On Thursday, August 18th, a group of Americans held a meeting at a local library.
As a result of this event, where political matters were discussed, they were told that they are prohibited from further use of Jefferson Parish libraries.
Is this right? Who has the right to refuse the use of venues, built, and operated by recipients of our tax dollars?
They were told that it was due to the political nature of the event. Is not the very existence of public libraries a beneficiary of political activity? How can it be that the political opinions of Americans can be censored by the refusal of access to these public venues?
If we are to have our wealth extracted by our government, and distributed to agencies of that government for public use and the betterment of a civil society, does it not stand evident that ALL citizens should be able to access it for ANY legal purpose?
Are we to accept that because someone is offended by our political opinion, or by the results of investigations, the purveyors of that evidence should lose the right to its use?
In a day when we are constantly learning about the illegal use of public libraries to subject small children to sexual perversion through what is called, “Drag Queen Story Hour,” are we really expected to roll over and accept this discrimination?
I am not accusing Jefferson Parish Libraries of hosting Drag Queen Story Hours, but many public, and school libraries across our great nation are. I believe that while I do not endorse these perverted activities, they enjoy a great deal of acceptance in many public libraries. Varying political views are certainly not as abhorrent as exposing young children to vile sexual exploitations.
In fact, the very first Amendment to our Constitution says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
I believe that the failure to allow any political organizations access to public venues constitutes a violation of three of these protections guaranteed to us in this constitutional provision.
abridging the freedom of speech
Is it not obvious that the reason some Americans are restricted access is to curtail their ability to relate, or speak freely about political matters?
the right of the people peaceably to assemble
Is it not obvious that the reason some Americans are restricted access is to deny them public assembly?
petition the Government for a redress of grievances
Is it not possible that the reason some Americans are restricted access is to deny them redress of political grievances?
I find it appalling that our public institutions would dare to restrict access to the venues that, “we the people,” finance, for any political reason. If we do not demand fidelity to the law, the Constitution, and our constitutional rights, we will find our selves living in a tyranny, and the results of such surrender are myriad, and can be found to have occurred as recently as Venezuela, and Shri Lanka’s descent into marxist tyranny.
Is that the future that we want for our children?
If you, as a parent, want to expose your young children to sexual perversion, do it at home, not in a venue that I help to fund.
If you don’t want people to discuss ways to improve our state, and federal government in a public facility, too bad. If these institutions are not available for the distribution of political information, they have no valid purpose related to any public assemblies.
God bless you, Dave