The comfortable, if not a little-dated small town of Prattville, Alabama, has a population of 38,286. The library is the Prattville Autauga Library. Imagine you have come here with another homeschooling family for your weekly adventure into the literary lands. Your children look forward to this outing every week, and you love watching them race around, so excited by the new stories they will discover. Until one day, you pick up a book that stops you cold in your tracks.
Here, in the section for 8-12 year olds, you pick up The Language of Seabirds. Sounds interesting! However, his book is not what it appears to be. Delving deeper, you discover that it is actually “[a] sweet, tender middle-grade story of two boys finding first love with each other over a seaside summer.” Someone, you think, should do something about this. Me? But I’m just a mom. How can I make a difference? We did it, and you can do it too. Here’s how.
One discovery led to another. One mom found another book, and then a dozen scoured the whole children’s library. Before long, these moms identified 80 books, readily available to children in preschool through high school, that address LGBT themes, including transgenderism, and explicit sexual content. Some include obscene depictions of deviant sexual activity.
The moms initially submitted a list of the seven worst books to the head librarian, but, being informed that there is a process for challenging books, they submitted the requisite forms. “Surely,” they thought, “the inclusion of these books is just an oversight, and as soon as we bring this to their attention, it will be remedied.” After two weeks, the time necessary for review according to library policy, they were ultimately astonished to find the library intended to do nothing. The books would remain in the children’s library.
Not satisfied with this callous response, the parents knew they had to ratchet up the pressure. After researching the charter and bylaws of the library, they discovered that the library is funded by the Prattville City Council and the Autauga County Commission and that the library board, which sets policies, is appointed by these two elected bodies. Armed with this information, they started an online petition that garnered 350 signatures in a matter of days. They brought together other parents and grandparents to form a group called Clean Up Prattville and showed up at the next Autauga County Commission meeting, and later, the Prattville City Commission meeting.
The Prattville City Council listened with great indifference, claiming they couldn’t get involved at all with how the library was run, even though they appointed four of the seven members of the library board and provided $355,000 of the $700,000 budget to the small library.
City Council President Lora Lee Boone said of the concerned parents, “They are speaking to the wind.” Not willing to let it go, at the next meeting, the parents showed up with the actual books in hand. Excerpts from the books were read publicly, causing the leaders of a Boy Scout troop to herd the boys out of the room hastily.
As Clean Up Prattville members arrived for the next city council meeting in July, they were informed the council had decided — outside of their meeting — to impose a new policy curtailing the free speech of those attending. The policy stated:
“It is the policy of this council to no longer allow the reading of excerpts from printed material aside from matters currently pending on the council’s agenda. Members of the public are welcome to send and/or discuss these matters with their councilor outside this council meeting or to email them. The council reserves the right to remove any person who fails to follow the directions of the presiding officer.”
They even had police officers, as Boone said, present to assist in removing people who violated the new rule. The mayor remarked on how he was “65 years old but very red-faced,” that is, made uncomfortable, by the readings that took place during the previous meeting. (Remember, the readings were from books located in the children’s library; any child could pick one of these books up and read it.) Still, we, the members of Clean Up Prattville, spoke out about the books.
At the next meeting, Hannah Rees, one of the founders of Clean Up Prattville, brought more than a dozen pornographic books found in our children’s library and began to describe their contents, being sure not to read from the books, per the new policy. Rees was interrupted by Boone who told her not to use such language in describing the books and that by doing so, she would risk forfeiting her speaking time. Undeterred, Rees then described the graphic sexual content of a book checked out from the teen section of the Prattville library. Boone interrupted Rees, exclaiming, “You can’t say these things here. This meeting is live-streamed, and there could be children watching.”
As a board member of Eagle Forum of Alabama, I can say we are grateful to these brave parents and citizens for standing up to those who are trying to groom our children, spoil their innocence, and make the already difficult job of parenting even more difficult. We have partnered with Clean Up Prattville to form Clean Up Alabama and have formed groups across the state to examine local libraries.
Sadly, this problem — the presence of books with age-inappropriate and sexual content in children and teens sections — exists in most of the libraries we have examined so far. While Clean Up Prattville seeks to work with local leaders, as Clean Up Alabama, they have partnered with Eagle Forum of Alabama to address this problem at a state level at the Alabama Public Library System board meeting. The APLS is the state agency controlling the state funds and regulating the public libraries in the state….
It’s been almost a year since this battle started. We once heard our city councilwoman say she believed we would give up after a few meetings if they just stayed strong. She couldn’t have been more wrong. What have we accomplished during this year? As of Nov. 30, 2023, we have replaced every single member of the Prattville-Autauga Library Board. And as of March 8, 2024, we passed every reform we have asked for, including age-restricted library cards for children, removal of all books with sexual content from the children’s library, a ban on buying children’s books with sexual content, and warning labels added to books, in the adult section, with sexual content.
From the Federalist
I think public libraries aren’t needed anymore. Waste of taxpayer money, and a corrosive influence on kids and the community. Defund the libraries.
