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A rally for the Internet Archive is a "Battle for Libraries" - San Francisco Examiner

In a world where extreme violence appears to pass almost unchallenged, our continuing issue with a penis or vulva is mystifying and alarming

March 26, 2023 11:42 am(Updated 6:11 pm)

When were you shocked by a piece of art? Do you find nudity tricky, or does anything go? Why is a penis more offensive than a breast? We may not think much about such matters until were forced to and discover we care. That was me when I read about the poor school principal in Florida who was forced to resign after her sixth-grade (11 to 12-year-old) pupils were shown an image of Michelangelos iconic David statue, without parents being warned in advance. The class also discussed Botticellis equally iconic Birth of Venus. Shocking!

I am reasonably sure that many of you will share my initial mirth. However, I am equally certain that mirth soon gives way to fear over what this story says about the creeping censorship and cancel culture associated with the ultra-conservatism that is now so rooted in the southern United States.

Floridas far-right governor Ron DeSantis, the Republicans chief alternative to Donald Trump for 2024, had just days before signed off on dont say gay legislation, banning the teaching of sex education and gender identity issues to under-12s.

How did principal Hope Carrasquilla of Tallahassee Classical School find herself in this mess? That creeping censorship was insidious. Last year, the school had warned conservative parents that their children might see David in his glory, this year it did not. The exotically named chair of the school board, Barney Bishop III, described this omission as egregious.

David was originally commissioned by the Medicis to be placed in the Renaissance cathedral of Florence. Upon completion in 1504 it was regarded as the greatest work of art ever, so wonderful that it should be exhibited outside in the city. The weather took its toll and David was eventually moved to the Accademia, where it resides today.

Famously, 400-plus years later, a copy was made as a gift to Queen Victoria, who regifted it to the new South Kensington Museum (todays Victoria and Albert). When she saw it, she was so shocked that the museum commissioned a fig leaf sculpture to place strategically on the statue whenever she visited.

Perhaps you have your own trigger points in art. Would you have been outraged by Marcel Duchamps 1917 Fountain, a signed porcelain urinal? Maybe you recall the furore surrounding the infamous 1997 Sensation exhibition which included both Marcus Harveys painting of killer Myra Hindley and Chris Ofilis Holy Virgin Mary made from porn magazines and elephant dung. Shock art in history often involved the female nude, notably when women were portrayed defiantly; gazing shamelessly at the onlooker as in Manets 1865 Olympia: neither passive, nor demure.

When we condemn Florida conservatives as philistines, we must note our own red lines. One persons Michelangelo is anothers Damian Hirst, Picasso or Banksy. But, in a world where extreme violence in art appears to pass almost unchallenged, our continuing issue with a penis or vulva is mystifying and alarming.

Sadly, there appear to be few votes in defending the arts like Winston Churchill, who in 1938 said: The arts are essential to any complete national life. Florida reveals we are not fighting for individual artworks, but defending a belief system against the likes of Barney Bishop III. It really does matter.

@stefanohat

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The ultra-conservative obsession with censoring genitalia in art is creeping across the West - inews

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Bestselling author Anthony Horowitz has said he is against tampering with the works of dead writers, amid an ongoing row over sensitivity readers.

In recent months, texts by late authors such as Roald Dahl, Agatha Christie and James Bond creator Ian Fleming have been found to have been updated by their publishers and literary estates.

A number of prominent writers and public figures have spoken against the practice, with Sir Philip Pullman suggesting it would be better to let the books go out of print.

Appearing at Oxford Literary Festival, Horowitz, the bestselling author of books including the Alex Rider series as well as three Bond novels, reportedly said he believed it was better for children to read books that might be deemed offensive than none at all.

The Times also claimed he said Dahls publishers had shot themselves in the foot with the updates, which involved removing descriptions of characters as fat and ugly.

They really shot themselves in the foot with their attempts to bowdlerise it, he said, calling the changes sacrilege.

Im basically opposed to tampering with the work of dead writers, he said. They cant defend themselves. It seems to me that you should take the work, judge it and be aware of why we no longer share these opinions, or this view of the world. Rather than censor, cut and take out stuff.

He later added: Whatever your view of the book, even if it is something considered offensive or trivial or trite, it is better than not reading. As long as they read something.

(Getty Images)

Following a backlash, including unprecedented criticism from Queen Consort Camilla, Puffin said it would retain the new versions of Dahls books but also offer original editions.

An earlier statement had said the changes were made to ensure that the books could continue to be enjoyed by all today.

The Independent has contacted Horowitzs representatives and Puffin for comment.

Horowitz has previously complained about sensitivity readings of his own work.

My publishers have been more nervous in the editing of my books, he claimed in an interview last year. Issues of levels of violence, language and attitudes do get more closely examined. Ive had some of my books read for sensitivity. But thats the 21st century. Peoples attitudes have changed and what didnt offend people 40 years ago does now.

