3/8/09

15 Minutes of Stupid: The Continuing Saga of Ginny the Christian Censor Wannabe

Sinnerviewer brought the 15-minutes-of-fame-seeker Ginny of West Bend, WI to our attention and to task for her censorship-seeking behavior earlier last week. I moseyed over there to see what all the fuss was about. Indeed, I found a plethora of pontification on subjects for which she was clearly out of her depth to discuss intellectually or without the dogma of fear-mongering or fundamentalist hate-spewing Donald Wildmon-esque American Family Association, anti-GLSEN diatribes behind her.

I encourage you to read her blog in detail, because therein lies the kind of mind that many of those opposed to equality for gays and lesbians are walking around purportedly thinking with.

She's at it again. Complaining because the local news rag's publisher refused to publish any of her nonsense about the evil GLBT materials made available in the youth section of her local library. Books made available to teens who may desperately need the information made available because they can't speak to anyone else.

She seems to be claiming that what she wants is not censorship, but for all parents to be alerted to the dangers in her library. But it's very clear to me and many others, including the ACLU and the publisher of the local newsrag there, that the outcome, if people buy into her BS, will result in censorship. She just doesn't get it.

Fortunately, the public meeting held in West Bend, WI this weekend also brought in the Wisconsin ACLU, the director of which made this statement:

“Libraries need to follow policies that serve their communities,” said ACLU of Wisconsin Executive Director Chris Ahmuty. “Parents are responsible for guiding their own children’s use of the library. Censors should not pressure libraries to take away that responsibility and right from other parents. It is especially distressing when censorship may harm young people by denying them access to information.”

"Censoring gay-themed books or moving age appropriate materials to another more restrictive section would be a violation of First Amendment principles," Ahmuty concluded. "The ACLU of Wisconsin will continue to monitor development in West Bend closely.”

Perhaps one of these days, one of Ginny's own children is going to go hunting for one of those books because there is no way in hell they are going to be able to talk to anyone at home. Maybe they'll thank all of us for bringing Ginny's vision of our libraries and Ginny's vision of what is wrong with us (teh Gays) and those opposed to censorship to the attention of as many people as possible.

She's got another website too: The West Bend Community Information Blog - I'm sure she's very helpful to the citizens of West Bend. But don't expect Ginny to hear us at either place - she's finally figured out how to moderate comments.

20 comments:

Snooker said...

I just get so tired of people who have such fear of things they do not understand. What is worse is when they spread that fear to others.

Shannon said...

In a way, I feel badly for her because she thinks she's doing a service to her God, but she's really not representing the faith that she says she embraces.

When I went there and pointed out the hypocrisy of her doggedly trying to protect kids from one "sin" (homosexuality)while she whole-heartedly embraces another (gluttony), she defended herself by attacking me instead of confessing it and making some changes in her own life that would reflect her commitment to the teachings of her faith.

She has used so much energy on trying to legislate morality that she has forgotten how to be decent, kind and loving - the very foundation of her faith. It's sad.

Becky C. said...

I made a comment on Ginny's blog supporting free speech and critical of the refusal of the local paper to publish her offensive drivel.

I wonder if she publish my supportive thoughts, essentially I said:

Well, bitch I think the paper should print your nonsense.

The beauty of free speech is that way things stick out for what they are--much like dog poop in the middle of the living room.

The more sunshine people like yourself are exposed to the better.


I am wondering if her version of free speech is pretty much a one way street--the one that only obese nincompoops are allowed to tread.

~Becky

Me. Here. Right now. said...

Becky,
I can always count on you not only to make a good point, but to make me laugh as well. Thank you for your input!

m.m.sugar said...

She has certainly learned how to moderate comments.

On March fourth I asked her how she would feel and what action she would take if a child of hers divulged his/her homosexuality.

I was quite surprised that that comment was published and awaited her response.

The question was repeated on the seventh and eleventh.

She did not publish them!

