The End of Reason

 

Well, the mural is gone. By a 6 to 3 vote, this unifying mural, a welcome to all groups and users to the library, displaying its varied patrons and wide range of resources, has been stripped away. The noise brought by a vocal minority convinced enough local politicians that welcoming everyone, particularly the LGBTQ+ community, was not the way they wanted to go.

It has already been removed. There is now only an empty wall to greet visitors. Are you welcome? Take a chance and find out.  

It is a sad day in this area's history. It is a giant step backward towards the bad old days of segregation and exclusion.

Some are happy that this happened. Others, although not thrilled with it, think that now that this concession has been made, those who are coming after the LGBTQ+ will just stop, having achieved their great victory.

If you are in the group that thinks this settles it, you are highly mistaken. They're not going to stop. They are emboldened to gut more and more. They will come after books, personnel, and anything else that doesn't meet their narrow views. They will reach beyond the LGBTQ+ community and try to censor and exclude history and any other book that doesn't meet their narrow views.

They want something other than a truly public library. They want a propaganda center exclusively for their own views.

They will not break our spirit. We are the library. We are the mural. We will never give up the fight to make the library for everyone.  

I'm a big Superman fan, and this quote is one of the big reasons why. A favorite Superman quote: "Dreams save us. Dreams lift us up and transform us into something better. And on my soul, I swear that until my dream of a world where dignity, honor, and justice are the reality we all share, I'll never stop fighting. Ever."

As far as the funding battles go, there is nothing left for local boards to use as an excuse to hold up funding. I have not heard anything definitive from the Pierce Boards, but to object now is just pure meanness and would demonstrate that you just really do not want a library in your county.

Please continue to support your local public library and the right for all to be represented and welcome.

I will continue to update you on the battle and the many services your local public library offers.

Be aware that Facebook is starting to take down some of my blog stories, claiming they are community spam. This is incredibly annoying, as most of the taking down has occurred on my T. M. Strait Page, which was explicitly designed to give access to my writings, especially from my blog The Strait Line.

It might be Facebook, or an individual might be reporting it as spam. I'm trying to get to the bottom of it, and I will report back any results—that is if you get to see this at all.

Libraries are for Everyone!

T. M. Strait