Asked about how he approaches the character of 007, he remarked: When Im writing the books I always hear Sean Connery and see Daniel Craig. I am perfectly happy to defend Bond. My Bond is a man of the Fifties and Sixties, so he lives by a different moral code to the one we have now.

I refute the suggestion that he is chauvinistic or sexist or misogynistic. I think he treats women very well in the books and has great respect for them, yet I admit he has some of the attitudes that we now would not celebrate in the 21st century, but thats because the books were written in the 20th century. It was a different time.

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Anthony Horowitz says Roald Dahl publishers 'shot themselves in the foot' - The Independent

Stop and pray on the street in front of an abortion facility in England or Wales and you could find yourself under arrest. Never mind if your thoughts were lifted to God silently. Clause 11 of the Public Order Bill, recently adopted by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, bans influencing of any sort, including prayer, in a 150-meter zone around abortion facilities nationwide. An amendment to exempt silent prayer and consensual conversation from the ban failed, ushering in a new era of modern-day thought crimes in the U.K.

The parliamentary debate played out like a dystopian film script. Concerned Members of Parliament repeatedly raised the question: In a free society, should we really be arresting individuals on the basis of their thoughts? Hell-bent on the introduction of so-called buffer zones, the opposition argued that these zones are essential to protect women seeking an abortion from intimidation. When pushed on the question of thought crimes, Rupa Huq, Member of Parliament from Britains Labour Party, summed up the pro-censorship view: There is a time and a place for everythingincluding, in her estimation, the banning of silent prayer.

In December of last year, the Supreme Court of Northern Ireland dealt the first death blow to free expression on this issue. The court not only ruled in favor of censorship zones, but also went so far as to uphold the legitimacy of prohibiting silent prayer which is unwanted, unwelcome and intrusive. Per the court, behavior deemed silent but reproachful can and should be banned in a censorship zone. This set a grim precedent for what soon would befall England and Wales.

In parliament, the censorship zone provision was first voted through the House of Commons in October, then debated in the House of Lords, and finally adopted by the Commons on March 7. The bill was modified so that the penalty for breach of the zone was reduced from a prison sentence to a fine. While under debate, two individuals were charged and one fined for silent prayer in the English cities of Birmingham and Bournemouth, where censorship zones already are in force. Their stories went viral, showing the world that the U.K. really is weaponizing the law to punish peaceful people for praying on the street.

Pro-life volunteer Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was arrested in December for the crime of silent prayer in a Birmingham censorship zone. In February, she was acquitted fully in court, only to be arrested once again for the exact same act on the day before the parliamentary vote that passed Clause 11. The arresting officercommented:You've said you're engaging in prayer, which is the offense. To which Isabel replied: Silent prayer. His answer spoke volumesYou were still engaging in prayer, which is the offense.

Next came Catholic priest Father Sean Gough, who was criminally charged, and likewise acquitted, for praying silently in the same Birmingham zone. In addition, he was charged for having an unborn lives matter bumper sticker on his car, which was parked in the zone. Army veteran Adam Smith-Connor was fined for silent prayerin Bournemouth. The city has in place an absurdly specific ordinance, banning a host of activities ranging from sprinkling holy water, kneeling, reading Scripture, and praying in the vicinity of the local abortion facility.

Despite these egregious, and very real, examples of thought crime prosecution, what happened to Isabel, Father Sean, and Adam is now a nationwide reality in the U.K. Following the adoption of the new law, the potential for infringements on fundamental freedoms is immense. Strikingly, the proposed amendment to exempt silent prayer and consensual conversation from the law lost in parliament with 116 votes in favor and 299 againsta dark day for democracy. Two hundred and ninety-nine British Members of Parliament think prayer in certain public places should be an offense under the law.

Censorship zones generate widespread legal chaos, equipping the state to criminalize peaceful activities on the public street with disastrous consequences for a free society. And yet their proponents claim they are protecting women. While laudable in theory, this goal is but a farce. Harassment is always wrong, which is why it is already a crime under U.K. law. These zones have nothing to do with preventing harassment. You dont need football field-sized silencing zones to accomplish that. This is about stifling a certain point of viewin this case, the view that every unborn child has the right to life.

Every person should have the right to peacefully think, pray, and act in accordance with his or her convictions. Following the introduction of these draconian prohibitions, we can expect severe consequences for fundamental freedoms in the U.K. Today the state is leveraging its silencing power to promote abortion, but tomorrow it could extend similar measures to other issues. It is high time all concerned with the preservation of a free society stand on guard against the thought police.

Elyssa Koren is an international human rights lawyer and director of legal communications forADF International, which supports the defense of Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, Father Sean Gough, and Adam Smith-Connor.

