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And so it begins, turning off the lights ..

US library defunded after refusing to censor LGBTQ authors: ‘We will not ban the books’ | Libraries | The Guardian

"A small-town library is at risk of shutting down after residents of Jamestown, Michigan, voted to defund it rather than tolerate certain LGBTQ+-themed books.

Residents voted on Tuesday to block a renewal of funds tied to property taxes, Bridge Michigan reported."
MarineBob · 56-60, M
Library and their employees belong to the voters
Graylight · 51-55, F
@MarineBob Yes, Bob, they're supported with tax dollars in a great socialistic net. And that's why the taxpayers are the final word, not the government. Libraries are for the people; they're not government-approved display cases.
Lila15 · 22-25, F
@MarineBob And the voters support LGBTQ.
@Graylight

I mostly agree with your points, but you are going off of a knee-jerk, emotional reaction, rather than informed basis. PLEASE read about what happened. You might be surprised.

That's what happened because of the mandates. If not for the horrible legislation, the action would not occur. Therefore, responsibility lays with those curtailing freedom and learning.

What legislation? For a very long time, local taxes have supported local institutions, like libraries. This was a local vote where 62% of voters rejected the millage.

'Mostly' doesn't need apply to, as I'm referring to the cumulative opinion of the people on a subject. And those statements above are correct. A preponderance of citizens poll as wanting the things listed. This is not new and shocking information.

Yes, "mostly" applies, but you are really foolish if you think the average opinion holds in detail in every location.

The country is, on average, mostly Democratic-voting. How could we ever get Republicans in the Senate or as Governors? Because the AVERAGE doesn't hold locally (in fact, it's quite unlikely).

Think of your own body. The average density of your body is

• *more* than the density of the air in your lungs, and

• *less* than the density ofbyour bones.

There are no inappropriate books in a library.

That's a naïve view. Appropriateness depends upon the reader.

That's why we have classified information, etc.

Some judgments of appropriateness are age-related. Should small children see the piled up dead of Nazi concentration camps? Autopsies? Torturing of people or animals? Killings/murders?

You are arguing about adults in good mental health. Like your misunderstanding of averages, you are applying your notions of adult freedoms to non-adults.

Books are books.

Trivially true, a tautology; x = x
for all x.

The meaning is imposed upon them by those looking at them with their own particular lens.

Not for all books.

You are thinking about literature, where people argue for what a piece "means" and cite quotations.

That isn't the case for a terrorist textbook about building bombs, most math & science & engineering texts...

And even some children's literature has a clear message which one can see from the title.

If you don't like a book, don't read it, don't let your child read it.


lol Yes. So how do you maintain that control until your child is a full-fledged adult?

But don't tell me what I, as an adult, educated US citizen may read.

See? It's as I said; you are applying your notions of what an adult, presumably in his or her right mind, to ALL readers.

There are no "little steps" here. This is censorship and it's been deemed wrong for 270 years. Until recently.

I agree about "little steps" but censorship HAS been a part of the US for a long time (via classified information & info banned for legitimate national security reasons).

And your 270 years is another narrow view. Censorship has been viewed with well-earned distrust for a bit longer than that.
It doesn't make any sense because right wingers don't even use libraries. Nor can many of them read.
That is like banning a movie you know you have no interest in ever seeing.
Slade · 56-60, M
@canusernamebemyusername You know, you are supposed to flush your shit instead of eating it
tindrummer · M
democracy as done by small-minded bigots - probably all claim to be good christians full of love 🙄
Eeyore122 · 36-40, F
@tindrummer My hometown's library got backlash for such displays recently. The library took it down and won't have more like it.
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
And having that literature is important because?????
Scribbles · 36-40, F
@hippyjoe1955 🤣🤦‍♀️
You don't seem to get that at least 20 million people are paying taxes to be patrons of a PUBLIC library. If you are afraid of legal citizens and legal sexualities and genders and want to be a control freak about your books perhaps you should fund YOUR own library.
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
@Scribbles Your numbers are completely bogus. If you think that it is somehow important to promote your deviancy then go do it yourself.
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MommyLucy · 36-40, F
That is sooo sad! 😭😭😭 There is absolutely nothing wrong with LGBTQ+ Books at all! 🤗🤗🤗 If someone doesn't like them then don't read them! 😤😤😤 But being gay is perfectly wonderful and I fully support the LGBTQ+ community! 🤗🤗🤗 I am also a huge supporter of autism and disability tolerance! 😁😁😁
@MommyLucy Yes.

You could choose to remain that way, I guess.

But if you were born missing a limb, it would be nice to prevent that.

I think preventing this is a big deal, not just because of the huge cost for those who are deeper and deeper into the spectrum, but because it is a problem with the brain getting too much noise, it seems.

You don't know what it would be like to have your brain have perception threshholds in standard ranges.
Eeyore122 · 36-40, F
@SomeMichGuy Better treatments yes. But to the Autistic community, in particular , many see Autism as a critical part of their identity. NOT as an impairment or negative thing. Does it come with extra challenges? Yes, but you are implying their reality deserves pity and is not equally valid.

