January 26, 2020
Missouri State Representative Ben
Baker, upset that some libraries host Drag Queen Story Hour, says that youngsters
need to be protected from evil influences like the acceptance of being gay. He
has introduced a bill requiring that parental library-review boards be elected
to decide what is “age-inappropriate sexual material”, and needs to be removed
from display. Librarians who allowed minors access to those materials could be
fined or imprisoned.
I’m not opposed to libraries
having guidelines and age restrictions. There are some things that I really
feel are not age-appropriate for youngsters. And not all of it is sexual. (Have
you ever been appalled or grossed out by a book you read where someone gets
tortured or dismembered or…?)
But I think it would make more
sense to
- Have rooms that keep really graphic materials out of the reach of people under the age of 18. (Many libraries do this already.)
- Have story times in a room that parents can keep their kids away from if they want to. (Many libraries do this, too.)
- Have a tiered-card system, where anybody under the age of 16 or 18 can only check out materials rated Young or Young Adult. (Some libraries do this already.) Parents would have the option of signing their kids up for this card.
That way, 5 people aren’t deciding
what’s good for everyone else’s children.
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