Correcting The Message About Library Board Candidates
There are two Library Board positions with new candidates running in Boundary County Id. Mary-Esther Wilson in Dist. 5 and Lewis Clark in Dist. 3.
Much has been said in Social and Conventional Media about why they are running, but most of the alarmist accusations are either false or misleading at best. Some suggest that it’s a personal vendetta against the incumbents and others suggest the motivation is to ban books from the local library based on some vague moral standard. So let’s dispel these myths with facts.
Neither Mary-Esther nor Lewis have said that either of these incumbents are vile or corrupt individuals. The incumbents are well known and valued in their communities. The main issue is the incumbents refusal to acknowledge that some books that promote sexual activities (many that are written as books for children and teens} ought not be accessible by children. They suggest that it would be a violation of the First Amendment rights of the authors.
The media grabs this talking point and labels these candidates “Book Banners.” Or they suggest that they are using their own moral standards as the measure of what or what not to ban. But the fact is, neither Mary-Ester nor Lewis have suggested banning a book or that their own morals are somehow superior to others.
The problem is that the books in question contain descriptions and illustrations that depict fellatio and cunnilingus and other sex acts. And not simply these acts between consenting adults but between adults and children. The standard Mary-Esther and Lewis purpose is based based on current law. If you or I were to show these images to a child we would be subject to arrest for a number of felonies and required to register as sexual offenders. And rightly so.
Yet public libraries have an exemption to this seemingly obvious standard. Many of these books have already been removed from most school libraries. And further, it’s not about banning these books from our local public library. But rather to keep them safely in a location where a child roaming the isles won’t stumble upon them.
Some argue that it’s up to the parent to watch what their kids are reading. That’s certainly a valid point but it is not a sound argument. Kids ought to be free to safely explore the library for hours at a time. Just as kids can play with the neighbors kids, but you wouldn’t want your child playing there if you knew the neighbor or one of his/her other kids was a sexual predator.
So too with the library. There is so much value and good resources that a parent would love for their kids to enjoy without having to worry that some vile threat lies on a shelf easily accessed by them.
If someone of age chooses to read this type of material it should be available to them. So access via a restricted section or via request from an inter-library transfer ought to be allowed and it would. Another argument is that this is all overblown because these books are not currently in our library. That may or may not be true, but again it’s not the point. The point is that the two incumbents in these positions refuse to commit that they won’t be (and again it’s ok if they are) but they ought not be accessible to minors.
Don’t be distracted by news reports and social media rants that Mary-Esther and Lewis are right wing zealots or haters trying to disrupt the status quo. It’s about respect for our children and parent’s rights.
The election is Tuesday, May 16th. The key is a good turn out. If you don’t typically vote in small, off season elections, please consider the importance of this particular election. If you live in District 5 or District 3 of Boundary County please vote for Mary-Esther Wilson or Lewis Clark.
You can find the District Map here.
In Liberty, Mark Quinn – Moyie Springs
