Library Freedom

You have an opportunity to fight the pro-censorship American Library Association, by just clicking the link. Add your vote to those who think the ALA is weaseling on condemning Castro's jailing of those who create private libraries.

Here's the problem (via Babalu Blog, who gave the link to the FAWs from Friends of Cuban Libaries.

In response to a public statement by President Fidel Castro that "There are no prohibited books in Cuba, only a lack of money to purchase them," Cuba's first independent library, named in honor of Felix Varela, was opened in 1998 in the city of Las Tunas. The Felix Varela Library was established in the apartment of Berta Mexidor, an economist, and her husband, Ramon Colas, a psychologist. Approximately 100 independent libraries, located in the homes of volunteers, now flourish in Cuba despite an unprecedented campaign of harassment, threats, intimidation, police raids, arrests, physical assaults, evictions and confiscations. Most of the libraries are affiliated with the project begun by Ramon Colas and Berta Mexidor, while others have been established by groups of teachers, journalists, religious denominations, etc. In addition to offering public access to uncensored books, Cuba's independent librarians also sponsor uncensored debates, seminars, public meetings, art exhibits, literary contests and children's programs, all free of government control.

How anti-Revolutionary! To see a problem, and fix it yourself! Obviously, the Running Dogs of Capitalist Pigs have started these libraries only to tick off El Jefe (see below, with his homie, Hugo Chavez).



See what a nice person he is? Obviously showing that he's in favor of same-sex marriage.

Just kidding. In truth, in Cuba homosexuals get thrown in prison. If they have AIDS, they are also quarantined.

But let's not get off-topic. Why did the ALA NOT condemn Cuba's vicious move to block free libraries?

From the ALA site: (bold emphasis mine)

In the wake of the Castro regime's recent crackdown on political dissidents, including at least 10 identified as independent librarians, the Cuban Library Association (Asociación Cubana de Bibliotecarios) circulated an open letter to colleagues around the world clarifying the status of those arrested and convicted of criminal activity.

Because we all know that without a clarified status, some anti-Revolutionary people (see Running Dogs definition) might come to the wrong conclusions.

The statement, sent April 30 from Havana's public library, reads in part: “No Cuban librarian, no graduate of any of our Cuban library schools, nor any librarian or paraprofessional who currently or ever has worked in the Cuban library and information system has been detained.”

Oh, good. At least the official guild isn't having their members held in prison. That's probably because they have all the cojones of John Kerry.

The letter goes on to claim that those arrested were funded by various U.S. government agencies. (Translation provided by Larry Oberg, director of the Willamette University library in Salem, Oregon.)

The pro-democracy independent libraries are usually operated out of activists' homes and offer some materials said not to be available in Cuban public libraries.

SAID not to be available? Haven't any of these so-called information specialists even bothered to check out the allegations? I mean, by by-passing the propagandists in the official libraries and looking for the truth.

The names of the independent librarians arrested are listed on the website of the Friends of Cuban Libraries, a nonprofit organization run by Robert Kent in New York City dedicated to promoting intellectual freedom in Cuba. One of the group's members claims to have seen two indictments that “specifically accuse defendants of operating libraries containing 'subversive' books.”

Morons.

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