FC: Photos from library filtering case before Supreme Court today

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

I've placed photos from today's Supreme Court arguments over the 
"Children's Internet Protection Act" up at mccullagh.org. There's the 
American Library Association and American Civil Liberties Union 
lawyers:
http://www.mccullagh.org/theme/cipa-supreme-court-mar03.html

And the anti-porn advocates on the other side:
http://www.mccullagh.org/theme/cipa-antiporn-supreme-court-mar03.html

Here's Rep. Ernest Istook (R-Ok):
http://www.mccullagh.org/image/d30-34/ernest-istook-cipa.html

Who was there with an aide handing out the below press release. Here's one 
from the Family Research Council too:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030305/phw016_1.html

Oh, and here's what happened inside:
http://news.com.com/2100-1028-991199.html

-Declan

---

http://www.house.gov/istook/Libfiltr.htm

   IMMEDIATE RELEASE
   March 05, 2003 Contact: Micah Swafford
   202-225-2132

        Istook Says Filtering Crucial to Future of Public Libraries


   Washington, DC
   -- Congressman Ernest Istook (R-OK) today attended oral arguments
   before the Supreme Court regarding the constitutionality of the
   Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA).

   "What's at stake in this case is the future of America's public
   libraries,"
   said Istook, the principal author of the Children's Internet
   Protection Act (CIPA). "If the Supreme Court rules that libraries must
   provide access to all materials, then our libraries will become
   nothing more than glorified government-funded adult bookstores. We
   support libraries with tax dollars because they provide valuable
   information and education materials. If libraries aren't allowed to
   protect kids, we have to question if we should use tax dollars to
   support them."

   Istook was formerly the chairman of the Metropolitan Library System
   Board in Oklahoma City. He expressed confidence that the Supreme Court
   would uphold the law.

   "The solicitor general made an excellent case,"
   said Istook. "It's common sense that we shouldn't use taxpayers' money
   to subsidize children's access to Internet pornography. Time and again
   the Supreme Court has agreed that we can put reasonable restrictions
   on how we spend taxpayer's money, especially in situations like this.
   This law doesn't censor anything, but it does refuse to subsidize
   pornography that's aimed at kids."

   CIPA requires that public libraries install filters to block obscenity
   on computers paid for with federal funds to which children have
   access. CIPA became law in December 2000, when Istook successfully
   attached it as a rider on an appropriations bill. The American Civil
   Liberties Union (ACLU) and the American Library Association (ALA)
   filed suit against the law in March 2001 claiming that it would censor
   constitutionally-protected speech. In May 2002, a three-judge
   Philadelphia appellate court struck down the law. Today, the Supreme
   Court heard oral arguments in United States v. American Library
   Association to decide whether or not they will overturn the
   Philadelphia court's decision.

                                    -30-




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