Mississippi Librarians Admit They Hate America

[Ian David]

Surprisingly, Mississippi actually has libraries for those "inta' fancy book learnin'."

But apparently word of "permanent black magic markers" has not yet reached their particular corner of the third-world.
---

Some Mississippi Libraries Ban Jon Stewart Book

GULFPORT, Miss. - Library officials in two southern Mississippi counties have banned Jon Stewart's best-selling "America (The Book)" over the satirical textbook's nude depictions of the nine U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites) justices.

"I've been a librarian for 40 years and this is the only book I've objected to so strongly that I wouldn't allow it to circulate," said Robert Willits, director of the Jackson-George Regional Library System of eight libraries in Jackson and George counties.

<snip>

The book by Stewart and the writers of "The Daily Show," the Comedy Central fake-news program he hosts, was released in September. It has spent 15 weeks on The New York Times best seller list for hardcover nonfiction, and was named Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly, the industry trade magazine.

More:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050110/ap_en_ot/banned_book_3
Avg Rating: 3.64, 398 votes - Your Rating: 5

Photo: An angry librarian attacks Jon Stewart



Yes, Mississippi hates America.

They hate us for our penises.

[rkc3]

1. I'm still in shock learning there are libraries in Mississippi.

[elehhhhna]

5. They're in them big buildins that say "LIBARY"

[TalkingDog]

62. No honey, you pronounce it Lie Berry.

As in, I'm gonna git me summa that lie berry pie.

[Maddy McCall]

29. That demonstrates YOUR ignorance, not Mississippians'

I'd be happy to educate you about my home state if you had any desire to learn. However, your post demonstrates that, to you, uninformed prejudice is bliss.

[QC]

56. Rock on, Maddy!

The smug ignorance one finds around here never ceases to amaze, does it? Reminds me of a certain other politics website that this one is becoming more like every day.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Maddy McCall]

10. I'm in Mississippi. Would you like to put some money on your assertion?

This is one library in the whole state. As part of my profession, I visit libraries across the state--university AND public libraries.

Nothing like this has happened here in recent history.

In which state do YOU live? I would wager that I can find some stupid, embarassing fact about YOUR state. Then, will I be allowed to make broad generalizations like you did? Bigotry, as you displayed, is just another form if ignorance.

[Tempest]

37. Lighten up

I'm sure you NEVER used generalities or humor to make a point, right?

[Maddy McCall]

No, I don't make boad-brush smears of people about whom I know little.

And you have demonstrated that you obviously know little about Mississippi.

[Tempest]

53. The data shows Mississippi at or near the bottom

Math scores for 14-15 year old students: Mississippi - 50th
Population holding a Bachelor's degree: Mississippi - 45th

http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=2692859

[Maddy McCall]

63. And your posts show that this Mississippian is more achieved at grammar

and basic spelling skills than you are. And I'd be willing to go to head to head with you in history, math, and science.

You know that old adage about glass houses? Perhaps you should have held your stones on this thread. :7

[Tempest]

71. Humorless

I bet you're a blast a parties.

Assuming you ever get invited to any.

[tx_dem41]

Thanks, Tempest....I was having a boring day.

You have made it a great one! Thanks for the laughs, buddy.

"Venomly"....oh, that one was rich.

[Maddy McCall]

86. Awww. Don't sulk away.

It's ok. "Grammar for Idiots" is available at Barnes and Noble for about $12, and it would be a wonderful help for you.

:)

[Tempest]

90. Here's a book you might be interested in

http://tinyurl.com/62lok

God knows you could use it.

[tx_dem41]

94. There is nothing "healing" about bigotry.

Its sad that you, as a DUer, don't see that.

[tx_dem41]

44. Well....actually I haven't.

I realize it would show a serious limitation in my character ...for what? A cheap laugh. Kinda' sad when you think about it.

[Tempest]

49. Right...

And I suppose you have a halo over your head too.

Jeesh.

[tx_dem41]

82. No. I guess I was just raised right.

I've made mistakes, but after seeing the crippling effect of bigotry firsthand, I would never stereotype about anything.

[Maddy McCall]

89. Nice to meet you, tx_dem

I'm a native Texan. Born in San Antonio.

:toast:

[tx_dem41]

97. Hi Maddy...

Born in Shreveport, grew up in New Orleans, lived (and went to college) in Houston, and have lived in Dallas for 17 years. My mother is from Mississippi (Greenville).