Perhaps you could find out what libraries do before suggesting that we defund them. Without libraries, where would school kids go to use computers that are missing from their homes? Where would children go to be fed during the summer when school cafeterias are closed? Without libraries who would teach kids the love of books? Where would kids go to get their homework done that is quiet, so that they can concentrate? Defunding is too easy a response. Yes, we do still need libraries more than ever.
1. Kids can use computers at school. Besides, every home has a computer, now, dude.
2. Why do kids need the state to feed them? That’s mom and dad’s responsibility.
3. Parents should teach their kids to read and buy them books.
4. Homework is for home.
Nearly 11 million children don’t have computers at home, or have unreliable Wifi.
When both parents work in minimum wage jobs, they don’t have enough money to buy food and/or are at work. Schools are a main source of nutrition for children.
Parents who don’t have enough money have to pay rent instead of buying books.
Homework is now done on computers and submitted online.
The world of “Father Knows Best”: doesn’t exist for a very large number of families in the U.S.
Wherever homework is required to be done on a computer, schools provide students with laptops that can be taken home.
I bet the parents you describe have $1,000 cell phones and $500 designer tennis shoes. I bet they waste money on streaming services and entertainment.
Most of the ills in America these days are a direct result of Democrat policies. Throwing money at the poor encourages them to stay poor and lazy instead of working to better themselves and their situation.
New York is giving $53 million in free food to illegal immigrants via monthly uploads to gift cards. What sense does that make? You’re only encouraging more to invade.
I give the Lord praise that “the state” does not know what others have to go through.
1 in 5 households do not have online access. Some is of choice of course.
Only half of the public schools provide digital access to their students.
There are almost 10 million students without access to Internet. This estimate is based on Pew Research’s finding that 1/3 of students in families who make less that $30,000 do not have internet access.
There are good things about computers, and there are some really bad things about computers. They cost a whole lot of money and bring with them their own sets of problems. Many young people are kidnapped, raped and killed from exposing themselves on computers. Some adults have been also. If one tells the whole world what one looks like, where one is going to be, etc. one is asking for trouble.
Just to be clear, Anne TE, computers can’t be bad. They are machines. It is the software that is bad, in many cases, or the use of the software. I know you meant that, but …
The price of computers have come down, but are still too pricey for many families. Sixteen percent of children live in families below the poverty line. That is 11 million kids. A five-hundred-dollar computer is out of the question.
I have written before, “Where there is a will, there is a way”. I should add to that “if it is God’s will for us”. Often what we want is not good for us. Some people in the Blue Zones who live extremely long and healthy lives do not have computers. Computers are not a “cure all”.
Bob One– perhaps you are not aware of it, but around the year 1982, the ALA (American Library Association) made the decision to protect readers’ “American free speech” rights– and to cease all censorship of any books or materials– including pornographic books and materials. Today, the ALA bans, censors and cancels all books and materials that to the leftists are offensive, such as Mark Twain’s “Huckleberry Finn,” for kids– which leftists deem as racist. And all anti-LGBT books and materials, including books and materials that promote Christian morality, one-man-one woman Traditional Marriage and Family books and materials. The ALA has a lesbian activist CEO, and many leftist activists. And they have librarians or deviant, immoral authors, doing book readings, poetry readings, films, etc., that are obscene. Plus, they have Drag Queen Story Hours for small children.
Our nation needs a full return to God and to principles of Judeo-Christian morality. We must carefully guard all our children, and fight long and hard for the souls of all Americans. If a parent wants to borrow books for their kids at the irresponsible, filthy, sinful local public library system– you can carefully make choices online, and inspect books carefully, before taking the pre-ordered books home, and allowing your children to read them. For older kids, you can make regular trips to a good, responsible, decent bookstore, owned by responsible people– and allow your kids to pick out some good books to take home– but carefully inspect them, first. And every American home should have a good collection of literary classics– and encourage children to read them. A mom should start reading aloud to her children, also, as a family tradition, from the day her children are born. A Catholic family ought to also have a tradition of praying the Rosary nightly, after dinner. That short, 15 minutes or so of prayer, will bring many beautiful, bountiful blessings of countless graces, and protection, for your family, from Our Lady and her Divine Son, in Heaven.
If they can do that in Prattville, Alabama, can it be done in any California cities?
Years ago we tried to stop children’s access to pornographic images in the children’s section of San Jose “Public” Libraries. The proposal would still have allowed computers in the children’s area to access pornographic reading, just not pictures. And, the City Council refused to even vote on that very minimal protection of children.
Perverts (currently) have the power.
If you look at the April calendar for the San Francisco Public Library system, you will see tons of LGBT stuff. And you will find some new Arabic cultural offerings– some look okay, but others are LGBT Arabic stuff. Then, you will see Armenian “queer” poetry and literary readings and celebrations– including an Armenian Drag King performance. And Latinx, Filipinx, etc. literary stuff—- all “queer.” Plus, for adult library patrons, an “Ecosex,” sensuous experience in Nature, on Earth Day, April 21st, is featured.