Her issue is quite deep-personal- fear!

She can deal with books-that is an easy vehicle for her.

Even the thought of her child being theoretically gay is probably too abhorrent for her to ponder.

Fear is a powerful enemy!

Yet, I know that we must continue the battle.

Me. Here. Right now. said...

I've been commenting daily - and of course, they aren't published. She wants to erase the world of anything that she doesn't like - homosexuals, books about homosexuals, people who don't agree with her.

I wonder what you have to do to a child to have them turn out like that as an adult?

m.m.sugar said...

There is a song in the musical South Pacific.

YOU HAVE TO BE TAUGHT HOW TO HATE!

I once saw a lovely blond child sitting on her mom's lap while being interviewed by JERRY SPRINGER.

With a wide-eyed smile she said that she knew that all, she used the n word, would go to hell because god hated them because they were filthy. Verbatim-"So there will only be us good people left-us white people."

Such innocense!

If you teach a child ANYTHING early enough they will believe it.

As the child grows and questions the belief he/she then consciously engages in what is called psuedomutuality.

False mutuality is the unspoken agreement of a family to keep silent on a subject they are all lying about.

It could be hiding abuse of some kind or it could be the recognition of a moral wrong.

Hate goes a long way!

Shannon said...

Actions speak louder than words.

Her words are "I'm not for censorship!" yet she consors her blog of comments unless they support her viewpoints.

She says "I am just asking for balance" yet she won't include others viewpoint on her blog, making it very one-sided.

When your actions support a one-sided viewpoint, don't be surprised when people are skeptical that you might not really be balanced when it comes to things that affect them.

She is for censorship and her blog reflects that. She is not pro-free speech because she won't let people who disagree with her do so in her public forum. She has a place for comments but won't approve any unless they support her.

She wants to create the illusion that everyone in this world is just like her, shares her values and supports her efforts to rid the world of people who might be different or believe differently.

She's not fooling anyone but herself.

Becky C. said...

On behalf of that little dog in the illustration accompanying this article, I would like to register his objection to being compared to Gargantuan Ginny of the Cesspool.

~Becky

Anonymous said...

That thang called Ms. Maziarka is nothing but a hate-filled, unrepentant sinner. She has gone after the high schools for supporting LGBT students, she's gone after the school board for following state administrative code and including sexual orientation as a protected class in its harassment policy, and she's gone after gay individuals in the community. Scientific research clearly shows that people like that thang Ms. Maziarka has some deep-seated issues her self. God forbid she has a gay child - living in that house as a gay teen would be sad and could lead to suicide. She's going to be surprised when she gets to the pearly gates and finds out that her God is a woman who's black and lesbian!

Anonymous said...

Here's a website that supports free speech at the West Bend Library - be sure to visit the guestbook and leave your comments. Visit often and pass the link to everyone you know.
http://westbendparentsforfreespeech.webs.com/

Anonymous said...

You guys do not know what you are talking about. She is not complaining that such books exist in the library. She is complaining about what section they are in. I looked at her blog and one of the books, and I was saddened to see what was in the books and to know that 6th graders could check out these books. One page really stuck out to me:
There was a cartoon girl spread eagle (legs spread wide) with something little covering her vagina and there was a little talking bubble saying "Hello, my name is..."

Is this really what we want our 6th graders seeing? This is rediculous and if you think Ginny is a "unrepentant sinner" Look at yourselves! She is only trying to protect the youth of our nation, unlike all of you because it seems as though you think it is okay for 6th graders to learn about sex and have sex and get pregnant because they don't know what they are doing...think about it. Just move the books to the adult section.

Shannon said...

Anonymous: (or should I say "Ginny")

Whose job is it to monitor what children read? Yours? Because I frankly don't want you to influence my kids in any way, shape or form. You can feed your own kids a steady diet of hatred, false religion, intolerance and fear. Let the rest of us parents choose our own values to instill.

