Re: HIT: HS magazines (add censorship)

[Julie Anderson <janderson@KENT.WEDNET.EDU>]

>>I cancelled Mother Jones, despite the interesting articles, because of
the offensive ads. I also censor Psychology Today's ads and if necessary,
do not circulate the issue.<<

Does anyone besides me have a problem with this attitude/statement/action?
I'm sorry if this comes across like a flame, but I am incredulous.  What
about the ethics of our profession?

If I cancelled things I found offensive, we wouldn't have a number
subscriptions (like National Review, Vogue, Ladies Home Journal to name a
few off the top of my head).  I also wouldn't buy Rush Limbaugh's or
anti-gay books.  However, my concsience would not allow me to do such a
thing.  Our psychology classes rely heavily on Psychology Today -- keeping
back one issue of a bimonthly subscription would impact them greatly.  And
I'm not sure which ads the writer means, but *every* issue has a fairly
steamy ad for sex videos in it.

Are we to also censor the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and surely we
must toss out the Ms issue which had an article on sex toys....

For Pete's sake, this is HS we're talking about.  You know, the people who
are literally tomorrows adults (if they're not already there).  What
purpose does it serve to "protect" them from the real world?  I expect this
from administrators, but it really gets my goat to hear one of us censoring
material.

Whew!  Well, there's my fifty cents worth.  I'll get off the soapbox now.

Julie Anderson, Librarian                (206) 813-7301
Kentwood High School                    janderso@kent.wednet.edu
25800 164th Ave SE
Kent, WA  98042                                   I think, therefore I
don't listen to Rush Limbaugh.