Wednesday, October 08, 2008

An Eyeful at the Public Library

A few month's ago while walking from the Post Office back to my office building on my lunch break, I noticed a raggedy-looking man masturbating openly by the Ogilvie train station. I was infuriated and completely disgusted. After we made eye contact, he tucked his penis back into his pants and walked away as though this was completely normal.

I didn't say anything to him because I had no idea what to say. And I was half afraid he would throw something at me. I've replayed my response back in my head a dozen times and if I ever find myself in that kind of situation again, I will not be silent.

In a similar vein, I recently discovered that the Chicago Public Library protects the open and rampant use of pornography in its adult computer area. While I was at the Harold Washington branch with my husband back in September, we were subjected to several screens of second-hand hard-core porn - and that's just from where we were sitting! After getting nowhere with the librarian or the security guards, I researched the issue quite a bit and have discovered several acts of sexual violence at that particular branch. The CPL cites First Amendment Rights for this ridiculous stance, but the First Amendment does not, in fact, protect obscenity. And hard-core pornography almost always falls into the category of obscenity.

I've set up a blog to bring awareness to this issue and enact change: www.obscenerights.blogspot.com


Where is our society heading when the open and rampant use of pornography is PROTECTED at the public library? This only serves to invalidate complaints of not liking to be groped or hollered at by total strangers...


~Submitted by Amanda