U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Law Keeping Children Away From Porn in Libraries

WASHINGTON, June 23, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Supreme Court today upheld the constitutionality of the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). The American Library Association (ALA) had challenged the law, passed by Congress in 2000, saying it turned libraries and librarians into censors.  In its 5-4 decision, the Court disagreed, saying the law does not turn librarians into censors because libraries can disable the filters for any patrons who ask and therefore is not too burdensome.  CIPA requires that public schools and libraries, in exchange for federal monies or subsidies to be used for Internet access, take certain steps to reduce the possibility that those using school and library Internet service could access obscene material.  Every school and library involved has the ability to reject the federal funds and thus avoid the conditions attached to their receipt.  Family Research Council Presiden Ken Connor said the law is common sense and applauds the Court for upholding it. “Libraries should be safe-zones of quiet and learning for children,” Connor said.  “Libraries are not obligated to provide pornography to patrons at taxpayer expense.  Why should it be any different with the Internet?”  Conservative library patrons have noted a common tendency for public libraries to refuse to stock pro-life, pro-family and religious titles and resources or otherwise solidly conservative books and magazines.  The very left-wing ALA does in fact often practice censorship subtly or otherwise but only in the direction of advancing its liberal ideology.  See coverage from the Washington Post:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22882-2003Jun23.html   See   THE INTERNET AND THE SEDUCTION OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC LIBRARY https://www.fflibraries.org/Basic_Docs/biehle.htm