A little library busybody
By: Digbys Hullabaloo
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Published by digby on August 10, 2023
They have to ruin everything:
The wife of an Arkansas Republican state lawmaker has expanded the culture wars to miniature free libraries that encourage passersby to take a book and maybe leave one.
"I have been swapping out books in little free libraries for awhile," Jennifer Meeks announced in a Facebook post. "From what I have seen a lot of these books and other things don't align with Christian values."
The Aug. 1 post has since been either deleted or made private, but not before it was screenshot by the Faulkner County Social Justice Coalition, which displayed it on the group's website.
"Today, I saw a bunch of Pride stuff in one," Meeks said in the post. "There's a group of leftists, especially in Conway, who are very active in keeping little libraries well-stocked."
Meeks wrote that she had been doing some stocking of her own.
"Recently I have been picking up free Bibles at flea markets and thrift stores," she reported. "Sometimes I find good devotion books or kids' Bible stories at a good price to add. Or just great books, and a gospel tract is a nice idea, too."
Meeks did not respond to a call from The Daily Beast about her literary vigilantism.
But after the coalition publicized Meeks' post, her husband tried to claim her words were being twisted into "a complete lie" perpetrated by "a leftist, activist group."
"She's not removing books that she disagrees with and does not advocate … that anybody else do that," Rep. Stephen Meeks told the Arkansas Times, insisting that his wife had only been adding "Christian-related books as well as history, science and other books."
"The point that she was trying to make is that she saw the Pride material in there," he said, "As Christians, it would be a good opportunity that we too should be stocking those resources with Bibles, devotionals, things like that."
He tried to make it sound like an act of civic virtue.
"In other words, we want to give people more choice, and I think everybody would agree that having more choice is a good thing."
But that is not what Jennifer Meeks said in her post, as one local resident noted.
"Does she not know what 'swapping out' means?" asked Stephanie Vanderslice, the steward of the Little Free Library outside St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Conway, one of seven that appear in photos Meeks included in her post.
If people re worried about Pride books, thjey really won't like some of the depraved stories in the Bible. Oof — it's got some doozies.
Polling shows that over half of Republicans don't approve of book banning (which this is, in small scale form.)
The NPR/Ipsos poll shows 51 percent of Republicans oppose state lawmakers passing laws to ban certain books and remove them from classrooms and libraries, including 31 percent who said they strongly oppose it. More than 45 percent also said they oppose individual school boards banning books.
Democrats and independents were even more opposed to book bans; About 85 percent of Democrats said they oppose bans from school boards and lawmakers, and about two-thirds of independents said the same.
It's yet another unpopular far right "anti-woke" issue. But they just can't help themselves.
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To make it totally clear, she is taking "non Christian" books out of these little libraries and replacing them with "Christian" books. What a thrill that must be for anyone looking for something to read.
"The NPR/Ipsos poll shows 51 percent of Republicans oppose state lawmakers passing laws to ban certain books and remove them from classrooms and libraries, including 31 percent who said they strongly oppose it."
I have to wonder why so many people conflate banning books with keeping them in age appropriate sections of the normal size libraries. So many people seem to be calling it banning books when in reality in most cases it seems they are not looking to have the book removed from the library altogether, just have it put into an adult section. Of course I am sure an example could be found of someone wanting to ban a book totally if you look hard enough.
As for her I guess I have no problem adding books but I do have a problem if she is indeed taking books out.
The property owners on the other hand have a complete right to take any book out or put any book into their mini libraries that they want. As long as it is legal.
First, you should define what you mean by "adult section." As in: 1. Mature. 2. Obscene.
Second, these mini-stocked bookstands don't have categories of books (it defeats the purpose to do so).
Third, if its not pornographic materials (which no one would approve of for children), why is Meeks spying out LGBTQ materials for removal? Secondly, what is she doing with the 'property' she removes from the mini bookstands?
