Tuesday, 17 September, 2002

Die Gedanken sind frei / Thoughts are free Die Gedanken sind frei, wer kann sie erraten? Sie fliegen vorbei wie nächtliche Schatten Kein Mensch kann sie wissen kein Jäger sie schießen. Es bleibet dabei: Die Gedanken sind frei. Ich denke was ich will und was mich beglücket doch alles in der Still' und wie es sich schicket Mein Wunsch und Begehren kann niemand verwehren Es bleibet dabei: Die Gedanken sind frei. Sperrt man mich gleich ein im finsteren Kerker das alles sind rein vergebliche Werke; denn meine Gedanken zerreissen die Schranken und Mauern entzwei: Die Gedanken sind frei. Drum will ich auf immer den Sorgen entsagen und will mich auf nimmer mit Grillen mehr plagen. Man kann ja im Herzen stets lachen und scherzen und denken dabei: Die Gedanken sind frei. [the source of this German text] Thoughts Are Free Thoughts are free who could guess what they might be? They fly by as shadows in the night. No human can know them, no hunter could kill them with his powder and lead; The truth is that thoughts are free I think what I will, of what gives me happiness quietly within my rightful silence. There can never be anyone who could argue with my wishes and my desires - it will always be true that thoughts are free.   And if someone locks me up in the dark dungeons, their acts are in vain, because my thoughts tear down the barriers and the stone walls - they are free.   That is why I will abstain from sorrows and will no longer harm myself with misery, for in your heart you can always laugh and as you do, you can think: thoughts are free. [the source of this literal translation]   One of the oldest known protest songs, "Die Gedanken sind frei" can be traced back to the 12th Century when the lyric poet ("Minnesänger") Dietmar von Aist sang "Die Gedanken, die sind ledig frei".  In a culture which places a high value on music in general and folk music in particular, this song stands in the proudest tradition of German Volkslieder. It appeared in its current form during the Peasant Wars of 1524-5, a series of rural uprisings directed against unbearable taxation.  Both Lutheran and Catholic landlords cut the rebels down: Martin Luther himself condemned the peasants. More recently the song was widely sung by those Germans who resisted Hitler's Nazi thuggery between 1933 and 1945, especially in his prisons and concentration camps.  The unambiguous sentiment and simple, catchy melody strike fear into the hearts of all dictators. [The Environment Centre of Western Australia] I think that this is the crux of two issues which I care deeply about: 1) Ideas, information per se, cannot be copyrighted and 2) law enforcement has no business monitoring libraries. 5:02:28 PM    comment []

"Book cause dangerous thoughts!" - "Librarians and booksellers have voiced their di .... - "Librarians and booksellers have voiced their dismay at being conscripted, under court order and threat of prosecution, to report covertly on their patrons and customers. Secretly obtaining information about what people read, to try to figure out what they think, undermines more than privacy; it threatens core First Amendment principles, as many librarians and booksellers understand." "The Constitution clearly protects the right to read a book, embrace an idea or express a thought - even an unpopular or "unpatriotic" book, idea or thought. The freedom of thought and expression is so fundamental to our democracy that, as the Supreme Court recently noted, the "government may not prohibit speech because it increases the chance an unlawful act will be committed 'at some indefinite future time.'" In so holding, the court relied on the "vital distinction between words and deed, between ideas and conduct." In other words, the government is free to prohibit and punish illegal conduct, but may not criminalize ideas or punish people for their thoughts. Perversely, under the Patriot Act, reading certain books or researching certain topics - both constitutionally protected activities - now apparently provide grounds for criminal investigation." (from Newsday) LS Thoughts - See also, FBI snooping has librarians stamping mad [Library Stuff - Updated daily by Steven M. Cohen] The emphasis is mine. All I can do is throw up my hands in despair and seek grim solace in Micah Wright's deliciously subversive propaganda posters. I'm almost tempted to work out how to use images in this blog so I can post some of them here. Thank God I'm not a library director, because if I were I would decorate our main entrance with these posters and have all the staff wear the t-shirts to work. 4:26:59 PM    comment []

more details about the USA PATRIOT Act and other laws that undermine your first amendment rights How Law Enforcement Obtains Library Records. Attorney and former librarian, Mary Minow, charts the legal standards that give law enforcement access to various types of communications and records in libraries. [TVC Alert] This is a very helpful, thorough and cool-headed. 4:06:47 PM    comment []