[Maddy McCall]

99. Really pretty country up in Greenville...

And quite a few intellectual giants have emerged from there, too. And music geniuses, and literary geniuses.

I spent the past weekend in Natchez. Don't know if you have ever visited, but if you ever do, PM me and I'll give you some pointers on hotels, restaurants, entertainment, etc.

If you have never read a book entitled "The Last Place on Earth," you should! It's about the Delta. It explains the culture, mores, society, etc. Anyone with family there would dig it. :-)

[tx_dem41]

105. I will check it out. Thanks.

[Maddy McCall]

87. I don't have a halo...

just four collegiate mortarboards and diplomas. :D

[QC]

What humor?

Post something even remotely witty and then we'll discuss whether it makes a point or not.

[AverageJoe]

100. Hey Maddy

You know any of the librarians at Mississippi State? How about the W?

[Maddy McCall]

110. I do know some at Ole Miss and at USM.

The brother of a very dear friend of mine is chancellor at Ole Miss.

And I am closely acquainted with Southern Miss.

I don't know any librarians at MS State, but I do know some folks at the W, which has one of the top-rated liberal arts colleges in the nation.

Are you in Mississippi?

[AverageJoe]

112. I used to teach at the W

but am in Alabama now. My wife used to be a librarian at State.

[Maddy McCall]

115. Is her name Jennifer, by chance?

A colleague of mine is working on her dissertation on civil rights in Mississippi, particularly the Dahmer murder in Hattiesburg, and she recently visited the MSU library and met a really nice librarian named Jennifer who was very helpful.

[rkc3]

12. Mississippi 47th smartest state in the country.

That's OK, the kids think it's 47th out of 100.

After reading Maddy McCall and AverageJoe, I'm sorry I posted this - but it's still funny.

[Maddy McCall]

14. No, they don't.

[carolinayellowdog]

41. That's been debunked

I'd like to believe it, but it's been refuted. The Economist ran a correction after having published this story:

http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=2692859

[Tempest]

47. Your cite shows Mississippi dead last

In math test scores for 14-15 year old students.

[Maddy McCall]

54. "Cite" is a verb. Did you mean "site" or "citation?"

LOL! You continue to amuse me.

Edited to ask: Where does your state rank on grammar? Still laughing at you....

[Tempest]

78. Cite = citation

Cite is common usage on the Internet regardless.

I bet you got a lump of coal for Christmas.

[Maddy McCall]

92. LOL! It's becoming even more amusing as you attempt to...

explain your inadequacies.

And, no, I didn't get a lump of coal...I received some gift certificates to the local corner bookstore. My latest purchase was "Sweet Potato Queens." If you haven't read it, you should.

[Bouncy Ball]

3. Um, they're just NUDE

there's nothing else to it. And it isn't even the justices actual bodies (of course) but cut and paste photos of other old people naked.

Sheesh. My 10 year old saw that and we saw no reason to freak out. They're just old people naked.

[Downtown Hound]

4. Stewart should thank those idiots

They just sold him another hundred thousand copies of his book. You'd think these morans would learn, but they never do.

[Connie_Corleone]

6. So, I take it that...

Madonna's SEX book is still available thar?

[AverageJoe]

7. Shame on you

Mississippi actually has some very fine libraries. I don't mean to get snippy, but I used to be a public library director in that state, so I know what I'm talking about.

It's counterproductive in the extreme to mock the "red" states just because the majority of voters there go Republican. There are many progressives in Mississippi and throughout the South.

Not trying to fight with you, just trying to set the record straight.

[Maddy McCall]

11. THANK YOU.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Maddy McCall]

13. Yours has to be the most offensive bigotry I've ever seen displayed...

on DU. I'm in Mississippi, and I am more open-minded than you are. Imagine THAT!

[Tempest]

30. I didn't write it

And if you can't see the humor in it, you need to get a life.

[Maddy McCall]

38. You did post it. You said "Great Post"...which also shows you...

agree with it.

Hahahaha! Thanks for this. You have made my day, as well as my point. :toast:

[Tempest]

43. And you made mine

You seem to be completely humorless.

The fact that you are venomly defending Mississippi tells me that you are painfully aware of its ranking in the U.S. in education.

[Maddy McCall]

48. The funny thing is...

when people read this thread, it will be obvious to them which one of us has the higher IQ. Cheers! :toast:

[Tempest]

55. Yet I'm the one with government rankings and facts

All you've got is emotion.

