"The books that the world calls immoral are books that show its own shame."A group of so-called religious parents are threatening the funding of Samuels Public Library. They insist that books that they deem unsuitable for children must be removed, and the board of supervisors is listening to them, and may withhold funding that the library needs to continue operating.
~ Oscar Wilde
When I lived in Warren County, I used that library frequently. It is a very nice modern library, and I still drop in there occasionally.
Another group has formed to save the library without banning books. The library staff has done their job in evaluating all the children's books to make sure they are wholesome enough for the intended age group. They want all children to feel welcome, so they included selections such as a book telling the true story of a baby penguin who was adopted by two male penguins. Zealots fear this story might "groom" children to accept same-sex couples.
Local Article: royalexaminer.com/warren-county-holds-library-funds-amidst-book-collection-controversy/
The Guardian: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/02/virginia-public-library-defund-republican-lgbtq-books
One advocate for the library pointed out that in Virginia, “Pornography in libraries is illegal… if they find pornography in the library, they should
take their evidence to the sheriff’s office and have the librarian arrested.
But they won’t do that because there is no pornography in the library.”
You may remember that I recently told the story of how Front Royal got the nickname Helltown long ago, due to the brawling and other misbehavior that broke out when boatmen came ashore for whiskey and entertainment. Today this mostly charming town suffers from culture clash. It is on the edge of the northern Virginia suburbs, and old-timers feel the threat of over-development and some recall the displacement suffered by their great grandparents when they lost their homes so the national park could be built for city folks. Add to that the discomfort that many people feel when faced with social change and the unending friction of religious differences, and you wind up with disagreements.
I believe that the library will survive. Most people in Warren County appreciate the library. County supervisors need to refuse to be bullied by narrow-minded people.
People can surf Porns on line in the library computers though?
ReplyDeleteChildren cannot, supposedly. There are software filters that can only be lifted by request.
DeleteIf they're that concerned about "grooming" maybe they should ban penguins! I do hope the library survives.
ReplyDeleteThat's crazy, is the public library funded totally by the religious group? Hope your weekend is great.
ReplyDelete...this hasn't become a problem here YET!
ReplyDeleteWe have the culture wars in full swing here in Oklahoma. Open hostility toward public schools and persecution of school librarians. I hate it.
ReplyDeleteOn my blog I've started calling the Far Right Christians a cult. You can tell them from the more normal Christians (of which there are many who are silent) by whether they promote love or hate.
ReplyDeleteThat narrow minded ignorant nonsense disgusts me. To hell with the angry parents.
ReplyDeleteLoved that last pic and quote, hope the library survives the onslaught of the petty minded. Wonder if they visited any library in their childhood.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment.
ReplyDeleteI double checked. The book Lawn Boy is/was on the list. It's still at Samuels library in Front Royal but checked out at the moment.
I read a few passages/a few too many.
One that was about two ten yr old boys touching each others icks with a d, then progressing to using mouths. There's more but that alone makes it not wholesome. I never thought I'd say it but maybe I 'm old fashioned.🤯
It is in the Adult Fiction section.
DeleteAccording to a Aug, 1st article in the Royal Examiner: Samuels Library in order to address citizen concerns at its July meeting has introduced a Juvenile Limited Card and Young Adult Limited Card, and both are designed to give parents options and control over the literature and reading materials their children have access to.
DeleteHowever, a regular, unrestricted card also is still available for those who wish to have unfettered access to library resources.
I guess the question should be, is it be okay for anyone to read about children engaging in those kinds of activities?
Sure, adults can read such things. And some teenagers are already familiar with these things; probably most anyone over 14 has seen worse on the internet heard about it from friends. Their parents are capable of judging their maturity.
DeleteI read shocking stuff as a teenager, but it’s only shocking the first time.
I guess we just disagree.
DeleteUnfortunately, when I was a kid my friends and I were exposed to 100's of magazines over several years that would probably shock most adults.
I think looking at or reading about children engaging in sexual acts is wrong. The fact that some people think it's okay is shocking for me. Other than that adults should be able to read, or look at whatever they want.