Letter To The Editor: Protecting Our Children Isn't Book Banning

Dear editor:

In response to Rep. Ann Lucas’ May 26 guest column, “Protecting Our Children Isn’t ‘Book Banning,’” we couldn’t agree more.

As Rep. Lucas writes, moving sexually explicit material to the adult section is a “defense of childhood” rather than violation of anyone’s rights.

We put age limits on driving, voting, working, smoking, drinking – and, increasingly throughout the United States, access to sexually explicit material.

Wyoming this year joined 20 other states that have passed age verification laws restricting access to sexually graphic online material for minors.

So why shouldn’t libraries also limit access to minors to harmful material in their collections?

In addition, the Fifth Circuit earlier this month ruled in an en banc decision in Little v. Llano County, which considered whether someone could challenge a library’s removal of books, that “a library’s collection decisions are government speech and therefore not subject to Free Speech challenge.”

Furthermore, the court found, “Plaintiffs cannot invoke a right to receive information to challenge a library's removal of books. Yes, Supreme Court precedent sometimes protects one's right to receive someone else's speech.

But plaintiffs would transform that precedent into a brave new right to receive information from the government in the form of taxpayer-funded library books. The First Amendment acknowledges no such right.”

The majority urged everyone to “take a deep breath” and suggested that those who can’t find a book should order one online or borrow it elsewhere.

We can and should protect children and free speech. Moving sexually explicit material to the adult section maximizes adults’ ability to receive information while preventing children from harm.

Let’s stop with the name calling and build libraries throughout Wyoming that both inform and entertain and are safe for all to enter.

Sincerely,

Marta Mossburg and Kristen McClelland

The writers are members of the Fremont County Library System Board but speak in their capacity as private citizens.