Hit: Info. regarding "People for the American Way" Org.

["Jeanette B. Heath" <heathf@DREAMSCAPE.COM>]

Hit:  _People for the American Way_ Organization

Jeanette B. Heath wrote:
>
> I have seen several messages mention People for the American Way.  Now I
> knew that ALA wants to hear about challenges, but what is this
> organization?  I really hesitated to send them information when I didn't
> know what their orientation was.

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Their URL is http://www.pfaw.org.
I believe that it was originally founded to combat the information
coming from Phyllis Schafly's <sp> Eagle Forum, an ultra-right group.
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People For the American Way was started by Norman Lear, the TV
producer (Archie Bunker, Maude) some years ago.  I have been a member
since it started.  They would be called a liberal group. PFAW defends
the Bill of Rights and the freedoms our Constitution gives all
Americans.  They have fought many battles against censorship and stood
with the ACLU and other anti-censorship groups often.

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People for the American Way, founded by the television producer Norman Lear,
is one of my favorite of the liberal groups. They seem to do a nice job of
tweaking the noses of the right-wingers when they get particularly
obnoxious! :)              <http://www.pfaw.org>

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I had the same concerns, until I saw them mentioned in a
textbook as a group to contact to help with challenges!  I know
they monitor LM_NET for challenges, and they document what's
been challenged.

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PAW is an organization that devotes all of its time and energy to defending
First Amendment rights, not just in schools but everywhere.  Although I
consider PAW a friend to public education/libraries, I also believe they are
"politically correct" in their position of First Amendment Rights; they are
not absolutists in their position.  In Nat Hentoff's book _Free Speech for Me
but not for Thee_ (an absolute must-read for all media specialists), the
author does not speak highly of PAW.  But PAW has helped school librarians
when there have been censorship attempts.

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Here is information taken from the People for the American Way Web Site

                        http://www.pfaw.org

Founded in 1980 to monitor and counter the divisive agenda of the
Religious Right political movement, People For the American Way is working
to build a movement grounded in values that define what is best about our
country. Through grassroots organizing, research and public
education,lobbying at all levels of government, and legal advocacy, we are
working to engage more Americans in civic and political action, to defend
and strengthen vital institutions like our public education system and
public broadcasting system and to protect individual and religious
liberty.
        People For the American Way is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization
representing more than 300,000 members and activists. People For's Action
Fund carries out our lobbying and advocacy work. We are headquartered in
Washington, D.C. with regional offices in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta,
and Boulder, Colorado, and state offices in Texas and Florida.
        I have found this organization to be very helpful.  In particuluar
their annual report on censorship in American schools, _Attacks on the
Freedom
to Learn_ is worth reading.
        For help from ALA, contact the Office of Intellectual Freedom.
There is also information available on the web site.
Deb



Mrs. Jeanette B. Heath
Library Media Specialist
Red Creek Jr./Sr. High School
Red Creek, NY 13143
Heathf@dreamscape.com