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Prayer As Thought Crime | Elyssa Koren - First Things

The Week in Patriarchy

A principal was fired after a Renaissance art class was shown David in the latest example of the states censorship crusade

Sat 25 Mar 2023 09.00 EDT

Ah, the Renaissance. A period that saw the growth of intellectual reason, the flowering of art and culture, and a lot of very hardcore pornography.

Such is the opinion of aggrieved parents of kids at Tallahassee classical school in Florida, anyway. Their sixth-graders (who are aged around 11-12) were shown a picture of Michelangelos sculpture of David during a Renaissance art class. Fairly normal, one might think particularly for a school that advertises itself as providing a classical education. Nope: a firing offence. One parent called the sculpture pornographic and so much outrage ensued that the principal of the school, Hope Carrasquilla, was forced out.

This may seem completely bonkers to many of us but, Carrasquilla, the former principal, told the Huffington Post that she wasnt entirely surprised by the reaction. Every once in a while you get a parent who gets upset about Renaissance art. Indeed, normally, a letter is sent out to parents of students warning them that their kiddos are going to see a picture of one of the worlds most famous sculptures. (I believe this is known as a trigger warning, something I thought the right were vehemently against.) This year, however, due to a series of miscommunications, the letter wasnt sent out, exacerbating parental anger.

According to Slate, who interviewed Barney Bishop III, the school board chair responsible for forcing Carrasquilla out of her job, three parents were behind the bulk of the David-related outrage. Three parents. Three! But the number of angry parents doesnt matter, because, according to Bishop, parents are always right. Parental rights are supreme, and that means protecting the interests of all parents, whether its one, 10, 20 or 50, Bishop said to the Tallahassee Democrat.

Bishop, by the way, denies that Carrasquilla was solely forced out because she showed the kids Michelangelos David. He wasnt able to fully explain why she was forced out, however, but in his interview with Slate he reiterated his idea that the parents are always right. The rights of parents, that trumps the rights of kids, he told Slate. Teachers are the experts? Teachers have all the knowledge? Are you kidding me? I know lots of teachers that are very good, but to suggest they are the authorities, youre on better drugs than me. Which raises the question: what kind of drugs is Bishop on?

This David-related drama might be mildly amusing if it were restricted to one dysfunctional school. Alas, its just the latest example of a terrifying lurch towards censorship and authoritarianism in Florida. Governor Ron DeSantis, who has been described as the Education Governor is on a censorship crusade and his first major battleground has been schools. DeSantis wants to completely reshape K-12 and higher education in the state and, so far, hes been getting his way. Floridas Republican-dominated legislature has already passed a number of laws limiting how gender, sexuality and race can be taught. Now the state is trying to limit sex education with a draft law that would ban schools teaching about menstrual cycles before the sixth grade. Give it a few years and showing a child a picture of Michelangelos David will be a criminal offence, punishable by firing squad.

Im only half-joking about that last bit. Because DeSantis isnt as erratic as Donald Trump, because hes well spoken and went to Yale and Harvard, I think there has been a tendency in some quarters to minimize the dangers he poses, to think hes not as scary as Trump. Think this at your peril. DeSantis shouldnt be compared to Trump he should be compared to Hungarys far-right leader, Viktor Orbn, who is much beloved by US conservatives. Orbn has put an authoritarian playbook in place that DeSantis appears to be following: its widely thought, for example, that Floridas dont say gay law was modeled on Hungarys anti-LGBTQ+ laws. If you want to see where this leads, Hungary has a lot to teach us, the New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg wrote in a recent piece. Those lessons are not pleasant.

A police station in Kent, England, is facing backlash after posting a sign which listed a number of non-emergency inquiries theyd prefer people to report online. Among those? Domestic abuse and rape. Theyve now taken it down and made a lot of noise about how they take investigations of domestic abuse, rape and sexual assault extremely seriously. This doesnt come at a great time for Londons Metropolitan police: a landmark report that came out this week concluded that the Met is guilty of institutional racism, misogyny and homophobia.

One online review describes it as feeling like a warm pacifier.

In other China-based news, a city in Jiangxi has launched a matchmaking platform as part of a province-wide initiative to boost the marriage rate.

A rare bit of good news.

But dont panic too much. The Guardian reports that Claire Knight of Cancer Research UK, which funded the study, said the risk was small and should not discourage most people from taking the pill.

Another 25% of Black women aged 25-34 also said they were sent home from work because of their hair. The survey was commissioned by LinkedIn and Dove.

A new ad campaign featured slogans like show us your Regina.

Is peanut butter a liquid? The correct answer to this is: No! well, technically speaking, maybe but nobody normal would consider it a liquid so, no, it isnt. The USs TSAs answer is: Yes so dont you dare bring it on a plane unless its 3.4 oz or less. What a country, eh? Peanut butter on planes is strictly policed and yet, in many states, you can bring a gun into a grocery store. Absolutely nuts.

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In Florida, parents are always right even when they think a Michelangelo is porn - The Guardian