As a newspaper, we support the Freedom of Information Act. However, when it comes to children's access to pornography, the line must be drawn.
That's why we think the Santa Clara County Library Joint Power Authority Board's decision April 23 to use filters on the children's Internet terminals was just and proper. While there's a chance some filtering software could hamper straightforward quests for information, we think the benefits of protection override the shortcomings.
This frees library staff from the impossible task of policing what kids watch. And librarians already screen what kids can see by the choices of books and magazines they put on the shelves. This just further extends the responsibility public servants have to protect the innocent. Yes, parents should be primarily responsible, but the responsibility can't end there.
Just as X-rated movies are off-limits to minors and the front covers of pornography magazines are covered on shelves in liquor stores, so too are Internet filters justified.
We feel strongly about the access to information, but in this case, the law of common sense and decency should prevail. This leads to the next obvious question: Are the schools next?