Let the people think what they want.

[Maddy McCall]

59. And I'm the one correcting your grammar in every post.

What does that say? :)

[Tempest]

107. What does that say?

That you're anal retentive and without any valid argument.

[tx_dem41]

109. It says that she's educated and proud of it. n/t

[Maddy McCall]

111. No, it says that I, the victim of your bigotry, proved that you are wrong.

:-)

[Beware the Beast Man]

50. By the way, it's "venomously."

And I think you meant to say "vehemently."
I'm sure at least a handful of folks from Mississippi would have spotted that mistake as well. ;)

[Maddy McCall]

57. Actually, I was correcting his/her grammar in a post above...

This thread becomes more amusing with his/her every post.

:7

[Tempest]

60. So I'm not using a spell checker

Big deal.

Care to point out everyone else's spelling mistakes while you're at it, Miss Marm?

[Beware the Beast Man]

67. Just saying...

If you're going into a thread making light of the educational standard of the state of Mississippi, you may want to back it up with correct spelling. :thumbsup:

[tx_dem41]

73. As they say...."Live by the sword, die by the sword"!

[Tempest]

74. And maybe not

I could be in Mississippi for all you know. ;)

[tx_dem41]

72. Some of us have respect for the art of communication...

and the role words, correctly spelled and used, contribute toward successful communication.

Others don't, or more likely can't.

[Tempest]

101. There you go again

Still bucking for that halo.

You've never made a mistake?

*cough*bullshit*cough*

[tx_dem41]

104. Good communication skills = Halo???

Okay, whatever you say. :eyes:

[QC]

108. If being literate means shooting for a halo,

does this mean that not picking one's ass in public is hoity-toity?

[tx_dem41]

52. Ummmm...

There is no such word as "venomly". I would assume you meant to use "venomously".

LOL...In the light of your previous posts mocking the average Mississippian IQ, that is wonderful irony.

[QC]

65. Venomly?

Oh my. Maybe you shouldn't be commenting on other people's lack of education.

[Maddy McCall]

17. Oh, and, the irony of your post. It's misspelled.

Before you broadly attack the intelligence of all Mississippians, perhaps you should idiot-proof your own post by using the spell-check feature. :7

[Tempest]

32. It wasn't my post

And assuming it was before asking demonstrates ignorance on your part.

[Maddy McCall]

35. It is YOUR post. You posted it on DU and agreed with it.

Irony. Beautiful irony.

Now, your defensive posture is equally entertaining. :7

[Bridget Burke]

79. So--what state do you claim?

No data in your profile.....

[NoPasaran]

20. "It's Like Eskimos Buring Surfboards"

Perhaps this poster is in the 48th smartest state?

[Jim__]

9. Well, if they hate us for our penises ...

I take it that they only hate half of us.

[Bluzmann57]

15. My sister works at a local library in Illinois

and a few years ago she applied for a job to head up the Pearl, Mississippi Library system. For various reasons, she ended up turning down the job offer, but she said that the library system down there is woefully behind the rest of the U.S. due in part to funding problems. You see, Mississippi is a very poor state. Taking cheap shots at them won't help, it just makes Liberals look bad. What they need is help from the state and federal governments to bring the educational and income levels up to the rest of the country. There are a number of good people in Mississippi, I have met several of them during my travels down there.

[Maddy McCall]

19. Let me add, though, that all of the universities here have impressive...

libraries. And if you really want to see an impressive library that would rival any state's library, visit the William Winter building in Jackson, which houses the states Department of Archives and History. You could spend DAYS there researching old WPA or Sovereignty Commission files, all of which are digitized now.

[Ian David]

23. What they need

"What they need is help from the state and federal governments..."

Excuse me?

Handouts?

Bigger government?



Uhm....


No.

What they need is self-reliance and smaller government.

They've said so themselves.

[rkc3]

34. MS gets $1.85 back for every tax dollar collected - read that here from

a more eminently qualified poster than I am. Not sure if they could get much more from us.

[tx_dem41]

16. The bigotry shown on this thread is stunning....

How can we Democrats ever lead with the childishness on display on this thread?

[Ian David]

18. My email to Robert Willits Re: America: The Book

To:
Robert Willits
Director
Jackson-George Regional Library System
[e-mail]

http://www.jgrl.lib.ms.us/contact.html


Dear Mr. Willits,

I was puzzled to read that some librarians in Mississippi hate America.

