Contact:
Go To:
Polls:
Other Notable Sites
Controversy in a Nutshell: Palin's Book Banning
Image by Getty Images via Daylife
A dear friend recently told me that she could never support Sarah Palin, in part because she supports book banning. Alarmed, I researched the issue and found a very different story.
There are numerous lists of books that Palin attempted to have banned during her time in Alaskan politics. The most expansive claims are copied directly from this list. While it seems a stretch that one woman would attempt to ban so many books, many bloggers picked up the story, including one at BarackObama.com.
It turns out that the controversy comes from a single conversation in the mid nineties where Palin asked the local librarian what it would take to remove a book from circulation. Both sides are spinning this and trying to explain why she asked, but
This is the first installment of the new feature, Controversy in a Nutshell. I will use it to explain current political controversies in a way that won't put you to sleep. I'm always looking for feedback, so please tell me what you think in comments.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=a3cc7eb2-7b0b-42ab-818f-1e98667f8bfb)
Was this article informative?
0 TrackBacks
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Controversy in a Nutshell: Palin's Book Banning.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://poliwatch.org/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/8972
Expand - Collapse Comment
3:24 AM, 09 23 2008 | Permalink
Yes, that book-banning thing was an urban legend that has already been debunkded at snopes.com and other credible fact-checking organizations.
For one thing, The Harry Potter books did not even exist when the list was supposedly created by Palin (1996).
Reply to this comment
Expand - Collapse Comment
Andrew Breza said at :
12:05 PM, 09 23 2008 | Permalink
That is true, but the rumors are still swirling that, although the list of banned books is inaccurate, she may have tried banning others.
Andrew Breza | September 23, 2008 12:05 PM
Reply to this comment
Expand - Collapse Comment
2:08 PM, 09 23 2008 | Permalink
I think this issue goes hand in hand with the firing of the librarian in Wasilla. To say she just asked the librarian about how one would go about getting a book removed from the library is mis-leading. To cover up her intent to remove a book from the library shows us that she knows she is in the wrong.
What makes this important is it reveals that Gov. Palin's character is lacking the sense of "liberty for all" that most people in this country find to be a necessity in their elected officials.
Reply to this comment
Expand - Collapse Comment
5:48 PM, 09 23 2008 | Permalink
Yes, the firing of the Librarian is suspicious.
So, that indeed does raise questions about Palin's motives.
What I find more disturbing is that Palin started construction on land that the city didn't own to build an ice rink. When the owner would not sell the land, Palin sued him repeatedly. The land owner won in court, and cost the city several hundred thousand in legal fees too. The owner said he would give part of the land to the city if Palin would stop suing him. She said no, because she needed all of his land. So she sued him again abusing eminent domain laws (for an ice rink?). Eventually, the city paid the owner for the land, but he is not happy with the price paid. The legal battle goes on to this day. Already, the city had to pay the former owner's legal fees too.
More...
Don't they call that stealing ? What a low life.
Reply to this comment
Expand - Collapse Comment
Carole said at :
9:29 AM, 09 30 2008 | Permalink
O beautiful for spacious skies for amber waves of grain, For purple mountains majesties above the fruited plain, America! America! GOD shed his grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood, From sea to shining see! O beautiful for pilgrim feet, Whose stern, impassioned stress, A thorough-fare for freedom beat, Across the wilderness! America! America! GOD mend thy every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self control, Thy liberty in law! O beautiful for heroes proved, In liberating strife, Who more than self there country loved, And mercy more than life! America! America! GOD thy gold refine, Till all success be nobleness, And every gain divine! O beautiful for patriot dream, That sees beyond the years, Thine alabaster cities gleam, Undimmed by human tears! America! America! GOD shed his grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood, From sea to shining sea!
Carole | September 30, 2008 9:29 AM
Reply to this comment
Expand - Collapse Comment
Michael said at :
10:00 AM, 10 05 2008 | Permalink
A book which Sarah Palin and John McCain might like to ban is "Clash of the Gods" which is now on amazon.com. John McCain has made it clear that if he is elected he will help Israel attack Iran. See the future consequences of such actions in this fascinating new historical novel. Sarah Palin, of course, is an Evangelical who thinks we have to destroy all the ‘infidels’ in the Middle East to make way for the Second Coming. And we wonder why the Muslim world does not like us very much….
Michael | October 5, 2008 10:00 AM
Reply to this comment
Expand - Collapse Comment
10:22 AM, 10 05 2008 | Permalink
And G.W. Bush calls it a crusade. Bush said:
Reply to this comment