The 25th annual Banned Books Week, sponsored by the American Library Association and the American Booksellers Association for Free Expression, among others, and which will be held September 24 – October 1 — is getting national media attention.

The Associated Press reports:

Attempts to have library books removed from shelves increased by more than 20 percent in 2004 over the previous year, according to a new survey by the American Library Association.

Three books with gay themes, including Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” were among the works most criticized.

“It all stems from a fearfulness of well-meaning people,” says Michael Gorman, president of the library association. “We believe in parental responsibility, and that you should take care of what your children are reading. But it’s not your responsibility to tell a whole class of kids what they should read.”

The number of books challenged last year jumped to 547, compared to 458 in 2003, with the library association estimating four to five unreported cases for each one documented. According to the ALA, a challenge is “a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness.”

National [Christian Right] organizations such as the American Family Association have been involved with library challenges, but far more complaints come from individual parents and patrons, according to the ALA.”

The American Library Association states in thier press release:

Thousands of libraries and bookstores will sponsor events and exhibits speaking out against attempts like these to censor books and celebrating the freedom to read during Banned Books Week. An Alabama librarian plans to bring author Chris Crutcher, whose book “Whale Talk” was banned in Limestone County schools, to discuss his books and experiences with censorship. South Dakota State University library hosts petitions calling for the release of imprisoned writers. And the first-ever Downtown Omaha Lit Fest will salute Banned Books Week with readings and an art exhibit.

A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness. According to Judith F. Krug, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom, the number of challenges reflects only incidents reported, and for each reported, four or five remain unreported.

“I believe the more we exercise our freedom to read and read widely, the better equipped we are to make good decisions and govern ourselves,” [ALA president Michael] Gorman said. “Controversial ideas should be debated, not driven into dark alleys.”

To find out more about Banned Books Week, click here.

Often in times of grave human, moral and religioius crisis, a voice emerges that speaks from and to the the hearts of people everywhere. We have all known such voices. Sometimes they come from political or religious leaders, poets and writers, mucisians and artists. Sometimes they come from friends and family or from entirely unexpected sources.

Today I want to call attention to a writer, a Christian minister and a blogger who is, I think a singularly prophetic voice. I know him as a writer who has the power to make you laugh; to make you cry; and has that rare capacity to dust off old words that have gone hollow, fill them with contemporary meaning and make them sing.

This weekend, I know that many a religious leader will be searching for the words to help thier congregations address the shock, and grief and political outrage over the unspeakable disaster along the gulf coast, particularly in New Orleans.

Pastordan has risen to the ocasion like an Old Testament prophet and a New Testament preacher who speaks to our moment like no other. Be sure to visit his diary over at the national blogger community, Booman Tribune, to find out what led him to write this:

Turn back, Mr. President. Even now, it is not too late.
Undo the hardness of your heart.
Unbend the stiffness of your neck.
Be compassionate as your God is compassionate.

The poor cry out to you–they are starving!
Hear the voice of the powerless–they are dying of thirst!
Listen to those who are elderly, and the newborn babe;
listen to those who sick, terrified, trapped and waiting for rescue.

Take command. Send every soldier, every supply, every dollar
for the good of the people.
Make this your highest priority, and demand sacrifice from your country.

What! Would you have the rich grow fatter?
Would you deny assistance to whole states?
Would you rather punish looters than save an entire city?
Would you neglect your work, only to leave it in the hands
of those who cannot carry it out?

God hears the cry of the oppressed and the suffering,
and the Lord is a God of righteousness.
You have built yourself a ranch and an insulated world,
but you will have no peace.
You have dealt in smugness and indifference,
but you will not be allowed to forget the consequences of your actions.
You have stolen the lives of thousands and ten thousands
for moments of fleeting political advantage,
but you will end your days in disgrace,
and your legacy will be bitterness, contempt and disgust.

You have not done what is right,
and you will never know the comfort of the Lord.

But as for the people of God,
they shall have peace.

Their parched and cracked lips will receive water,
and their children will feed on the finest of foods.

The fires of New Orleans will be quenched,
and the coasts of Mississippi will be rebuilt.

The victims of crime will know justice,
and the unemployed will return to work.

The sick shall be healed,
the homeless shall find rest.

The elderly shall end their days in comfort,
the young will dream once again of the sea,
and all will know the truth.

Never more shall they be robbed of protection
for the sake of war.
Never more shall they be robbed of protection
for the sake of the rich and the privileged.

Never more will they cry in vain to an unheeding government,
for they shall know the consolation of your beloved community,
and the newness of life sealed with the pledge of your rainbow sign.

