Reader Opinion: Explore the facts – Brainerd Dispatch

Responding to the “Explore ideas” Reader Opinion letter, the writer flattered the school board members with subjective, unmeasurable praise, thereby telling the audience what they should believe. I believe every district has professional, seasoned teachers. As for their track record, exceptional? Just because he says so? And doesn’t every school board take their job seriously? Then he says they have foresight regarding library materials. Really? Multiple directors said they were shocked. I think they are sincere, hardworking individuals trying to do their best. But there is room for improvement.

Next, the letter writer listed negative assumptions he wants you to believe. He said a minority group has come forward to object to books that do not fit their “philosophy” and they are a small extremist group with radical ideas to limit all student access to quality books.

Not true. Only the middle school students and only the books containing vulgar, explicit sexual content. The kind of content this newspaper refused to print for a previous writer because it was too vulgar.

He called it a philosophy. I call it state law.

Here is a quote from the (liberal) American Library Association website: “The court has permitted school boards to restrict speech or access to information for minors in two circumstances:

1. The materials are “educationally unsuitable” or “pervasively vulgar.”

2. The materials are obscene, harmful to minors or child pornography.

That is the law. Vulgar, obscene sexual content is harmful to minors. Many respected studies conclude this to be true. This “minority group” is just trying to hold our school board accountable to uphold the law and improve the quality of literature, not ban it, censor it, or limit it. Also, this law does not limit free speech. That was settled in the courts too.

Shirley Yeager

Brainerd