If you are going to move those books to the adult section, move the Bible, too. It contains stories of "righteous" men who were murderers, adulterers, men who comitted incest and men who offered their daughters up to rape gangs to spare the stranger passing through town the same fate. It also deals with beastiality, adultery, many sexual situations and murder like nobody's business.

Unknown said...

Uh, yeah, I very much do think 6th graders should learn about sex. Matter of fact, I think they should already know about it by that age. I'd already started my period before then, should I have not known what it meant about my body before it happened, and what the consequences of that would be? The physical changes for many girls have long since started before the 6th grade, and for them to not know why, and what it means for them, is not just ridiculous, it's cruel.

m.m.sugar said...

Ditto Sinnerviewer!

Anonymous said...

Anon #2 (or Ginny from West Bend) -

"This is rediculous and if you think Ginny is a "unrepentant sinner" Look at yourselves!" Um, have you looked in the mirror of late? Gluttony and slooth are two of the cardinal sins. Two greatest commandments, ISSUED by the guy himself, Jesus Christ - Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love THY NEIGHBOR as you love yourself. Oops, Ginny, I don't think you can get the second part of that mandate because those who hate as much as you do don't love themselves. Oh, and by the way, if you really are trying to "protect" the youth of "our nation", you better start buying material for your brown shirts and begin lining up to do the goose step. Instill what you want in your homeschooled youngins - but don't come near mine!

Anonymous said...

I whish these right wing scumbags would just keep their biggoted views to themselves. If there are books, tv shows or other material that offends their delicate sensibalities then they need to avoid such material. Personally I find churchs offensive but I'm not clammoring that every church needs to be burned to the ground; i simply ignore them.
why can't these people practice what they preach? What would jesus do? I believe that jusus would do the christian thing: turn the other cheek and forgive not burn books and impose their beliefs on others.

Me. Here. Right now. said...

It amazes me, Anonymous #2, when parents (or non-parents for that matter) think not having information available or wishing to disavow any possibility that kids already know this stuff from their friends - the kind of friends who say you can't get pregnant the first time or if you pull out you can't get pregnant. Kids need accurate and readily-accessible information regarding sex is so short-sighted and naive.

The fact there is fiction which occasionally represents sexual situations for the YA audience is not inappropriate for many kids - and far tamer than the blow job parties and other sexual behavior some kids are either exposed to or have experienced already. Teenagers are sexual beings from puberty on and to deny that fact or think they aren't doing something or aren't thinking about it an awfully lot is just stupid.

Even Christian kids get pregnant - Christian kids who have parents who rail against teen pregnancy and abortion - i.e. the Palin family. Can't tell me that kid hadn't heard that she shouldn't be sexually active. Perhaps if her parents had more realistic expectations, they'd have taken her to Planned Parenthood for birth control or they would have known that she was sexually active. And, they didn't decide to go out and have sex because of a book, they went out and had sex because their hormones are in overdrive or want to please and not lose their boyfriend.

Hiding your head in the sand is not the answer.

And, if you think YOUR child is too young for those materials, then MONITOR YOUR child and leave mine alone to do what I DEEM appropriate for said child.

And, she WAS complaining that GLBT books existed in the library. By moving them, they become unaccessible. That questioning kids is not going to go to the desk and call him or herself out by asking for the information. You're an idiot.

Me. Here. Right now. said...

Anonymous #3 - If you haven't been to Ginny's blog, I say give it a go...it provides endless seconds of fascination that anyone could be so deluded and self-aggrandizing. WISSUP Wisconsin...

Anonymous said...

Something that continues to perplex me is how ginny thinks these books are the only source of that sort of thought. In FIFTH grade, a fellow student was showing our entire bus some porn he had on his phone. He'd probably been nowhere near that book in his life, given he wasn't much for reading. Yet he still knew what this was. Word of mouth is stronger than you'd think. And less accurate. At least these books provide real information and education. Better educated by books than a school filled with raging hormones.