 Rev. Lauren Turner Jamestown, N.Y. – Last spring Lakewood Memorial Library Executive Director Shannon Taylor spoke to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown (UUCJ) about “Silencing Stories: Resisting Censorship in Libraries.”
On Sunday, September 22, the first day of Banned Books Week, Rev. Lauren Turner will address “The Limits of Free Speech” at the 10:30 a.m. service. For 2023, the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom documented 4,240 unique book titles targeted for censorship – a 65% surge from 2022 – as well as 1,247 demands to censor library books, materials, and resources. Turner says, “The pen is mightier than the sword. Free speech is essential for science, art and thriving societies. But are there limits?” He observes that our standards of free speech were set before bad actors could use computers to automate the distribution of lies to incite violence or alter elections. Extremists from both the right and the left want laws to limit certain types of free speech, and others use “soft despotism” to silence some through public shaming. Where should ethical people draw the line? Now retired after many years as a Methodist minister, Turner has a longtime interest in book banning. After September, he is speaking at UUCJ on the second Sunday of odd months during the 2024-2025 church year. Julie Anderson is the morning’s pianist. Everyone is welcome to the service and the potluck that follows at 1255 Prendergast Avenue in Jamestown. To participate virtually, use the link at UUJamestown.org/calendar. ### Comments are closed.
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