Claremore Progress - Editorials - Library Access

Claremore Progress - Editorials - Library Access

We have to admit a little confusion today.

For many years, we observed the political and rhetorical battles in the Oklahoma Legislature. We were led to believe that Republicans stood for local control and smaller, less-coercive, less-paternalistic state government. So it was surprising last week when we learned that in the second session of the first GOP-controlled state House of Representatives in 80 years, Republicans sounded like the Democrats of old.

The late George Wallace apparently was right about there not being a dime’s worth of difference between the parties.

Seemed so last week.

The issue was about accessibility to children of adult theme materials.

We didn’t realize the smaller government, local-control minded GOP Legislature knows better than the people in local communities. But that is what they said.

There is no obvious reason that we can find that the Legislature should usurp local library boards in 77 counties with a politically appointed board — the Library Material Content Advisory Board — as provided by Rep. Sally Kern’s House Bill 2158.

Local people, as far as we can tell, have been doing an exceptional job for 99 years. One size does not fit all.

Republocrats promise to take away state funding if materials are not isolated their way. Do librarians tuck offensive materials under the circulation desk or do they build the equivalent of gun cabinets? Will the Content Advisory Board set construction standards and send funds, too? What happens if the people of Carnegie or Hollis or Marlow don’t like the standards set by an Oklahoma City- or Tulsa-dominated state committee?

Lawsuits. What a waste of time and money. The truth is we have too much of this dictatorial, coercive, paternalistic interference from Congress. Maybe we need an initiative petition that says anytime the Legislature usurps local control, no funds shall be appropriated for legislative retirements.

The reading issue is one in which families must take the lead and not default responsibility to some Big Brother government standard. Because each family is different and each child reaches intellectual maturity at different ages, families must decide appropriateness without government interference. ...