Can we all say that if it is not against the law to possess such materials, that it is no more her business to remove than she would want another person to 'toss' her book offerings!
That is what I said
There is a lot you did not 'say' to that comment - but, do you.
Thanks for your permission.
This is what I find interesting. We on NT can read comments from conservative commenters who like to indicate that they are detached from the body of conservative politics pervasive across the country. . . Representative Meeks remarks detailing, "Christian-related books as well as history, science, and other books," informs us that these people are CONNECTED to the conservative party enough to know when to use the same talking points.
Conservative talking point: 'History, science, math, reading, and writing should be what kids should focus on when in school and little else.'
It exposes conservatives as wanting to keep those they otherize muted, unrealized, and 'unpublished.' That is, conservatives want minority groups to fade back into the background of society and just be as quiet as possible.
The quote above proves that some conservatives are generally lying when they say they do not read or watch conservative media or read conservative websites. They would like liberals to believe they are just conservative by nature and information percolates throughout the body of conservatives without effort from any one individual, namely them.
It used to be just Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, who says that these conservatives aren't progressive.
If that doesn't prover that they lie, nothing will.
"Teenagers in the United States continue to lag behind their peers in East Asia and Europe in reading, math and science, according to results of an international exam that suggest U.S. schools are not doing enough to prepare young people for the competitive global economy."
"U.S. Education Rankings Are Falling Behind the Rest of the World"
Yep, nothing but right wing talking points
Always with the distracting tidbits. Kids can learn history, science, math, reading and writing. Plus, read books on other topics, too. What about the additional books on other aspects of life and yes, even entertainment? Why are conservatives 'pulling' books off the shelve under a pretext of inappropriateness. BTW, some of those books could very well be too graphic in content but I doubt if all those caught and toss are.
This notion that pulling books off the shelves mean that more reading, writing, math, and science is going to 'just' magically improve is a lie!
Some conservatives approach things they want to in society, by first determining what it is and then looking for a 'cover story' to lay on top of it!
As for the talking points, you all seem to know what they are - how is that accomplished if you're not reading each other's 'mail'?! The jig is up! Y'all are on the same sites pulling talking points to bring out into the marketplace of ideas. It is a conservative cabal, in my opinion.
I'm sorry that you're easily distracted.
It seems US kids are struggling to in comparison to other countries.
Who has spread that lie!
Damn, CB has uncovered the jig.
As long as our children know what Gender they are by the age of 8 nothing else really matters.
If our kids are behind on the fundamentals of learning how many other things do you want to add to their workload?
Well, no problem there! Some conservative children are little misters and little misses perfects! They would never dream of being anything but what's between their thighs! /s
The real world definition of conservativism: Sameness.
You're worried about kids' workload? Or is that a misdirection? Just cut out some of those kids' down-time and let them read at will.
Yeah - that. Works for 100 percent of conservative children. /s At least, the conservative children that matter!
How would you know that? Surely, the liberals kids and their parents know better and care more than conservatives and should be in the driver's seat about best options for their kids, right? Right?!
Or do you maintain that the 'best options' for liberals kids are conservative parents' choices?
There are over 7 billion people in the world.
Because you stand out on this forum as an advocate for learning about and celebrating minorities, I am asking you to lead by example as a person who has bothered to learn about the world's various cultures on every continent.
How many people in the world live in minority situations due to skin color, ethnic group, religious beliefs, etc in Australia? Is there more than one native tribe? What are their customs? What is their religious beliefs?
Then do the same for every country on the globe and educate us on how much you know about the world's minorities' histories, customs and religions.
If you haven't spent your life educating yourself about every other culture, then why should anyone else?
You’re presenting facts without any evidence. There is no facts that support your statement.
No, the real world definition of homogenous: Sameness.
Perhaps some believe that kids are born one way or the other.
Mocowgirl, thank you for the 'compliment' of standing out, but I am not sure that I am a 'world citizen' of any particular sort. The issues I confront here, actually, I wish it would not be so and that those issues/struggles would find ends/conclusions/better answers.