I have no clue what it's like to be able bodied or have a brain that can do executive functions well. Do I wish disabilities on people? Hell, no. Do I think we need to embrace the general potential for "cures"? Yes. But, do we treat disabilities like leprosy? NO
MommyLucy · 36-40, F
@Eeyore122 If I wasn't autistic I feel I wouldn't be myself anymore! 😭😭😭 I have a very childlike personality but I still have a job and I raise three wonderful kids and two of them are autistic and autism is part of them! 😇😇😇 What I strongly believe in is autism acceptionce cause while most disabilities are bad and should be cured, some learning disabilities like autism affect who is person is and to cure that means a lack of acceptionce and I don't believe in that cause if everyone was the same this world would be boring! 😘😘😘

Nerodiversity is something I hugely support being autistic myself! 😇😇😇
CestManan · 46-50, F
I think the reason LGBT is facing backlash right now is because back when Obama was in office they gained a lot of traction but then some extremists went overboard and made the community look bad.
Lila15 · 22-25, F
@Slade Are you confusing me with Trump?
Slade · 56-60, M
@Lila15 I don't think so - President Trump has accomplished something in life. Quite a bit actually

Unlike you. He isn't just taking up space - like a sewage pool.
Lila15 · 22-25, F
@Slade Yes, former President Trump managed to have a rich father who left him a large inheritance which he managed to blow. He did star in a popular TV show, and he managed to steal the election in 2016, so he gets credit for that.
carpediem · 61-69, M
Their choice
@Eeyore122 (Sorry, she blocked me, so this is how I have to reply.)

Better treatments yes. But to the Autistic community, in particular , many see Autism as a critical part of their identity. NOT as an impairment or negative thing.

I'm sure you are being pretty selective with this, because people deeply on the spectrum have huge frustrations BECAUSE of this condition.

Pretending that higher-functioning autistic persons ARE the spectrum makes no sense.

And it IS an impairment of the brain/mind, but a more pervasive impairment than even being deaf or blind, as it cuts across perception as a whole.

Of course an autistic person sees being autistic as a part of their identity...we wouldn't use that adjective if it didn't apply.

Deaf people also feel a strong identification with being deaf, express feelings about the specialness of deaf culture, etc., but *they* have impairments (and can sometimes be helped with cochlear implants to fix a physical problem).

Does it come with extra challenges? Yes, but you are implying their reality deserves pity and is not equally valid.

? Their reality exists, as do they, and has "validity". But are you arguing that the reality of being, say, deaf or blind from a developmental problem means that it sanctifies the disability?

Autism seems to be related to how sensitive our perception mechanisms are to the flood of stimuli around us. Too sensitive, and you are autistic.

I actually think that dialing the sensitivity down would result in many/most autistic people being geniuses.

"Challenges"...for higher-functioning autistic persons, sure. But if you have to be institutionalized for your own safety and that of your family, that's further than your sugar-plum dreams of the noble autistic break down. Are you arguing that people deeply autistic are happy being isolated from everyone? We are social beings, so a condition which isolates--look at the etymology!--is hard on those persons. Do they deserve to be able to have friends, love?

I have no clue what it's like to be able bodied or have a brain that can do executive functions well.

I'm sorry for that.

Do I wish disabilities on people? Hell, no.

You are arguing for that, above.

Do I think we need to embrace the general potential for "cures"? Yes.


A cure is a true cure, not a "cure".

But, do we treat disabilities like leprosy? NO

Of course not. Where tf do you get this?
MarineBob · 56-60, M
This concerns no one other than the residents of Jamestown Michigan..
If you don't vote you don't have a say
Scribbles · 36-40, F
@MarineBob Or does only the majority vote count? The demographics there might mean that even if 100 percent of the people living there who are LGBTQ+ vote it will only amount to maybe 1 percent of the vote. What about other minority votes? Books in other languages, Books in Braille, etc. When do they count as people? They will get no representation and books for them in the PUBLIC library that they help pay taxes for. And the 99 percent other dictate what everyone else can have for books.

Nice system. Truly equal and representive and democratic. Not corrupt at all.
MarineBob · 56-60, M
@Scribbles which is why it doesn't matter how many live there it matters on registered voters who show up to exercise their right to vote. Here the mayor and aldermen have very little say on matters pertaining to the library, parks cemetery and even tourism each department has their very own board. As a courtesy the mayor sits on all boards but without voting rights like any other members if he misses 3 meetings in 12 months he's out.
Carissimi · F
A library should not be banning any books.
@Carissimi So true. If the books offend them, they should have just ignored.
Convivial · 26-30, F
@Carissimi couldn't agree more... They should be placed that challenge you. Not confirm existing thoughts and opinions
MarineBob · 56-60, M
Has any Jamestown registered voter appealed the vote
AthrillatheHunt · 51-55, M
So is it a tax issue or a book issue ?
Convivial · 26-30, F
@AthrillatheHunt i think neither.. It fits neatly across hypocrisy and freedoms of speech, freedom of speech means what we like, not what you like
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strongbow · 46-50, M
Good for them! 👍
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4meAndyou · F
@MarmeeMarch Not in my town, and not in small towns all across America...although it does sound like it is spreading.
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4meAndyou · F
@MarmeeMarch We don't have public homelessness out on the streets here. We have a homeless shelter for families with children, and plenty of section 8 housing. The rest of the homeless live in tents inside Miles Standish State Park.

We have one or two pan handlers that don't want to work, and they stand on the grass verge where the highway bleeds off onto exit 6...or sometimes on the cement divider that exits Stop and Shop. There are about a hundred hiring new workers signs all around, but these two bozos can't manage. I don't call to report them. But I sure do think about it a lot.

And I saw one person taking a video of the guy on exit 6 and he high tailed it.
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This message was deleted by its author.
@swirlie Toilet flush, YOU started it with saying

What they don't tell you is how unsafe it is for a White woman to drive alone in a car while on her way to some of those lakes and parks!
(Emphasis added.)

All your other rants are just you spewing toilet water, Flushie.
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