What We Are the Mural Represents

We are the mural! We are the display!

I've never really had anything go viral before. But if I have only one thing go viral (instead of, say, throwing a bucket of fish over my head), I'm glad it's this.

What does it mean?

It's taking a stand declaring you love your public library and support it serving a diverse public. Libraries are public, and they are for EVERYONE. They are not a tool of any particular political or religious group. No one gets to exclude others because they don't meet your definition of who is entitled to be served and who isn't.

Everyone should feel welcome in the library.  

Right now, the Okefenokee Regional Libray Board has placed a draconian display policy into effect at all libraries in the region. It is essentially cutting off any displays of any kind. All displays are subject to removal based on the objection of any one person. The most extreme voices in the community get to dictate what is displayed.

Consequently, you now see blank bulletin boards in our local libraries. Book clubs can no longer display their books of the month or promote their club in any visual display.

A display in the children's area, meant to show words of kindness, with cutouts of children's hands that have a word of kindness in them, must now be taken down.

New book displays now have to be shown only with the title spine displayed - they cannot display the covers of the books lest someone gets offended.

And now, the mural in the entryway to the Waycross/Ware County Library is under siege, and how the current regional library board is composed, it is likely to be taken down.

All these terrible things are happening and will continue to happen, but those who do this need to know this -

We are the mural! We are the display!

You can take our symbols. You can bully and try to exclude all you want. But we will not go away.  

Because the mural is more than just a mural. It is an important symbol, but it is only a symbol. Because we, the diverse patrons of the library, are the mural, and no matter what is done, we will stand firm and support the diversity of the library.

We welcome all. Even those whose theology leads them to want to indoctrinate their children in only their beliefs. All are welcome, but ...if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. If you can't stand the diversity, get out of the library.

We will, with God's* help and strength, ENDURE.

We will, with the support of all who care about love and tolerance, PERSEVERE.

We will, with the promise that the arc of the moral universe bends slowly but surely towards social justice, OVERCOME.

We are the mural! We are the display!

And you cannot vanquish us!

*whatever your conception of spiritual support