To that end, why would I wish to discuss on NT the issues related to Australian minorities? It's would be a non-sequitar in that to my knowledge no one chooses to address the plights or greatness of Aborigine peoples. Similarly, no one is discussing world religions or minority religions - if there is such a thing.
As to spending time learning about every other culture in all the world. . . I don't understand the point of it. They have their highs, lows, inbetweens like everybody else I reckon.
BTW, are you a conservative, MAGA conservative, secularist, or conservative secularist? I ask because twice you have addressed me on two different articles and honestly the comments have left me perplexed, because of what I comprehend about your political leanings-if that is the right term for what you express on NT.
With liberals, what can I say, it is not as BLACK or WHITE as with some conservatives.
It is good-great-stellar that some conservative children are raised in homes in which such understanding of their bodies and sexuality is never a question/concern to their parents! /s
You mean like this ex first grade teacher in Texas who wanted Sameness? Is the Black Teacher included in your real world definition of conservatism?
and here's a video that gives more details.
Nope. Don't be contrarian. Own it. Some conservatives see societal issues as black or white, not in shades or hues of gray or any other color. Of course, you can insert the two major colors of your choice where black or white is listed, if you want!
Wow, and yet some conservatives are delivering politics to the school house front door, into the "kiddie" classrooms, "kiddie bathrooms," "kiddie reading hour," and now 'little library" on a daily basis. Are some conservatives doing this political thing they are doing at school board meetings, because they don't want kids to be affected by politics? Explain.
Simply look up the definition of homogeneous and conservative, you'll sede the differences.
Some people across the political spectrum see issues as black or white.
Some believe that some conservatives treat school as a battlefield for control (and indoctrination) of children by interjecting right-wing politics into their classrooms and curricula:
I strikes me that some conservatives are patrolling or is it trolling school districts with their little branding irons looking for 'the dirty' to expunge it from the hearts and minds of conservative children! But wait. . .won't that make conservative children 'dumbed down' about a true Shakespearian reading 'experience'?
Honestly, I am a humanist who only cares about the scope of behavior of the human animal. This focus has pretty much weaned me of any political leanings I ever possessed.
Reading comments can be extremely boring because new material or thought processes are rarely introduced to the conversation, debate, feud or fight. I can personally vouch it is much like living with a narcissist whose idea of living is rehashing everything that has ever displeased them in their lifetime every second, minute, hour, day, week, month, year, decade and centennial if they could live that long.
Our species has the ability of being compassionate/empathetic to the most manipulative, self-serving animal on the planet.
Playing the victim is one of the most successful strategies possible to make the compassionate/empathetic people march to the self-serving manipulator's tune. As long as "feelings" can be the main focus of the political leanings then the abuse/harm done to the "other" side can be catastrophic and even fatal.
People should have equal rights - that does not make people equal in any way. It does not have a damned thing to do with skin color or sex or income level. It has a lot to do with intelligence and curiosity. Some highly intelligence people dedicate their lives to innovations that improve the lives of others, some develop products to destroy the lives of others and some become politicians to control the lives of others. From what I seen, the people in-between seem to look for someone to save them from their own inability to find any satisfaction in existence.
So now you know, some conservative!
So to be crystal clear, you're only concerned about your own issues and not those of other minorities?
What is your minority?
What rights does your minority need that they don't currently have?
Mccowgirl, why are you addressing me about this?!
I'll leave that to your commonsense, though I am pretty sure you will argue that commonsense conservativism tells you like is 'black or white' and lawyers er' grays need not apply.
I have no idea of who you really are or what you really want from other people.
I've read a few of your comments over the years, but I do too much reading and research to remember much about various people/interactions on an internet forum. You are in the neutral category of people I have ever interacted with in my life.
So I will ask again.....
What is your minority? What rights does your minority need that it does not currently have?