I mean, they hate "America: The Book" by Jon Stewart.

I noted in the Associated Press article that your sole objection was the immodest display of our Supreme Court Justices.

Obviously, you don't want children banging their gavels in your library, so I propose an easy fix:

Super Fat Bold Black Sharpie Markers.

Staples, OfficeMax, the local WaWa or Piggly Wiggly... those fancy "magic marker" things are all over the place.

At least, I have easy access to to all kinds of pens and magic markers here in Massachusetts. It might be a "blue state" thing, what with all our fancy "writing gadgets" (no inkwells required).

I'm copying Mitch Hadanek, your Technologies Manager, in case you need help in the proper use of black magic markers.

While I am concerned at the apparent lack of ink-technology available in Mississippi, I would also like to express my admiration and encouragement for someone who has only wanted to ban no more than one book in their entire career.

Please keep up the good work, and remember:

The magic marker is mightier than the naked judge.

Copies to:

Cheryl Bosarge
Public Relations
[e-mail]

TECHNOLOGIES
Mitch Hadanek
Technologies Mgr.
[e-mail]

[Maddy McCall]

21. Wow. That's a convincing email.

:eyes:

[AverageJoe]

24. The black magic marker constitutes censorship

Not buying the book constitutes selection. You can argue with the decision not to add such a book to a library's collection, but that in itself is not an abridgement of intellectual freedom. Marking out sections of the text clearly is such an abridgement.

[Bluzmann57]

26. If Mr. Willits doesn't respond to your ridiculous message

then does that make him an idiot? No, I think the message you are sending makes you an even bigger idiot than you allege the good people of Mississippi are. You are making Liberals in general, and DU in particular look bad. Or is that your intention?

[Maddy McCall]

27. I agree.

Thanks for chiming in on the idiocy exhibited in this thread.

[JohnnyRingo]

39. Eh...sorry, you're right

I'm guilty of typical knee jerk commentary.

[Maddy McCall]

51. Thanks so much...

Your post shows the true Democratic spirit: the ability to learn from others. Hugs and a big toast to you! :hug: :toast: :loveya:

[oneold1-4u]

36. You're right to right

I can think of many important literary works that if they had the word "censored" in black ink on them, the world would have a lot more education and intelligence!!

[JohnnyRingo]

22. Self delete

Appologies for my uncalled for attack on this idiot of a librarian.
She obviously doesn't represent the true heart of Mississppi.....Thank goodness.

[Maddy McCall]

25. You do know that Duke lives in Louisiana.

:shrug:

[tx_dem41]

28. Do you have some evidence that the librarian...

...is a racist...or are you just making sh*t up?

[Maddy McCall]

33. Obviously the latter.

I love when people who do not live here and who know nothing about the culture and lifeways here "condescend."

Oh, how I wish I had the time and money to bring in these dumb DUers to show them how life really is in Mississippi.

The most bigoted people I have met in the past five years have been DUers.

[tx_dem41]

40. I agree with EVERYTHING....

you said.

Hotty Toddy! (If you are an Ole Miss fan).

[Maddy McCall]

46. Flim Flam

Damn right I am. :-)

[AverageJoe]

75. bim bam

Ole Miss....

[Maddy McCall]

83. By damn!

;-)

[tx_dem41]

66. Thanks for the edit...

:toast:

[carolinayellowdog]

31. *One* librarian, apparently a rare Bush-supporter

Hey,

As a librarian and Southerner, I knew that this incident would bring out the worst stereotyping in a certain class of DUer. My library is in a much more rural county than Jackson or George, and we got Stewart's book as soon as it came out. So, probably, did every other public library in Mississippi than Jackson-George. You might recall that librarians made so much noise about the Patriot Act that Ashcroft called us a bunch of hysterics? Or that donations to Kerry by librarians outnumbered our contributions to Bush by 233-1? But Willits, in the midst of all the brouhaha about the Patriot Act, did this:

http://www.infoshop.org/library2/stories.php?story=03/06/27/2734361

CYD

[Ian David]

58. When majority vote to enshrine bigotry in the constitution it's not bigotr

It's statistics.

I have nothing against individual southerners.

Love the southerner, hate the south.

[Book Lover]

42. I'd hate to be Mr Willits at an ALA conference

And has been displayed and discussed above, the fact that this is happening in a Southern state is not going to make the left's response look all that nice, eh?

