Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!execu!sequoia!rpp386!jfh From: jfh@rpp386.cactus.org (John F. Haugh II) Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk Subject: Re: Censorship on the USENET Message-ID: <18697@rpp386.cactus.org> Date: 6 Nov 90 01:06:02 GMT References: <1990Nov05.033218.21980@ddsw1.MCS.COM> <1990Nov5.194650.197@eff.org> Reply-To: jfh@rpp386.cactus.org (John F. Haugh II) Distribution: na Organization: Lone Star Cafe and BBS Service Lines: 19 X-Clever-Slogan: Recycle or Die. In article <1990Nov5.194650.197@eff.org> mnemonic@eff.org (Mike Godwin) writes: >So, when a public school refuses to buy a copy of HUCKLEBERRY >FINN for the school library because some parents have complained >that Twain's portrayal of Jim is racist, that isn't censorship? correct - it would be censorship if the public purchased a copy at no cost to the public school system and the library refused to put it in the stacks. it is trivially obvious that no school has enough money for every book ever published - therefore any criteria used to select books is arbitrary and could be called censorship in some sense. [ libraries frequently accept "free" books - they obviously also don't have room for every "free" book they might receive, but i've never had a library reject a contribution i had to make, that's why the example is as it is ] -- John F. Haugh II UUCP: ...!cs.utexas.edu!rpp386!jfh Ma Bell: (512) 832-8832 Domain: jfh@rpp386.cactus.org "SCCS, the source motel! Programs check in and never check out!" -- Ken Thompson