As discussed earlier, writer Andrei Codrescu recently dropped a verbal bombshell on the leadership of the American Library Association, assailing them for their morally corrupt silence concerning the arrest and torture of independent librarians in Cuba.
Now, via activist Robert Kent, we can read excerpts from Codrescu's powerful address.
I went to Cuba in 1997, just before a papal visit later that year, and I was appalled by the lack of books. I was reminded of my poor, sad Romania in the 1950's, a dismal prison where food for body and mind were nearly inexistent. Cubans were literally starving physically and intellectually. Looking through the desultory pages of the Communist Party’s official paper, Granma, reminded me also of the pathetic simulacra of phony writing that stained the pages of Romania’s official papers during the years of the dictatorship....I also hope that, in keeping with its tradition and charter of defending the freedom to read and freedom of expression, the American Library Association will immediately pass a resolution condemning the Castro regime for flagrant violations of basic human rights. To not do so is self-defeating and wipes out any credibility the ALA might have in fighting the much milder provisions of the Patriot Act. Not to speak of the fact that it’s much easier to fight for freedom to read in a country where every book is available, while it is much more difficult to make meaningful a statement in a place where books are an enemy of the state.
Librarian blogger Jack Stephens notes acidic comments by ALA councilors. Typical.
There is an indication that C-SPAN may have recorded the session, so we may get the see it replayed.
Posted by Alan at January 29, 2006 07:49 PM