack of awareness, but that is not censorship. Harten states that the library has a longstanding policy of stocking material relevant to the town and In the Middle of the Night meets that standard.
I am sympathetic to the Petit family and the people of Cheshire who are justifiably angry about the killings. We should respect the pain and suffering of the Petit family. But that doesn't mean we give up on the basic values of intellectual freedom. A library has a responsibility to chronicle the history of their community- both positive and negative. The Jefferson County Library in Columbine, Colorado has a collection from the infamous 1997 high school shootings. Some of the materials include painful texts from families who lost loved ones in the tragedy.
Harten's professional duty required her to put personal feelings aside. As librarians, it is our job to provide information and let our patrons decide if they wish to read it. The public has a right to be informed. Libraries are places where people can exchange ideas and form their own opinions. As Harten explained, "I am proud that people are exercising their free speech rights. I do understand the emotions of everyone involved. I am a mother. I have a family." She could have taken the easy way out by ignoring the book but to her credit she made the difficult but necessary decision to make this book part of the collection.
Did she make the right decision? Would you have waited until after the trial to order the book? What is the appropriate way for libraries to commemorate tragedies in their communities?
Cheshire Library Director Ramona Harten is faced with the decision of whether to stock the book. Harten decides to order two copies amid a firestorm of controversy. Several members of the Library Advisory Board criticize the decision and accuse her of being insensitive toward the Petit family. Harten defends her decision on the grounds of free speech rights and the book's relevance to the community. Twenty-one libraries in surrounding towns also ordered the book.
Friends and neighbors of Dr. Petit want the book banned- or at least kept out of the Cheshire Public Library until the trial is over. They charge that the author and alleged killer are profiting off the pain and suffering of the Petit family and Cheshire community. Some residents consider it reprehensible that the library would carry the book under the guise of intellectual freedom. They argue that publicizing the book sensationalizes murder and encourages copy cat crimes. Over 1,200 residents signed petitions protesting the library's decision to carry the book. A special library board meeting is convened to hear resident's concerns. Despite the outcry, the Chelshire Library Advisory Board votes 5 to 1 in favor of the director's decision.
The people of Cheshire are entitled to their views about how their tax dollars should be spent and are within their rights to complain to the library board. There are legitimate criticisms of the book such as that it was poorly written, self-serving, and a manipulative attempt by the alleged perpetrator to shift the blame and influence potential jurors at trial.
However, keeping the book out of the library is censorship and contradicts our professional commitment to intellectual freedom. Libraries are an educational pillar of our democracy and the communities we serve. We must rise above the understandable emotion of the moment not by censoring the book but by explaining our selection criteria and how it applies to particular material. The people of Connecticut need to decide for themselves what books they wish to read. As librarians, it is our job to provide access to relevant materials however unpleasant and controversial that process may become.
The book should be available to anyone who wants to read it. There are many books not stocked because of the librarian's decision rather than because of a lack of awareness, but that is not censorship. Harten states that the library has a longstanding policy of stocking material relevant to the town and In the Middle of the Night meets that standard.
I am sympathetic to the Petit family and the people of Cheshire who are justifiably angry about the killings. We should respect the pain and suffering of the Petit family. But that doesn't mean we give up on the basic values of intellectual freedom. A library has a responsibility to chronicle the history of their community- both positive and negative. The Jefferson County Library in Columbine, Colorado has a collection from the infamous 1997 high school shootings. Some of the materials include painful texts from families who lost loved ones in the tragedy.
Harten's professional duty required her to put personal feelings aside. As librarians, it is our job to provide information and let our patrons decide if they wish to read it. The public has a right to be informed. Libraries are places where people can exchange ideas and form their own opinions. As Harten explained, "I am proud that people are exercising their free speech rights. I do understand the emotions of everyone involved. I am a mother. I have a family." She could have taken the easy way out by ignoring the book but to her credit she made the difficult but necessary decision to make this book part of the collection.
Did she make the right decision? Would you have waited until after the trial to order the book? What is the appropriate way for libraries to commemorate tragedies in their communities?
Monday, June 7, 2010
Blog #3: Should racially offensive children books be banned?
An article in Time Magazine profiles a trial in Brussels, Belgium to determine whether the children's book Tintin in the Congo written in the 1930's by George Prosper Remi (a.k.a Herge) should be banned. Bienvenu Mbutu Mondondo, a Congolese political science student living in Brussels, filed a lawsuit stating that Africans are portrayed "as monkeys who talk like imbeciles" in the book. The story features an African named Coco who is described in racially offensive terms with exaggerated facial features. For many Africans living in Belgium, the issue is reminder of Belgium's brutal colonization of Central Africa from 1908 to 1960. Herge, who died in 1983, never visited the Congo and claims he had no malicious intent. Mondondo has announced that he will take his case to the European Court of Human Rights in the Hague.