“The Blogosphere” probably sounds like the title of an old, and really bad sci-fi movie to alot of people. But today, the role of bloggers in the recent democratic primary for a special election for a state senate seat in Massachusetts is the subject of an op-ed in The Boston Globe — where even the most old school ward heeler may find it.

John Palfrey, executive director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School noticed that one candidate in the four way democratic primary for an open state senate seat was the talk of the blogosphere. One campaign had a web site. And one campaign and its supporters made effective use of internet tools like meet-ups as pioneered by the Howard Dean campaign for president.

The candidate was Pat Jehlen, and she won by a wide margin on Tuesday. (Unofficial final tally was: Pat Jehlen – 7117; Joseph Mackey – 4984; Michael Callahan – 4122; Paul Casey – 2457.)

But Palfrey is not jumping to any conclusions. “Pat Jehlen (for whom I voted),” he writes, “had the strongest cyberpresence, but a modest one at that. It’s unlikely that her cyber-coordinator can claim to have pulled many winning votes.”

“But it’s clear that a feisty group of voters did gather online throughout the race and left a clear record of their presence. The trail of these voters reveals an informal focus group held online over several months. The most successful politicians will learn to listen, if not to participate, in this conversation. Sooner or later, candidates, even for local office, will find votes in cyberspace.”

Palfrey notes that endorsing groups, suchas DFA used internet tools like meet-ups and blogging as part of their campaign support and political culture. And “Independent bloggers like Frederick Clarkson weighed in on the race.” Indeed we did.

One historical note is that the first press release I, and other MA political bloggers received from a political candidate, was from Pat Jehlen. This outreach was not an afterthought — a senior Jehlen campaign aide told me it was planned from early on. This was because our role in the special elections for the MA house last spring had been noted. (We were busy reporting on, and stimulating statewide interest in these races for three open seats while most of the media and the political punditocracy slept.) When the history of political blogging is written, it will be noted that the democratic primary in that special election is when the MA poltical blogosphere first emerged as a factor in political life in MA.

As I wrote on primary night, the independent bloggers, especially Blue Mass Group played a critical role in this campaign — generating interest and conversation across the lazy days of summer when there was little press coverage.

Already, having a campaign blog is becoming part of the communications infrastructure of many campaigns around the country thanks to the new class of internet consultants who can explain the merits of having a campaign blog — and make them happen.

This is good I suppose, but I think that the most exciting developments are in the ways that independent groups use these tools. And of course, I think we independent bloggers are playing an important role in expanding the political conversation. I would go so far as to say that bloggers are playing a catalytic role in helping to revive democratic institutions all over the country. We are doing this in part, by informing and stimulating interest and participation in electoral politics. For the most part, the peculiar alliance of the mainstream media and the political parties, and the punditocracy and the constultantocracy tend to close ranks, narrow the conversation and deaden popular interest in democracy. (Makes it all more manageable, you see.) The revival of an active citizenry — determined to be well informed about electoral politics and government — is reopening democracy to much wider and more meaningful participation, the frantic efforts of some to keep it a closed and oligarchic system not withstanding.

BTW. The general election is on September 27th. Somerville Alderman Bill White is Jehlen’s Republican opponent.

Apparently militant antiabortion activist Jim Sedlak thinks refugees from Katrina who have lost everything should have to pay for reproductive health services — even if they are raped — or (heaven forbid), happen to be so fortunate as to have consensual sex.

Antiabortion leader Sedlak is outraged that Planned Parenthood of Houston is providing a free month of birth control pills and free emergency contraception to refugees from Katrina and issued a national press release to say so:

“While Planned Parenthood’s latest stunt is disgusting and utterly inappropriate, it is not surprising,” said Sedlak of STOPP International, a subsidiary of the American Life League. “The bottom line is that Planned Parenthood is out to promote its own agenda and will stop at nothing to take advantage of an opportunity to do so… the organization is exploiting one of the worst natural disasters in American history for cheap publicity by offering one month’s supply of free birth control and so-called emergency contraception to victims of Katrina.

Here is the real story (as I reported yesterday):

Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas has announced that it “is working closely with Planned Parenthood of Louisiana and the Mississippi Delta (PPLAMD) to ensure that individuals from Louisiana can continue to get birth control and other reproductive health services during the current crisis. PPLAMD provides services in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. As of August 30th, the Baton Rouge clinic has re-opened, New Orleans has not. Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas has offered to those fleeing Hurricane Katrina one free cycle (one month) of birth control or one free Emergency Contraception kit to women presenting to a PPHSET clinic with a valid Louisiana or Mississippi driver’s license.”

Donations to help Louisiana Planned Parenthood can be made here.