Attempts At Book Banning Are Alive and Well In West Bend, WI

I’ve been following Lori Hahn’s @ A World Of Progress posts about book censorship in West Bend, WI. I encourage you to go there to see her complete post here. You can read more about it here

The woman on the book ban bandwagon is Ginny Maziarka of West Bend, WI. She "has made it her mission in life to deny other citizens access to books she considers pornographic, restrict websites, and insist on the purchase of 'balanced' materials with touting her own personal viewpoint—this apparently primarily affecting the 'Out of the Closet section of the library."

Read about the Ms. Miziarka's complaint West Bend Parents for Free Speech - The Opposition Side. Apparently Ms. Miziarka wants to go so far as to password protect the 'Out of the Closet' section on the library's website. If gay, lesbian, transgendered, bi-sexual and questioning youth cannot find out about these clearly NOT pornographic books at the public library, where are they going to go? Do we need to lose any more of our youth to suicide because they feel they are so different and so alone that they need to end their lives?

A website has been created to counter Ms. Miziarka’s efforts: West Bend Parents for Free Speech. I encourage you to visit that site and post your support of their efforts for free speech.

Ms. Miziarka filed a complaint with the library board and later withdrew it. She is now collecting signatures for a petition.

Ms. Miziarka published the home addresses of each of the library board members. I’m not going to do that here. I am however posting the library’s address so that you can direct your mail to their place of work, as is appropriate. The board members are: Ald. Nick Dobberstein; Kathryn Engelbrecht, President; Tom Fitz, Vice-President; Patti Geidel, Treasurer; Mary Reilly-Kliss; Mary Jane Burdge, School Dist. Rep.; Barbara Deters, Secretary; John R. Aynesworth; James Pouros.

West Bend Community Library
630 Poplar St
West Bend, WI 53095

I’m hoping that everyone that reads mine and Lori’s posts will spread the word, post about it on your blog to inform your readers. Take the time to voice your objection to this attack on free speech. Post on West Bend Parents for Free Speech, write the library board members and write Ms. Miziarka. Ms. Miziarka won’t publish opposing views on her blog (another form of censorship). Since Ms. Miziarka published those home addresses, Lori @ A World Of Progress felt it only appropriate to publish Ms. Maziarka’s address on her blog at the end of the post.

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