Keep libraries free!
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This site is a little project that lets me make fun of some things and sense of others. I use it to think a little more relationally without resorting to doing actual math.

You, too can earn a living with visuals.
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February 23rd, 2009 at 12:52 pm
So very, very true. And yet this doesn’t help explain why pretending to be stupid is cute in society right now. Ugh. Hate that.
February 23rd, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Kids are good at knowing what makes them feel secure. I think more people than less continue to feel secure with knowledge.
February 23rd, 2009 at 1:48 pm
In truth, the B line should be a bell curve. Knowing a little bit is generally more dangerous than knowing nothing.
February 23rd, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Just found your site . . . love it! I like the bell curve suggestion for line B.
February 23rd, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Knowledge is not danger…unless you know how to make a bomb or something!
Check out my Daily Gif Blog when ya have a chance…2 more days left for my contest!
DB
February 23rd, 2009 at 3:13 pm
This is a good one!
February 23rd, 2009 at 3:30 pm
I agree with doublebanker. The danger is when people don’t realize how little they actually know… and then try to do something with it.
February 23rd, 2009 at 3:39 pm
[...] February 23, 2009 by Elisabeth I always love how Jessica at Indexed makes complicated things simple - and often hilarious. Today, Indexed takes on censorship, in a post entitled “Keep libraries free!” [...]
February 23rd, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Wow, a rare anti-Democrat post - Ms. Hagy, will you never cease to amaze me?!
February 23rd, 2009 at 8:44 pm
The truth may be right in between - Danger may remain constant, and Knowlege just reduces the likelihood of falling victim to misadventure or misinformation. The remainder of this comment has been censored by kids that know better…
February 23rd, 2009 at 9:00 pm
The Cultural Revolution in China was a great example of censorship. We’re lucky anyone remains to tell the tale.
February 23rd, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Reminds me of the anime Toshokan Senso (Library War): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshokan_Sens%C5%8D
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:22 pm
*sigh* and my old hometown Topeka’s library just went through a book challenge.
February 24th, 2009 at 9:40 am
The idea is that knowledge is available for all, not just those who can afford it. Cheers!
February 24th, 2009 at 11:44 am
Agreed: so much more safety in knowing.
February 24th, 2009 at 11:49 am
On the other hand, too much knowledge makes you post obnoxiously know-it-all quotes on other people’s websites, like this one by Pope which relates directly to the danger of “a little” knowledge, or thinking you’re knowledgable.
“A little learning is a dang’rous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.”
Jessica, love the indexes, keep it up!
February 24th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
@ISammael - How so?
February 24th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
ISammael, what? You have that backwards. Have you never heard of “abstinence only education”?
February 24th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
blah and Jamie:
Well, it is the crusade of the Democrat to issue censorships. Just take a look at our Secretary of State if you don’t believe.
And please, although it is unfeasible, tell me what the only way to guarantee not getting an STD or pregnant - isn’t that /knowledge?/ Just playing Devil’s advocate to be a pain in the rear…
February 25th, 2009 at 7:44 am
Nice, but I must demur that libraries are not free. We pay for them with taxes, and if we want libraries with great collections and services, we must fund them accordingly. Libraries leverage resources so that entire communities may benefit from things that individuals very likely could never afford on their own. Unfortunately, libraries reside among our institutions which many fail to appreciate until they are gutted or gone.
February 25th, 2009 at 10:38 am
Is the B curve asymptotic on a value? I think it should be on a positive value as even with infinite knowledge there would be a minimal amount of danger.
February 26th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
ISammael, you type words that form complete sentences, yet they fail to make any coherent sense. That’s truly a gift.
February 26th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Well, if my words don’t make sense, then don’t take them for it, take reality’s words. And please, keep the personal comments to yourself. To quote Confucius, “strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause.” Not that my feelings were hurt, but that you undermine your own position.
Just did a quick Google search:
“An effort by over 100 Democrats in the House of Representatives to quell freedom of political speech by using taxpayer dollars to re-enact the so-called “Fairness Doctrine” failed miserably” http://www.libertyrocks.com, 2007-06-29 (of course, they’re still trying, even this very day…)
“Finnish Christian Democrats want censorship for games” http://www.afterdawn.com 2009-02-01
“John Culberson is one of those folks, and has actively used Twitter and Qik in the past to communicate not only with his constiuency but the general wilds of the web[....] Rep. Michael Capuano, Chairman of the Congressional Commission on Mailing Standards, seeks to end this.” http://www.mashable.com 2008-07-08
In 2006, Democrats wrote a thinly-veiled threat to Disney’s CEO to alter a pro-Republican TV documentary. It suggested that if they did not do this, their broadcasting license would be revoked.
