Here's the story about Palin's book-banning try as mayor »

Posted By Wil 10 months ago in News

Back in 1996, when she first became mayor, Sarah Palin asked the city librarian if she would be all right with censoring library books should she be asked to do so.

According to news coverage at the time, the librarian said she would definitely not be all right with it. A few months later, the librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, got a letter from Palin telling her she was going to be fired. The censorship issue was not mentioned as a reason for the firing. The letter just said the new mayor felt Emmons didn't fully support her and had to go.

Emmons had been city librarian for seven years and was well liked. After a wave of public support for her, Palin relented and let Emmons keep her job.

Read Full Story at mcclatchydc.com »

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Wil

I was a Propeller Scout, and I ran the Geeks Group. AOL sent me to the land of Wind and Ghosts, though, so I don ...

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  • 83%
    Trey10 months ago

    I can't for the life of me figure out why McCain chose Palin as a running mate.

    Well... I can think of a few but none of them are related to administering the country.

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    mntnman44410 months ago

    Here is Anne Kilkenny's email...

    http://www.crosscut.com/politics-government/17341

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  • 93%
    Fedquip10 months ago

    fta: Four days before the exchange at the City Council, Emmons got a letter from Palin asking for her resignation. Similar letters went to police chief Irl Stambaugh, public works director Jack Felton and finance director Duane Dvorak. John Cooper, a fifth director, resigned after Palin eliminated his job overseeing the city museum.

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    AbuAmirah10 months ago

    Hmmm, what to make of this? Well, while working in corporate America, I have seen new bosses come in and within a matter of time, they bring in their own people. Bare in mind that this had nothing to do with censorship. See, this is the slippery slope of electing religious freaks to political office. They eventually try to force upon the rest of us their ideas, ala the Taliban. I mean who is this broad to say what if fit or unfit for me and my family to read or be exposed to? Take a long look America, this chick is going to be the Vice President. If I worked in the White House, I'd install AED's asap, just to keep the Zombie alive for four years

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    • 96%
      TimALoftis10 months ago

      This is the kind of thing that the McCain supporters should be very worried about. I still contend that Gov.Palin did not get the kind of vetting from the McCain camp as she should have. Once they saw a possible opportunity to go after the Clinton voters they fell in love with Palin and perhaps a little to quick

      Censoring Books? That is something I have strong views on.

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    • 90%
      PainGoddess10 months ago

      Nobody has the right to ban books. The citizen has the right to pick or not pick what they read. Freedom of speech covers all forms of print even if it is distasteful or considered "sinful." It is all about the abuse of position and power.

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    • 88%
      StevieGee10 months ago

      She should be adding books to the library. It's well known that the ignorant are easier to control. She probably would be happiest if the only books there were the bible and Mein Kaumff.

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    • 95%
      smithichie10 months ago

      Sarah Palin certainly has experience. Experience at being corrupt and abusive of the power she has been given. What sort of person bullies a small town librarian? Seems to me she is nothing short of a thug.

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    • 82%
      hefaa110 months ago

      Speeches without substance, Banning books, unlawful entry into personnel files, using state employees for personal vendettas.

      Jebus, She's Hermann Goering in drag!

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    • 50%
      JacksonNJmom10 months ago

      I think there should be a write in campaign for voting None of the Above because both of these sets of candidates make me nervous. Both parties need to go back to the drawing board and start over.

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      • 80%
        miklkit9 months, 4 weeks ago

        Palin herself, questioned at the time, called her inquiries rhetorical and simply part of a policy discussion with a department head "about understanding and following administration agendas," according to the Frontiersman article.

        Ok. So just what is this fundies agenda? Banning books is un -American.

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      • 100%
        HateKoolAid9 months, 4 weeks ago

        I'm guessing "Harry Porter" was one of them. The right wing was going ape *---* about those early books about that time. I was just asking a "rhetorical question" said the spider to the fly.

