140. On Editing and Censorship

There's a small blog scuffle among a few Saipan bloggers about editing and censorship.

Personally, I don't have a problem with bloggers moderating comments before they're posted on the blog. Mainly I view a blog as a personal bulletin board or something like that, sponsored by the blogger. If comments are deleted, the commenter is free to find his or her own little corner of the blogosphere and post the comment unfettered in all its glory. (Subject to laws about pornography and libel and such.)

But there's an interesting side to this "editorial" policy, one that all bloggers should think about at some time in their blogging career. And that side relates to honesty. When does editorial policy change the landscape so much that it becomes dishonest?

If you only post the comments you like, do you give a false impression about the world in which you live? And is that really a helpful thing?

I anticipate someday having to delete someone's comment. I'd like to figure out ahead of time what standards I'll use to reach that decision, so I'm taking suggestions. I'd like my decision, when the time comes, to be principaled and not just personal or reactionary (well, I can hope). I'd like it to still leave an honest picture.

Even if others disagree with my opinions, and call me a liar and other catchy names, I'm still trying my best to be honest, to give truthful opinions about concerns I have, to rant and drone with integrity. So if I ever do anything like this, hunt me down and expose the lie.

67. Read the Story the BBC Banned

BBC banned the reading of Pakistani-British playwright Hanif Kureishi's story,
WeddingsAndBeheadings , even though it planned on reading all of the stories nominated for Britain's National Short Story prize. Apparently the reason for deciding against reading this story on the air was its current-ness.

The story is darkly humorous, but also poignant and scary as all get-out. And it's a lesson for writers in effective use of point of view. A short and worthy read.

33. More Thoughts on Censorship

In a perverse way, the backlash against the librarians who posted on the LM net objecting to "scrotum" will itself have a chiling effect on free speech.

The LM network is designed for librarians and educators to ask questions, air concerns, and get helpful suggestions in their jobs as school, public and private librarians. The controvery started when a librarian wrote a simple question about reading THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY aloud to grade school kids who might focus on the word scrotum for its titilating value. She expressed the opinion that the whole 'rattlesnake bites dog scrotum' scenario added little to the book and just made it harder for her to read aloud.

This prompted others to express opinions on THPOL and brought the debate into sharper relief.

I do think Americans tend to get side-tracked by all things that can be construed in any way as sexual. But I also think that sites where people can ask questions or express opinions are important. They can help librarians and educators share insights about books, about coping with rowdy kids who will disrupt a read-aloud, about dealing with parents' concerns, and most importantly about having the spine to stand up for words.

We need to make sure that, in our rush to defend free expression and guard against censorship, we don't inadvertantly make the same mistake.

32. Redux-#31 Pathway and #27 Librarians

This is showing on the HHS website.

ShrekOnPlaying

So HHS is encouraging children to get out and play. Hooray!

And they're doing it with a popular kid icon and street language that includes the word "booty" as in shake your... Which brings me back to the recent uproar in the kid-lit world about words.

The responses about a dog's scrotum appearing on page one of the 2007 Newbery winner, THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY, are fairly well documented here. LuckyScrotumDebate

Here's a link to the criticism that started the whole controversy: HowDoIReadScrotumAloud?
And one of the follow-up criticisms. OneLibrarians'sObjection SORRY-these links do not seem to work anymore.


Author Neil Gaiman's blog post adds a little Brit humor and perspective IN HIS FEBRUARY 20, 2007 POST. He has an update on February 28, 2007 from a Medina Ohio Librarian that is very touching. NeilGaiman

But if a word in a book can arouse such a backlash of prudish fear, I wonder when the censors will get to this HHS / government offering.

27. Librarians Censoring Children's Books?

It seems impossible, but there is a small backlash against this year's winner of the Newbery (The Higher Power of Lucky). Some librarians are saying they won't purchase the book for their libraries, despite its prestigious award, because it contains the word -- scrotum.

I almost laughed out loud when I read this, but then found out this is a true storm of protest.

LibrarianCensorship

I can't imagine this happening here in Saipan. I hope it never does.

Words do have power. We need to let our children learn as many words as they can and how and when to use them.

And they need to know that the word scrotum is just a word for a body part. Men keep their scrotums under cover, but that's no reason to hide the word.