The library at Archbishop Mitty High School has lots of gay books. They’ve been doing that for over twenty years. Gay teachers at Mitty insisted that the library acquire a collection of gay love novels and other gay-affirming books. The administration and librarian happily bought them whatever they wanted.
Go here to the Mitty library’s online catalogue, search for “gay” or “lgbt” and see what I mean:
https://mittylib.goalexandria.com/
Does Bishop Cantu know this?
I bet he doesn’t. I also bet that he wouldn’t do anything about it if he did know. Gay books in Mitty’s library are the tip of the unCatholic, secularist, mismanaged iceberg that is Archbishop Mitty High School. Bishop Cantu knows enough about Mitty’s lack of Catholic identity and already does nothing about it. Being informed about gay books in the school library won’t change that equation. No matter the variables and values, the outcome will always be zero; it’s the Cantu theorem.
What Americans need to know, is that nothing in all this world is “free.” Including so-called “free speech.” The deviant, juvenile delinquents at UC Berkekey in the 1960s, with their filthy “Free Speech Movement” were filthy, low-class, immoral, irresponsible criminals– who should have been prosecuted, sent to jail, and permanently kicked out of school. Teach them all a good lesson– and prevent any more evil, Satanic filth on college campuses! Send criminal students home to their parents! Speech is a civic responsibility for mature Americans, committed to respect for others, with good moral behavior towards their fellowman, with selfless dedication avd devotion, and hard work and personal sacrifice, to nake a good country. All Americans must have a firm committment, with good training and upbringing, to live by the excellent principles of Judeo-Christian morality, in a blessed country dedicated as “One Nation Under God.” Kids must be prepared and expected to start to take their places in society as grown-ups, by age 18, at high school graduation. It is time to start the serious search for a suitable marriage partner (not frivolously date) and pick out a suitable job or vocation, and receive appropriate education or training for it. The next few years should be occupied wuth these two serious things. After that, it is time to settle down, get married, get settled in a job, and establish your own home, and start your own family– and be a full adult, at some point, after age 21. No more immature, immoral “youth cult” of babyish, juvenile delinquent teenagers, destroying the lives of millions of young people. No more babyish, false “victimhood” of immoral, immature, lawless, so-calIed, “persecuted” kids (such as LGBTs) demanding all sorts of evils, filth and sin to be legalized in society. In regards to the media– all books, printed materials, online material, films, videos, TV, radio, music, art, and entertainment and educational material of all kinds, etc. must abide by high standards of excellent quality, in every way, with strong moral and ethical codes required. Children and teenagers must be safe from all harm, and adults, too, should be preserved from filthy, evil predators, either seriously harming them– or destroying them with serious mortal sins. A woman must always be totally respected– she is not a filthy sex object, nor is any other human being. Marriage must be a lifelong, holy commitment, between only one man and one woman, who are deeply in love, and lovingly embrace all children which God nay send, to bless their home. Sex must be understood and integrated as only one small part of that lifelong, loving marraige, with children. Self-control, morality, respect for others, and virtues of modesty, humility, chastity and temperance, as well as selfless love, loyalty and service to God, to one’s beloved spouse and family, and to one’s community and country, must be deeply inculcated. If we abide by Biblical principles, our land will be richly blessed. But if America rejects God and follows Satan, our great nation will fall into an ugly, sinful cesspool of ruin– and our great country will disintegrate and die.
Ah … brevity is the soul of wit.
Libraries have turned into places of smut. Growing up, I always thought of librarians as sweet old ladies that wanted to help children learn to read. And it was probably true 60+ years ago. Today they are nothing more than left wing radicals. Time to defund the whole system. I don’t like my taxes used to teach my grandchildren filth.
I vote against public libraries every time. Books can be bought cheaply online and in second hand book stores. Often second hand book stores get new books from other companies’ overstocks and sell them at a much lower price Parents, neighbors, students and friends can exchange books, or sell them as second hand. I just bought a brand new book that sells for at least $15 most places for $5 for one of my grandchildren who needed it nest for study. I have given away hundreds of dollars of books over my lifetime, so have most people I know. Where there is a will, there is a way.
Correction to sixth line: that should be “next” instead of “nest”.
I want to praise the parents who comprise Clean Up Prattville for taking bold action for the protection of children. In our highly sexualized culture which applauds promiscuity and opposes God’s laws it takes great courage to stand up for the moral purity God demands. These brave souls are a light amidst a crooked and perverse generation. Well done, and may your tribe increase.
Any censorship is evil and goes against the values of America. Having said that, there is a good argument for making sure that books at school and in libraries are age-appropriate. Young children don’t need to know about the intricacies of making babies. They usually figure that out for themselves by middle school. One might ask if school libraries should have books that tell stories of incest, babies born out of wedlock, parents killing children because of superstitions, and the like. That of course would eliminate the Bible from the shelves. Should we eliminate books that espouse a religion different from our own? Should we eliminate all Danielle Steels books? What about books that teach that the world is over 6000 years old?
Decades ago, I knew there were books, TV shows, movies, music that I did not want my child to be exposed to.
I did my job as a parent.