“US Vice President Al Gore and his running mate, Senator Joseph Lieberman, have threatened to impose forms of state censorship on the film, music and video games industries should they win the November election.” http://www.wsws.org, 2000-09-20
In late 2007, MoveOn.org successfully shut down a site parodying it. That’s a rather scary precedent!
“Washington, Jul 9, 2008 - House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today wrote to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), urging her to join him in opposing a new rule proposed by the Democratic leadership of the House Administration Committee that would require outside websites such as YouTube to comply with House regulations before Members of Congress could post videos on them. Under the proposal, the House Administration Committee would develop a list of “approved” websites, and Members of Congress would be restricted to only publishing content using these sites. Calling it “new government censorship of the Internet,” Boehner asked Speaker Pelosi to join him in opposing the proposed rule.” http://www.gopleader.gov
“FEAR WAS ALSO the motivation behind the silencing of Jonathan Lopez. Lopez, a Speech 101 student at Los Angeles City College, had just delivered a speech on Christianity and same-sex marriage when his instructor, Professor John Matteson, allegedly called Lopez a “fascist bastard.” You really have to know what you are doing to get a professor of speech worked up enough to call a student a “fascist bastard,” and evidently, by mentioning Christianity and morals in the same speech, Mr. Lopez had pressed all the right buttons.
“Now, I can imagine a number of ideas and opinions would make certain sensitive individuals uncomfortable. And, indeed, two students from Matteson’s speech class later complained to the LACC dean about Lopez’ “preachy,” “completely inappropriate” and “deeply offensive speech.” The unidentified student said he respected Lopez’s right to free speech, but not that kind of speech and not in his speech class.” http://www.spectator.org, 2009-02-26 (today)
And, a long one from just last week; how our stimulus (spending) bill will be spent:
“[...]both the FCC and Waxman are looking to licensing and renewal of licensing as a means of enforcing “Fairness Doctrine” type policies without actually using the hot-button term “Fairness Doctrine.”
“The House Energy and Commerce Committee is also looking at how it can put in place policies that would allow it greater oversight of the Internet. “Internet radio is becoming a big deal, and we’re seeing that some web sites are able to control traffic and information, while other sites that may be of interest or use to citizens get limited traffic because of the way the people search and look for information,” says on committee staffer. “We’re at very early stages on this, but the chairman has made it clear that oversight of the Internet is one of his top priorities.”
“”This isn’t just about Limbaugh or a local radio host most of us haven’t heard about,” says Democrat committee member. “The FCC and state and local governments also have oversight over the Internet lines and the cable and telecom companies that operate them. We want to get alternative views on radio and TV, but we also want to makes sure those alternative views are read, heard and seen online, which is becoming increasingly video and audio driven. Thanks to the stimulus package, we’ve established that broadband networks — the Internet — are critical, national infrastructure. We think that gives us an opening to look at what runs over that critical infrastructure.”" http://www.spectator.org, 2009-02-16
“The popular video-sharing YouTube site, which is being purchased by Google for $1.65 billion, limited access to a political ad that mocks the Clinton administration’s
policy on North Korea, but contains no profanity, nudity or other factors generally thought objectionable.” http://www.worldnetdaily.com 2006-10-12
An admittedly coerced example, but they did admit it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcgbStBJzJ4
I’m sure we all remember Tipper Gore and Hillary Clinton pushing for the Parental Advisory stickers on CDs, and Lieberman then writing legislation fining anyone providing those CDs to minors. That’s more censorship. Granted, some exists on the other side, but those are isolated examples, and far more individual than party-based.
Meanwhile, not once did a Republican call for the stoppage of production of the Dixie Chicks albums. For every flag burned in America these past 8 years, we were always told by the Right that it was their prerogative. Whenever Bush was mocked or rallied against, he always said “isn’t it wonderful we live in a country that allows free speech?” Is that what we hear about cartoonists who are drawing our current President? In fact, this is not new. From the NYT, I found an article from the late ’20s or ’30s in which President Wilson asked Congress to censor the media. I can’t find the link now, sorry.
I welcome your thoughts - no censorship here!
February 27th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
http://liesofbush.com/censorship.shtml
If you think the Republican party is against censorship by virtue of being Republican, then you haven’t been following politics for very long. Especially during the past eight years.
February 28th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
[...] Indexed + Libraries = Yes! [...]
March 8th, 2009 at 12:41 am
I think in the context of books “conservative” (usually religious) people are the driving force, not democrats. I would hazard this supposition.
March 17th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
[...] haven’t visited Indexed in ages, but this image from last month says it all, [...]