Over the last week, I have been inundated by emails and phone calls asking for the event this weekend to be cancelled in order to protect children from what some perceive as a sexualization and perversion of the library. Additionally, in order to drive the point home, some have resorted to veiled threats and fear mongering.
Let me be clear. Lansdale will not be terrorized or threatened into taking away someone’s legitimate right to access and host an event in a public space because some do not agree with that person’s life choices. Furthermore, I will not stand idly by while children are used as a wedge to drive our community apart.
What was supposed to be a small event for children and their parents to engage in a story about acceptance, has been morphed and mutated into something else. This event was, and is, at the discretion of parents who are more than capable of making the choice of whether their child should be in a room with Annie discussing the topic of acceptance. In fact, they are likely the only ones who can make such a choice. How or when parents teach their children about the world is not something that is up to the rest of us to decide. If you do not want your children at the event, don’t attend.
Additionally, “Annie”, or “Miss Annie,” as she will be called at the event, is a tax-paying resident of our community and thus has a vested interest in our library and the events that take place at it. Any resident can request to hold an event at the library and invite others to participate in it. If children are involved, as often is the case in these events, a background check is performed in order to ensure the safety of the children. Annie passed that test.
Beyond the requirements to hold the event, the content is aligned with the goals of the library and the library bill of rights, which clearly states:
“libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgement of free expression and free access to ideas.”
Free expression, in this case, refers to a child who is being bullied or feels different than others in their peer group. This event, very clearly, aims to help children understand that they should embrace who they are, no matter what that means. In a world where hate crimes in K-12 schools are up 94 percent nationally (450 incidents in a year, according to the anti-defamation league) I can understand why the topic of diversity and acceptance might be important for parents to discuss with their children at a young age.
Not too long ago, I penned an article called “What We Say Matters,” outlining the dangers of “otherism” and how it denigrates communities. This past week has been a seminar on the reality of how dangerous it can be. Lansdale is a diverse community that appreciates and accepts the differences among us. At times, those differences can cause friction. However, our community is stronger than the rhetoric that looks to divide us.
We understand that diversity is a strength, not a weakness, and that all people from all walks of life bring value to our home. For these reasons, the borough steadfastly supports Tom Meyer and the library staff for the accommodation of this program, and future programs, that encourage residents to express themselves as they are.
Sincerely,
Mayor Garry Herbert
See also:
Mayoral Musings: Commuter Parking Solutions
Lansdale Enters Preliminary Data Share Agreement With Waze
Mayoral Musings: Our Single Garment Of Destiny
Mayoral Musings: What Does Our Future Hold?
Mayoral Musings: A Qualified Trio
