Thursday, June 16, 2005

On libraries

In the news this morning:

Supporters of the Patriot Act countered that the rules are potentially useful and argued that the House was voting to make libraries safe havens for terrorists.

“If there are terrorists in libraries studying how to fly planes, how to put together biological weapons, how to put together chemical weapons, nuclear weapons,…we have to have an avenue through the federal court system so that we can stop the attack before it occurs,” said Rep. Tom "Wanker" Feeney, R-Fla.

The dangers of reading have long been underestimated. Books blatantly threaten the peaceful existence of our country. Libraries are clearly rampant breeding grounds for terrorism and therefore should be shut down. Book shops must be closed and their contents confiscated. Anyone with a library card or book club membership will be arrested. No one must read lest he or she learn how to build a bomb.

In fact, we must burn the books – we must burn all books. Start with Harry Potter so that children will not be tempted by witchcraft. Burn histories so that we can forget shameful episodes of our past. Burn textbooks because learning is the work of Satan.

We can, we will, we must eliminate our collective knowledge because it is obviously that knowledge which undermines freedom and democracy.

9 comments:

Monkey's Max said...

You need a search warrant to check library records in criminal investigations.

Monkey's Max said...

I disagree. I think the right to privacy is very much an issue.

Devastatin' Dave said...

Riggs,

To get a warrant, it is necessary to have probable cause. Probable cause is defined as "facts and circumstances that would lead a reasonable and prudent man to believe a crime is being committed."

Reading something, regardless of the topic, is NOT criminal. If that is the case, then you have to arrest the author.

By Rep. "Wanker's" logic, all governments should be shut down, because they are the ones "studying how to fly planes, how to put together biological weapons, how to put together chemical weapons, nuclear weapons..."

Anonymous said...

Er last time I checked the terrorist attack on the twin towers was organized from Montreal, Praha and Germany. They sorted it out over the internet. What's a librairy?

Murphy said...

DD,
How would you classify my FBI clearence then? I've had every aspect of my life examined, from past drug use, vacations I've taken, past freinds I've associated with, etc. I commited no crime, yet it was neccessary for them to look into these things to make sure that I was worthy of a security clearance. I had no choice in the matter. I couldn't say "Hey, you have no right to look into my background", and neither do terrorists!

Anonymous said...

Murhpy,

You didnt have to take the job and thus you had a choice in the matter.

Anonymous said...

riggs is crazy do you know how to read? It wasn't Canada who organized the terrorist attacks on the US it was the terrorists who organized it from Canada. Don't even dare go into how Canada is slack at it's borders or how the terrorists got into our country. We havn't been attacked...yet. And call me naive but I don't think we will be, afterall they are here organizing and planning.
Besides, it's not that terrorists dislike americans, I think it's more that they dislike the US government for meddling into their affairs.
Why is the US still in Iraq? Why havn't they caught Osama Bin Laden? Where is that little bugger anyway? I think the governement went on a tangent and forgot why they are in Iraq in the first place. Yes I figure it's for oil and pipelines, I digress. The have support to go there to fight terrorism. Well they already caught saddam, where the fuck is bin laden huh?
I am sick of thinking about this. It's giving me a headache. I am going to go smoke a splif now.

Murphy said...

YOU'RE giving ME a headache, but thanks for showing everyone why we hate Canadians...both groups of them.

Anonymous said...

Murphy...take some tylonol and take a nap. Get over yourself man.

inhale....exhale...riggs. yeah I know...BLAME CANADA LALALALALALA. Canada kicks US butt in that movie eh? BLAME CANADA....lalalalalala