You Can Access Porn On Some Library Computers Which Is Pretty Gross

I’ve never thought about that fact that some people may be using their public libraries to access porn because, yuck. But I guess it’s one of those things that probably happens all the time. A Chicago mother was seriously disturbed when she witnessed a man watching porn on a computer in her public library. I can’t say I blame her.

Megan Fox said she was using the computer with her daughters in the children’s area when library staff kicked her out and sent her to the adult’s area. It was there she saw a man looking at porn: “‘I went upstairs and I viewed a man looking at pornographic pictures right in front of me on the computer in front of me,’ Fox said.” She complained to library officials who explained they have filters set up in the children’s sections and teen sections, but not in adult sections. Adults are also not allowed in those areas. The library has no interest in setting up filters to block porn in the adult sections:

“We believe that adults should have access to the information on the Internet, we believe very strongly in First Amendment rights, and those rights are protected her just for adults 18 and up,” library spokesperson Bridget Bettman said. “You’re drawing a fine line. Once you tell an adult that you’re not allowed to access a certain amount of information or type of information, what is it next? Is it books, is it movies? We really strongly believe that adults should have the right to access anything that’s not illegal or obscene, and we stand by that.”

 

Well, I guess the problem is that one person’s obscene is another person’s Sunday afternoon. I’m not a huge fan of regulating what is considered “obscene” in a public library, because I’m sure everyone’s definition of obscene is different. I do wish we could all agree that it’s inappropriate to watch porn in a public place where children are though. I think that’s fair. I’d like to bring a bottle of wine with me into the library and pop it open and drink it while I’m perusing the books, but I’m not allowed to do that either. I bet they don’t have a pornographic magazine section. If adults should have access to anything that’s not illegal and obscene and library officials don’t consider porn obscene – then why not?

I’m not a huge fan of porn. I used to like it before there was sooooo much of it, but now something about the endless pages of videos on those sites just sort of depresses the hell out of me. It’s like there’s just so much fucking everywhere that it’s not even interesting anymore. But I certainly don’t want my teenage step-daughter walking through areas of the library that are accessible to everyone and having to see someone watching porn. I find that creepy. Heck, I don’t want to see it. I’m okay with the “everyone watch porn at home” rule.

(photo: Getty Images)