Letter to the Icon:
Within the last two hours I once again received a letter at my door in Ada from an anonymous group trying to raise the alarm against books “teaching our toddlers & youth about the gay, lesbian, transgender, & other lifestyle.” They are encouraging us to contact the Ada Library and express our concerns. What they fail to realize is that I, and I believe most of the residents of Ada are much more concerned with the actions of their group with their attempt to censor what is and is not available at our library for the public’s use.
There is nothing in these books that encourages children to live an alternate lifestyle. They are, however, a godsend for the 10-15% of our population who are struggling with their own personal identity. How dare these people take it upon themselves to champion a cause that peddles a hatred of this group of kids! Today, our children themselves have a better understanding and empathy for their friends and classmates who struggle with this than we, and certainly this group peddling hate, ever will. For our youth, let alone our adults, being gay, lesbian, or transgender or any other non-mainstream identifier is not a choice, it is a discovery, and a realization. Tell me what person on earth would CHOOSE to live a life where they are continuously persecuted?
Those who would advocate for banning books, no matter their content, are no better than the book burners who have come before them. Their argument demonizes a valued segment of our community in much the same way that these and other minority groups were demonized in the 20th century throughout Europe, Asia, and unfortunately parts of the United States. Allowing this to happen is a gateway to fascist persecution of our minority groups, no matter their classification. I for one will not stand for it. This poem by Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoller, written after WWII to explain the Nazi rise to power, describes the progression.
“First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me”
These two quotes from Thomas Jefferson warn us of the threat.
“The issue today is the same as it has been throughout all history, whether man shall be allowed to govern himself or be ruled by a small elite.”
“Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.”
Please join me in speaking out in support of our libraries, our constitution, and ALL our children.
Steven Bates
Ada, Ohio