Several libraries and bookstores have already taken action. Borders has removed the book from the children's section and placed it in adult graphic novels. In the United Kingdom, copies are sold with a band around the outside warning that it may be offensive. The retailer W. H. Smith said that the book will continue to be sold on its website but with a label recommending it for readers age 16 and over. In response to a patron complaint, a Brooklyn Public Library placed the book in a special collection of rare children's books that can be accessed only by request. Harvard University's Dr. Alvin Poussaint and the National Congress on Racial Equality claim these measures don't go far enough and want an outright ban.
What is a library's obligation in the case of overtly racist children's book? Does the banning the book violate our commitment to intellectual freedom? Should the library replace it with a less offensive substitute or use the controversy as a lesson in racial sensitivity? The National Association for the Education of Young Children(NAEYC) Anti-Bias Curriculum (ABC) gives a list of criteria for evaluating children's literature. It considers the graphical representations of each character, but also the perpective the story is being told from and the roles the character take.
Tintin in the Congo may follow a long line of artistic work deemed too racially insensitive for its time. Little Black Sambo was popular children's book for half a century, but then became controversial due to the use of the word sambo, a racial slur in some countries. By 1932, author Langston Hughes criticized the storybook as harmful to black children and gradually it disappeared from children's recommended reading lists. The 1940's Walt Disney film The Song of the South is no longer available for purchase in the United States because of perceived racial stereotypes. During the Civil Rights era, the syndicated television series Amos and Andy which featured white actors dressed as black characters was taken off the air when socially conscious viewers objected. Recently, the film Babar the Elephant has come under fire for its description of colonial Africa.
However, some books with racialy sensitive elements such as Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn are regarded otherwise as classic pieces of literature. Both books deal with racism through the prism of 19th century America. While Huckleberry Finn has become controversial because of its use of language that degrades African Americans, slavery and racism play a secondary role in Tom Sawyer.
Offended parents believe they have the right to choose whether or they want to expose their young children to racially offensive material. They argue that racism that exists in Tintin in the Congo is so egregious that is inappropriate for the children's section. Dr. Poussaint states that impressionable young African American children are in need of positive self-images and should not be subject to books about slavery and colonization at that age. Others believe the book is the product of an archaic, less tolerant time and as a result it should be placed in a section where books on a specific culture, lifestyle and historical time period are categorized.
Conversely, opponents argue that banning a book written in a period where racism was accepted is not going to change the past. How can one discuss history without including slavery? Children need to learn about the real world. Avoiding a problem so we don't have to talk about it has the effect of hiding not confronting racism. Is the librarian's responsible for deciding what is and isn't racially offensive? Denying the patron access is interfering with intellectual freedom. The book can be used as a teaching tool to talk to children about the evils of racism.
Do you think there is a justification for banning this book or is it an example of misguided political correctness?
Several libraries and bookstores have already taken action. Borders has removed the book from the children's section and placed it in adult graphic novels. In the United Kingdom, copies are sold with a band around the outside warning that it may be offensive. The retailer W. H. Smith said that the book will continue to be sold on its website but with a label recommending it for readers age 16 and over. In response to a patron complaint, a Brooklyn Public Library placed the book in a special collection of rare children's books that can be accessed only by request. Harvard University's Dr. Alvin Poussaint and the National Congress on Racial Equality claim these measures don't go far enough and want an outright ban.
What is a library's obligation in the case of overtly racist children's book? Does the banning the book violate our commitment to intellectual freedom? Should the library replace it with a less offensive substitute or use the controversy as a lesson in racial sensitivity? The National Association for the Education of Young Children(NAEYC) Anti-Bias Curriculum (ABC) gives a list of criteria for evaluating children's literature. It considers the graphical representations of each character, but also the perpective the story is being told from and the roles the character take.
Tintin in the Congo may follow a long line of artistic work deemed too racially insensitive for its time. Little Black Sambo was popular children's book for half a century, but then became controversial due to the use of the word sambo, a racial slur in some countries. By 1932, author Langston Hughes criticized the storybook as harmful to black children and gradually it disappeared from children's recommended reading lists. The 1940's Walt Disney film The Song of the South is no longer available for purchase in the United States because of perceived racial stereotypes. During the Civil Rights era, the syndicated television series Amos and Andy which featured white actors dressed as black characters was taken off the air when socially conscious viewers objected. Recently, the film Babar the Elephant has come under fire for its description of colonial Africa.
However, some books with racialy sensitive elements such as Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn are regarded otherwise as classic pieces of literature. Both books deal with racism through the prism of 19th century America. While Huckleberry Finn has become controversial because of its use of language that degrades African Americans, slavery and racism play a secondary role in Tom Sawyer.
Offended parents believe they have the right to choose whether or they want to expose their young children to racially offensive material. They argue that racism that exists in Tintin in the Congo is so egregious that is inappropriate for the children's section. Dr. Poussaint states that impressionable young African American children are in need of positive self-images and should not be subject to books about slavery and colonization at that age. Others believe the book is the product of an archaic, less tolerant time and as a result it should be placed in a section where books on a specific culture, lifestyle and historical time period are categorized.