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      • 89%
        Tcaros9 months, 4 weeks ago

        Thanks for the post. I knew Palin's views were exteme and out of the mainstream.

        People need to "get rid" of folks like Palin at election time. In PA we successfully booted the kook Republican Rick Santorum. This guy ****** off so many people with his hypocritical purported religious values.

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      • 88%
        redheaded999 months, 4 weeks ago

        Sounds like Nazi Germany to me--is that what all you McCain/Palin supporters want running this country--I sure don't

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      • 50%
        Jimjn29 months, 4 weeks ago

        This lets find people that don't like Sarah Palin (or don't know anything about the real her) and then we can make believe we are being 100% truthful or are non-biased reporters doing a serious article reporting "real" news is already failing.

        As time goes on and we learn more of the "real truth and full story" of Sarah Pailn, the less innuendo, half truths, negative spin and one sided views work.

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        • 80%
          not2needy9 months, 4 weeks ago

          Per the article, since Emmons didn't support Palin's desire to censor, she was asked to resign. She also asked Emmons for her resignation basically because she had supported Stein, the former Mayor, and it was a test of loyalty. Put nicely, that's was a complete abuse of power.

          FTA: Emmons got a letter from Palin asking for her resignation. Similar letters went to police chief Irl Stambaugh, public works director Jack Felton and finance director Duane Dvorak. John Cooper, a fifth director, resigned after Palin eliminated his job overseeing the city museum.)) Yet more abuse of power.

          Do we really want anyone who is so capable of abusing the postition of VP after having been subjected to the likes of **** Cheney? In all honesty, i think Sarah Palin has all the potential of being worse than Cheney, and may take over.. She pretty much did at the RNC, and it wouldn't take much to push old McCain into the background and let her have her way.

          Is that a finger you would want on the most important buttons in the United States? NO!

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          • 100%
            benighse9 months, 4 weeks ago

            SHE MUST HAVE GOTTEN PLANNED PARENTHOOD's BOOKS BANNED ON CONDOM USE AND BIRTH CONTROL---That really woked!!

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          • 80%
            benighse9 months, 4 weeks ago

            Palin must have also banned the MATH book that shows August 29, 1988 to April 20, 1989 is 7 months 22 days for her first born----My Dad always said the first one can come anytime but the second takes at least NINE MONTHS---She certainly proves he was right! No problem with this LIFE HAPPENS event, but don't be so Hypocritical in calling for ABSTINENCE ONLY when you didn't follow it YOURSELF!!!

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          • 100%
            benighse9 months, 4 weeks ago

            PALIN ALSO WANTS TO BAN ALL LAW BOOKS THAT HAVE ROE v WADE IN THEM----A woman's RIGHT TO CHOOSE must be BANNED according to her and McCain!!!

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          • 100%
            not2needy9 months, 4 weeks ago

            Will all Americans be tested for our loyalty to Sarah Palin if she becomes our VP? What if we fail the test, will our Social Security be cut off, will we be fired from our jobs, will she demand our heads on a platter? She's a scary b.

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          • 100%
            ISITJUSTME9 months, 4 weeks ago

            All Americans have the rights of knowledge and choice. Just the idea of someone who wants to censure those rights frightens me and it should frighten you.

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            • 100%
              Poulenc9 months, 4 weeks ago

              The right-wing mindset resists diversity.

              That's because it requires CERTAINTY--as in moral absolutism. Differing viewpoints can thus cause conflict , even fear among those for whom things must be right or wrong, good or bad, pure or impure, godly or not, etc..

              Books are thus dangerous to the degree that they espouse viewpoints contrary to one's "convictions," and/or or use language that might threaten (rigid) ideas about sexual morality.

              Ergo, the need to ban books.

              The irony is of course that life has a way of messing up the best laid authoritarian plans. I'm talking about Bristol Palin's pregnancy.

              How quickly, though, one can do a bit of mental jujitsu to accommodate this moral "lapse" that, if written about in a book, especially one aimed at teenagers, might otherwise "demand" censorship.

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