[adigal]

45. You DUers are awful snobs -

and funny as anything!!! LOL!!!
I need this humor to keep my sanity. I know it's unfair to many from the state of Mississippi, but it is cathartic.

[rkc3]

61. Glad you find this amusing - my smartass comment certainly got things

heated up.

BTW, Welcome to DU.

[adigal]

76. Thanks for the welcome! N/T

[Ian David]

69. His biggest mistake? HE MESSED WITH JON STEWART!

Michael Moore doesn't have that sad little puppy-dog look that Jon Stewart has.

I know many of you agree with me when I cite a maternal or paternal urge to protect Jon when he is in any way slighted.

Michael Moore, on the other hand, is this big hulking bear of a man who looks like we could count on in a bar fight.

But Jon... while he's smart as hell, quick on his feet, and no less tough as nails on the inside as Michael Moore is...

Well, look....



Dude, you just don't mess with Jon Stewart, or you have to answer to US!

[HughBeaumont]

64. Man, when did we forget to laugh at ourselves?

I'm from Ah-High-Ah, and anything anyone has to say about this state, I pretty much agree with it either way.

Jesus, I don't like my state that much, especially since it was taken over by Conserva-nazis like Bob Dickhead Taft and Ken "Thank God We Averted Disaster - VOTE FOR ME!" Blackwell.

[Tempest]

68. Amen

Looks like humor and tongue-in-cheek satire has become a lost artform here.

[QC]

95. But aren't humor and satire supposed to be at least a little bit funny?

And isn't satire ideally supposed to use humor to question the powerful?

Try posting some humor and/or satire and then we'll discuss those "artforms."

[Connie_Corleone]

70. Hello, fellow Ah-High-Ahian!!

I could care less if someone made fun of Ohio. I just live here.

[HughBeaumont]

80. It's not worth the waste of energy to me.

I've been to all parts and I know there's good and bad everywhere, even in the predominantly blue counties where I reside. I think my view of Ah-High-ans changed once I got my K/E sign stolen twice.

[Maddy McCall]

77. You miss the point. This isn't people laughing at themselves...

they are laughing at others--and not so much laughing as perpetuating stereotypes and prejudice.

If the offensive posters want to laugh at themselves, I'll be right there with them. I've even laughed at MYSELF before. But I won't be a part of bigotry on DU. And when I see bigotry, I'll point it out.

[Tempest]

81. And yet you talk of other's ignorance

How do you know I, and others, are not from Mississippi?

You are making an assumption, which is also ignorance.

[AverageJoe]

84. So, you from Mississippi?

How 'bout the rest of the Mississippi bashers? Just checking.

[Tempest]

98. No, but several of my friends are

And they laugh at themselves all the time.

[AverageJoe]

106. Big difference

between laughing at oneself and being mocked by others.

For example, you may have a huge wart on your nose. If you go around saying, "Gee, this sure is a funny wart on my nose," that's maintaining a sense of humor. If someone else comes up to you and says, "Good lord, what an ugly wart on your nose--you're revolting" that's simply mean.

Do you agree?

[Maddy McCall]

113. Evidently, your friends are more representative of the statistics you...

posted than am I.

:)

[tx_dem41]

88. Mississippi DUers know better.

They've seen the corrosive effects of bigotry first hand. So, I'm will to make that assumption.

[Maddy McCall]

96. Exactly! That's why I call bigots out when I see them.

:toast:

[Ian David]

85. So, they're allowed to vote our country into oblivion...

and we're not allowed to have a little fun at their expense?

When you criticize Walmart, do you cry that you're also criticizing all the good Democrats that work there?

If you can criticize Walmart, you can criticize the south.

[tx_dem41]

91. The analogy doesn't hold up, Ian...

The institution of the state of Mississippi was not attacked, the people of the state were.

[Tempest]

93. Not all the people

Just the ones who support libraries who ban books, and vote for Bush.

No one said anything about ALL the people.

That was a projection on your part.

[tx_dem41]

103. From your post #2: "No one in Mississippi can name a single Supreme Court

Now, I would say that you were talking about ALL the people.

Oh, Tempest, make it at least a little difficult. LOL!

[Maddy McCall]

114. Yes, you did. That's why I came down on you like a ton of bricks.

[Maddy McCall]

102. Additionally, look at the vote margin...

This state may be red, but not nearly all the voters are.

[Moderator]

116. Locking

for flaming of regional bigotry.