Another tiny step

Again (yesterday I reported on this one) from the Second Amendment Foundation. Some libraries are blocking access to gun related materials such as Women and Guns magazine. SAF is joining forces with the ACLU on this one. Here is the actual complaint.

From the press release:

SAF and its co-plaintiffs are challenging the constitutionality of the library district’s policy of using internet filters on publicly — available computer terminals to block access to constitutionally — protected speech, including publications such as Women & Guns magazine, which is owned by SAF. The library refuses to unblock such access even at the request of the plaintiffs

“The NCRL’s policy of refusing to disable its Internet filters upon request is restricting the ability of speakers, content providers and patrons of the NCRL’s public library branches to access the contemporary marketplace of ideas,” the lawsuit states.

“We entered this lawsuit because citizens are being denied access to our website and information about our organization and publication,” said SAF founder Alan M. Gottlieb. “That clearly violates both the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Washington State Constitution.”

There are businesses (Cingular that I know of) that block Boomershoot.org and tell their employees it is because of “Criminal Skills”. I’m annoyed but it’s a business and as long as they just block access to their employees while at work I don’t have any grounds to complain about it. A public library blocking access is a completely different story. They need to be slapped down–hard. Go get ’em.

Via Say Uncle.

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4 thoughts on “Another tiny step

  1. Cingular isn’t the only one that blocks Boomershoot. Rockwell Automation (aka Allen Bradley industrial controls) does too. I bet its not actually a decision made by either company, they almost certainly buy their blocking services from a third party and have no idea what is or isn’t blocked.

    That’s what concerns me the most actually – the power to decide what gets blocked is in the hands of a few companies that do the blocking, with little or no oversight. Even the companies that are buying the blocking services don’t know _exactly_ what is being blocked.

  2. Yeah. The hospital where my wife works block Boomershoot.org and so does my daughter’s high school.

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