Book Banners Exist To Bully Librarians
During their moment in the limelight, the grossly misnamed astroturf group Moms for Liberty, had a slogan to the effect of "We Don't Coparent With The Government." But now, a Wisconsin state lawmaker wants the government to do the parenting for them.
State Representative Barb Dittrich has introduced a pair of bills that would bully librarians into doing the parenting for the parents:
The Wisconsin proposals would require librarians and school librarians to alert parents about what kids under 16 are checking out.
"I could just see the conflict brewing between certain camps and the libraries," said Rep. Barbara Dittrich, R-Oconomowoc, in an interview with WPR. "I'm a huge supporter of libraries, I love our libraries, and literacy is important to me. And I thought, 'There's got to be an easier way to solve this problem.'"
A separate proposal in the Legislature would repeal a statute that protects librarians from prosecution for obscene materials.
The bills come at a time when Wisconsin Republicans are again proposing what they call a "Parents Bill of Rights," which would, among other things, give parents the power to review instructional materials for their kids.