One of the things I’ve heard from a few people regarding the sexually explicit, vulgar, inappropriate books being in libraries is that ultimately parents are responsible for what books their children check out from a library.
While I agree that parents are responsible, I also believe it is a reasonable expectation of parents that a library wouldn’t offer children the chance to check out books that detail glory holes, sex dating apps, sex parties, drug use combined with sex, how to hide pornography on a computer, the ins and outs of sex and stuff that is even worse.
The library is an extension of the government. It is not the government’s role to provide materials to kids that detail things like that. I would argue it isn’t the government’s role to provide those things for adults either, but I don’t have to make that argument because a library allows children to check out this material without any questions asked.
It seems to me the government should have more responsibility for knowing what it is providing to children than a private business.
So, when a parent sends a child to the grocery store to pick up eggs, we don’t pretend it’s OK for a grocery store to sell that child alcohol or cigarettes and then blame the parents for not knowing what their child was going to purchase.
No, we have laws against allowing children to buy things that are harmful to them at that age. But a government institution like a library is totally OK to provide children with harmful material — unless someone wants to make an argument it is healthy to inform children about glory holes, golden showers, drug use with sex, sex parties, sex apps, etc.
We all agree that, yes, parents have responsibility on what their kids see. But it wasn’t long ago we all would have agreed that the government has a responsibility not to provide children with such material as well.
Unfortunately, there are also situations where someone may be a single parent. They may be working two jobs and not be able to be with their child every time their child goes to the library. They too should be able to trust the library isn’t going to allow their child access to material detailing glory holes, golden showers, sex parties, sex apps, etc.
If you want to make the argument that parents should have the final say and knowledge of what their children are checking out at a library, then stop offering library cards to kids. If you want to keep offering library cards to kids, then stop offering sexually explicit materials to them.
It isn’t complicated. It’s common sense.
