Library No Longer Supports Free Speech
What happens when your local library promotes stupid things like the playing of video games? The Gilford Library wonders why it doesn’t get broad support from the community? Reading from the Library trustee minutes of recent, I see the trustees are in full marketing mode to repackage the video game program under a different name. It has finally become obvious to the trustees that the “gaming” program isn’t perceived as popular among the community as a whole. Unfortunately, they think its unpopularity is due to the name and not the fact that most parents won’t support video games. Aren’t most parents struggling to get their kids away from video games and open their minds to reading or outdoor activities (duh!)? This is all part of the library's apparent new mission to create “transformational effects” on the community.
Included in the minutes is an absurd complaint to the Budget Committee about one of our Budget Committee members for violating the code of ethics. This is where dumb gets dumber. Let me attempt to summarize. The library, who has a long history of drawing lines in the sand over free speech issues such as the overreaching Patriot Act, or filtering of pornographic media. Remember that library? They now want to halt the freedom of speech of a committee member for expressing his views on this blog site. Nowhere in the GilfordGrok post about the library’s nefarious activities does the author state that he is representing the Budget committee. He simply mentions that he is a “tax payer” and “BudCom member”.
Perhaps they may wish to blow the dust of a copy of the Bill of Rights and read Article 1. Speaking out against the government is exactly what the framers intended to protect, not urinating on a picture of Jesus, as some may think.
The dumber part of this story is the fact that Budcom subcommittee meetings are PUBLIC! Anyone can attend and in true BudCom fashion, public comments are always welcome. In fact, I can’t think of one occasion that the BudCom didn’t allow a citizen or Department head to speak. If this baseless charge is somehow allowed to stick, the infamous blogger can attend as will this GilfordGrok contributor. I’m looking forward to reviewing the cost of the “FREE” library and I’ll even bring the crying towel!
