The so-called “conservative movement” in St. Tammany has received the support of the Slidell Ministers Association in the hysterical effort to solve the suddenly critical problem of accessibility to “inappropriate” material in parish libraries – just like dozens of other parishes in Louisiana that all at once, and curiously, altogether, discovered this plague that has somehow surpassed drugs, broken homes and myriad other problems facing our youth.
The association has parish Councilman David Cougle in distributing yet another questionnaire about libraries to citizens. Combatting hunger, spousal abuse, homelessness and a multitude of other maladies confronting society, have now taken a back seat to dirty books, which seem to have made their way to the top of the list of concerns of these men of God.
It’s strangely curious how this issue has popped up simultaneously across the state. That being said, here is the questionnaire being sent out by the ministers:
Slidell Ministers Association
Library Control Board Nomination
SurveyTop of Form
Important SMA Survey
Nominations have been finalized to serve on the St Tammany Library Control Board by the St Tammany Parish Council. The Slidell Ministers Association (SMA) has created a survey with eight (8) statements you can respond to on a scale of one to five. One being Strongly Disagree and five being Strongly Agree.
Please make every effort to finish the survey before Friday April 26, 2024, so the survey can be compiled and distributed to the council before they vote. Your names will not be distributed.
Thank You for participating.
1) The St Tammany Library Control Board members are subject to the appointment and/or removal by The St Tammany Parish Council.
2) Sexually explicit books deemed pornographic with no educational value are not harmful to underage children.
3) Public Libraries should not expose children to sexually explicit books deemed pornographic and of no educational value.
4) Library Control Board members must abide by the predominate conservative values of St Tammany Parish.
5) Library Control Board members must resist all efforts to allow sexually explicit books and material in St Tammany libraries.
6) Restricting access to sexually explicit books is about protecting the innocence of children not banning books.
7) Library Control Board members need to be held accountable if they approve sexually explicit books that are harmful to children.
8) The principles espoused by our Founding Fathers as stated by President John Adams 1798: “the Constitution, is made only for a moral and religious people.”
This questionnaire was not sent to me but it did provide an opportunity for anyone to respond. So, I’m responding:
- This is a loaded question but yes, of course the parish council has the authority – and responsibility to appoint library board members. That, however, does not give the parish council authority to interfere in the operation of the libraries by professionals specifically trained for that purpose.
2. First of all, “no educational value” is a subjective call if ever there was one. Who makes that determination? A kid who aspires to become a doctor would find an illustrated book of human anatomy educational, But of course, any responsible parent would see to it what a child is reading; it’s not the duty of self-appointed morality police to impose their standards of right and wrong.
3. Again, who “deems” a book to be “pornographic” and of no educational value? As above, this is an attempt to force someone’s beliefs onto others. During the Dark Ages, Christians were burning non-believers at the stake and boiling them alive in efforts to “convert” them.
4. See above.
5. Are you suggesting that librarians and board members “resist all efforts” to allow the Holy Bible into libraries? I suggest that these ministers go back and re-read some of the scriptures and decide if Lott’s offering his two virgin daughters to a Sodomite mob or when Lott impregnated his two daughters. Or perhaps they can explain how Adam and Eve propagated the human species when the only children attributed to them were a couple of sons. And even if Cain Abel had any sisters, the same question still applies. They might also wish to review Ezekiel 23:20 and Numbers 31:18 for explicit sexual and violent passages. Also, if God is truly all-knowing, why did he require the Israelites to smear blood on their doorposts so that the angel of death would know to “Passover” those households? And for pure violence, why did God deem it necessary to kill babies?
6. I call B.S. This silly nonsense is all about banning books. Why else would To Kill a Mockingbird be on the hit list? Why would there be emphasis on material deemed “inappropriate” to white adults? To try to claim that your crusade is only about protecting the “innocence of children” would be laughable if it were not such a blatant lie.
7. See numbers 3 and 4.
8. John Adams also vehemently disagreed that women and non-property owners should be allowed to vote, so what’s your point?
Louisiana Voice 
Attacks on libraries and librarians may be a coordinated effort but whoever came up with this list of statements has a walk-in closet full of repressed, sexually explicit skeletons and he is scared to death they’re going to get out.