Internet and the ACLU

A few years ago we had a dust-up here in Virginia about access to the Internet in public libraries. The question was, should librarians be using filtering software to protect kids from, shall we say, unsavory items on the Internet. The ACLU representative, Charles Rust-Tierney, suggested that filtering was inappropriate -

The ACLU urges the Board to apply the following important principles in crafting a now Internet Use Policy:

• Recognizing that individuals will continue to behave responsibly and appropriately while in the library, the default should be maximum, unrestricted access to the valuable resources of the Internet.
• The Internet is rapidly becoming an essential tool for learning and communication. Public libraries play a vital role in assuring that the Internet is universally available to all segments of the population on an equitable basis.
• Librarians can and should play a crucial role in educating all Internet users to engage in critical thinking skills when using the Internet, and to be careful about relying on inaccurate resources online.
• Libraries can develop lists of recommended online resources that they have reviewed and evaluated, to assist patrons in finding Internet sites that meet their interests.
• Parents should have primary responsibility for setting rules for their children regarding Internet access.
• Older minors should have access to resources appropriate for their age group, even if such materials may be considered by some parents to be unsuitable for younger minors.

America's libraries have always been the great equalizer, providing books and other information resources to help people of all ages and backgrounds live, learn, work and govern in a democratic society. The ACLU now urges the Board to adopt an Internet Use Policy that promotes the library's mission to expand universal access to information, and that recognizes the library's duty to uphold the First Amendment.

Well, Mr. Tierney is in the news again today. I guess that at the least you could say this story still includes the Internet, young minors, and inappropriate content.

Rust-Tierney admitted to investigators that he had downloaded videos and images from child pornography websites onto CD-ROMs, according to the complaint.

The videos described in the complaint depict graphic forcible intercourse with prepubescent females. One if the girls is described in court documents as being "seen and heard crying", another is described as being "bound by rope."

We can only hope that this individual behaved responsibly, and wasn't downloading this stuff in the library.

So, we'll soon have Mr. Tierney's address up on the sex offender databases.

UPDATE: Better still, as in many of these cases, it turns out the guy is a "youth sports coach."