Conversely, opponents argue that banning a book written in a period where racism was accepted is not going to change the past. How can one discuss history without including slavery? Children need to learn about the real world. Avoiding a problem so we don't have to talk about it has the effect of hiding not confronting racism. Is the librarian's responsible for deciding what is and isn't racially offensive? Denying the patron access is interfering with intellectual freedom. The book can be used as a teaching tool to talk to children about the evils of racism.
Do you think there is a justification for banning this book or is it an example of misguided political correctness?
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Blog #2: Can science and religion co-exist in the classroom?
Science and religion often seem on a collision course with regard to intellectual freedom issues. A Pew Research Study indicates that 71% of Americans believe religion has an important place in their lives. At the same time, the nation has become more secular with science and technology playing increasingly significant roles in our society. In a global economy, the US education system faces pressure to compete with other nations in science and math literacy.
An article from a Knoxville, Tenn. newspaper chronicles the debate between evolution and religion. A Knox County parent objected to an advanced biology textbook description of creationism as a "Biblical myth" last December. Subsequently, a school board member filed a motion to ban the textbook from the school's curriculum. After a heated debate, a school review committee comprised of teachers, administrators, a student, and parent decided that the textbook was appropriate.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the Establishment Clause forbids the establishment of any religion. The government cannot promote or oppose religious doctrines. Teachers have been given the academic freedom to conduct their classroom for a diverse and pluralistic student population. The court has held that teachers are not required to provide instruction in both creationism and evolution. Disclaimers regarding the theory of evolution as the only explanation of human kind have been found to be unconstitutional
However, the issue is far from settled in the minds of many Americans. Proponents of creationism and intelligent design have renewed their efforts to teach these theories along with or in place of evolution. Challenges to science textbooks in states like Texas and across the country are growing. The conflict has extended to medical treatment where some parents have refused school mandated immunizations for their children on religious grounds.
This raises the question whether science and religion can ever peacefully co-exist in the classroom.
An article from a Knoxville, Tenn. newspaper chronicles the debate between evolution and religion. A Knox County parent objected to an advanced biology textbook description of creationism as a "Biblical myth" last December. Subsequently, a school board member filed a motion to ban the textbook from the school's curriculum. After a heated debate, a school review committee comprised of teachers, administrators, a student, and parent decided that the textbook was appropriate.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the Establishment Clause forbids the establishment of any religion. The government cannot promote or oppose religious doctrines. Teachers have been given the academic freedom to conduct their classroom for a diverse and pluralistic student population. The court has held that teachers are not required to provide instruction in both creationism and evolution. Disclaimers regarding the theory of evolution as the only explanation of human kind have been found to be unconstitutional
However, the issue is far from settled in the minds of many Americans. Proponents of creationism and intelligent design have renewed their efforts to teach these theories along with or in place of evolution. Challenges to science textbooks in states like Texas and across the country are growing. The conflict has extended to medical treatment where some parents have refused school mandated immunizations for their children on religious grounds.
This raises the question whether science and religion can ever peacefully co-exist in the classroom.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Spanish Piracy
The New York Times recently published an article on the violation of entertainment property rights in Spain. Thirty years after the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, Spain emerged relatively new to the concepts of democracy and intellectual freedom compared to other Western European nations. It is estimated that this nation of 43 million is reponsible for 3 billion illegal downloads a year. Author property rights have been offered less protection than the right to privacy and freedom of expression by the Spanish legal system. In 2001, the Spanish music industry ranked 10th in worldwide sales. However, the industry lost $2.2 billion in revenue and nearly a 1/3 of its market share by 2009. During this same period, Spain has risen to fifth in the world in use of social networking sites as Facebook and MySpace.
Hollywood and American music interests have been reluctant to sell creative material within the country. Television series such as "Lost" are quickly pirated on Spanish websites months before they are released for distribution. Sony Pictures has put a halt on DVD sales within the country. The U.S. Trade Department placed Spain on a list of countries that violate intellectual property rights. American artists routinely skip Spain on their performance tours in favor of the United Kingdom and France which are more friendly toward artist property rights.
This article made me realize that intellectual freedom will need to be addressed across international boundaries. Intellectual freedom has been a contentious subject within U.S. libraries leading to the creation of the ALA in the 1930's. In recent years, technology and democracy have broken previous barriers to intellectual expression that were unthinkable in previous decades. We must now find a coherent strategy to navigate intellectual property rights within the legal, artistic, and political framework of the global community.
Hollywood and American music interests have been reluctant to sell creative material within the country. Television series such as "Lost" are quickly pirated on Spanish websites months before they are released for distribution. Sony Pictures has put a halt on DVD sales within the country. The U.S. Trade Department placed Spain on a list of countries that violate intellectual property rights. American artists routinely skip Spain on their performance tours in favor of the United Kingdom and France which are more friendly toward artist property rights.
This article made me realize that intellectual freedom will need to be addressed across international boundaries. Intellectual freedom has been a contentious subject within U.S. libraries leading to the creation of the ALA in the 1930's. In recent years, technology and democracy have broken previous barriers to intellectual expression that were unthinkable in previous decades. We must now find a coherent strategy to navigate intellectual property rights within the legal, artistic, and political framework of the global community.
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