Hey kid! Step away from those shelves

Meanwhile, back at the library.

I’ll get into parental responsibility in a minute, but first I must say I’m fascinated by the adult conversation regarding kids in the library.

Grownups talk like kids are sneaking around outside, waiting for opportunities to dart into the library for a haul of dirty books.

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I’m telling ya, this conversation is totally sideways. We’ve allowed so-called Christian conservatives to ignore their own responsibilities in hopes that we won’t see what’s behind the curtain while they flail at imaginary dragons.

Library Guy, with his trusty sidekick Toxic Guy (too toxic for a single blog subject), has somehow convinced people who should know better that pornography is easily accessible to children in the libraries. They have no proof of this because none exists. There is no pornography in the libraries. There are books with a variety of words and sentences that some may find offensive.

Are some of these books appropriate for kids? Of course not! Should the libraries restrict them? Of course not! Should parents know what they’re kids are reading? Um…

See, that’s the crux. Parents are responsible for their own kids’ reading material. Certainly not the library director, and definitely not the County Commission.

I watched Tuesday morning’s Library Advisory Board meeting online. There are a few new board members, and I just wanted to see how things are going.

Well. The conversation morphed into the idea that parents should be able to tell the library staff what their kids can and can’t read. That way when little Johnny, who’s at the library on his own, tries to check out a grownup book, he's stopped at the front desk.

“Your mom said no!”

Then someone else said we need a formal definition of what’s considered inappropriate for the “young adults” section — ages 15-18. That way when there’s a complaint, we’ll have guidelines to know whether the book belongs or not. 

Oh brother.

I have another idea. It’s a little radical.

Instead of demanding the government set the moral standard, how about — shock! — parents do it for their own children. I know, I know… that seems counterproductive. It’s considered ordinary these days for government to force more intrusion into our lives. I feel like I’m in an alternative universe from the one I once recognized.

I had a conversation with a community leader earlier Tuesday about this issue. It’s his belief — shared by most in Citrus County — that all this library wrangling is because of lies spread by one person. Actual parents of Citrus County children don’t seem to have a concern.

“Remember these aren’t parents of kids going to the library,” my friend wrote in a text. “These are disciples of (Library Guy), drinking the Kool-Aid he’s serving and ready to save all the children from the evils of society.”

And on cue, a woman appeared before the County Commission in the afternoon, practically crying that commissioners won’t stop pornography from tarnishing young minds in the library.

Where the heck does someone get this nonsense? What’s going on that would lead a balanced person to believe our public libraries are filled with smut?

At some point, and we’re getting there, the decision-makers should smile at these nice people and tell them they’re flat wrong.

I also realize the Library Guy Gang has made normal conversation impossible.

Citizen: “There’s porn in the library!”

County: “No, there’s not."

Citizen: “Stop the porn in the library!”

County: “There isn’t any.”

Citizen: “What about the little children?”

County: “Where are their parents?”

(Glare)

Citizen: “There’s porn in the library!”

Sigh.

Look. These are highly irregular times. Life very much has that Whac-a-Mole feel at the moment. 

I’m tired of talking about libraries. They're an easy target for bullies. Instead, ask why some parents allow their young offspring to roam the countryside with no supervision ... and then let Library Guy insult THEM for a while.

Seriously. Will we ever grow up?

— The CoreCivic county jail contract discussion was bumped from Tuesday’s agenda with little explanation. County Administrator Steve Howard said it would come back. We’ll keep an eye on it.

That’s a wrap. Have a great Wednesday, friends.

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