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Re: That Depends
Mary Anne — (archived)

<It's simple freedom of expression applies to both sides of any issue as long as the actions taken are by private individuals or organizations.

It would be interesting indeed to discover whether the Baseball Hall of Fame receives any government money at all. It would also be interesting to see whether the action taken by the president was approved by its governing board. But we'll never know.

My library is a private organization. We do receive some state funding through the library system to which we belong, but we are private property and would not have to shut without state money. Do you think it would be all right, based on this knowledge, for me to withdraw or hide the copies of Lynne Cheney's children's book as an expression of my individual free speech rights because I don't like her politics? I don't. It would limit public access. Allowing one individual to inflict his or her political outlook upon the rest of the community through the actions of the organization in which he or she holds a position of authority might be legal, but it sure isn't ethical. And it isn't a good example of patriotism in the American sense, either.

BTW, I really could withdraw the Cheney book. Its circulation statistics are abysmal, even though it was prominently displayed for almost a year.

Regards--
Mary Anne

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