If you don't want to answer or having meaningful communication with me, then I'm fine with it. I'm just killing some time this evening and will probably watch some British game shows before I call it a night.
I have no 'bone' to pick with you. Indeed, we usually end up where we started at. . .and that since Newsvine. But, who are you alluding to as being, "manipulative" because I am pretty sure I am not manipulating anybody on this site. I stand in the gap for people for people who are not overly heard from on this forum (because as I understand it 'they' are not here in any set number. And, I defend our shared positions against conservatives who otherwise would use this forum to tear them, us, down and encourage others (here) to go out and vote the same against themselves (if possible).
From my perspective is is a necessary 'evil' or 'good' if you like, and somebody ought to do it.
Interesting. It's as if the article was not attached to the comment.
Well, if you need to ask I am a black male/homosexual .
Now, can you answer my question: Are you a conservative?
As you know, black Americans and homosexuals are in a constant struggle to keep rights and privileges which can be rolled back through the use of political power with a mere stroke of a pen from conservative political office holders. I don't have a list that I can supply you of "The Struggle" (though I am sure one is out there on the web somewhere to be had) , nor do I understand why it is necessary to do so. As you read or appear to read the same articles of people struggling to whole on to rights-if only the girls and women struggles- in this country.
The combination of rapid social change and COVID lit the fuse for the latest battlefield in the cultural wars. Parents property taxes are a major source of funding for public schools. Those parents attribute increasing taxes and decreasing school performance with teacher authority being undermined by ideologically-progressive ‘elite’ which are changing curriculum and teaching methods which are not supported by any evidence.
Do you want to change the discussion from this one town in Arkansas and a State Rep's wife behavior with Little Libraries into a broad on on US K-12 education?
Shakespeare, another dead white, male European, don't they get more than enough of that perspective?
Well, as it turns out Ronald Reagan threw mental patients out into the streets and lo and behold they continue to languish there today; Ronald Reagan invented a myth of a black welfare queen, it was a lie.
What should we think about Ronald Reagan. . . I am sure I could go on about him but you should get the picture.
I don't have a "bone" to pick with anyone. It is a huge waste of time and energy.
To date, I have no idea who you are, what you want, or what you stand for except you have shown little understanding of the conservative mindset and no understanding of what it is to be female, but both are somehow your adversary.
Well, you are non-stop aren't you. I've only been here going on 7 years now and this BS just multiplies. Frankly, I know about as much about you for all our so-called "interactions" as I knew from the first year comment I wrote that got be ticketed ("honey" was the offending word that time. Of course, I am not calling you that again now! Oh heaven's no!)
Texan, you impress me as someone who is not here to process anything constructive or unifying, in fact, the 'other' day I flat out agree with you on a topic and your deferred to continue being contrary for its own sake. To the point where when I flat out told you I was agreed on the issue with you - you wrote an obscure "STOP" in a comment which I have no understanding of what that was meant to convey, but I took advantage of it to -End-anyway.
In 1960, over 630,000 people were locked up in mental hospitals across the country. In 1963, JFK signed a progressive bill, the Community Mental Health Act to replace "cold mercy of custodial care would be replaced by the open warmth of community.”
Most of those institutionalized were in State facilities not federal facilities. Remember the movie, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?
Reagan became President in 1981 and we've had 19 years of Dem Presidents since.
Read and reread the article: Oh, DeSantis, a conservative governor, and his school board, are pulling the whole of Shakespeare from the classrooms of Florida, and will supplant its reading with SELECT 'portions' for the students of Florida to 'digest.' That is so wrong on a 'thousands of years' level. Of course, a fair-minded conservative such as yourself sees nothing wrong with that.
Albeit, 'portions' of Shakespeare can never do the whole of Shakespeare justice, but what does it really matter, right? At least, until generationally kids and adults have mismatched understanding of Shakespearian writings. Some might consider it as dumbing down the state-Shakespearian-fashion.
No. Never have I been a conservative. Never have I been considered conservative by anyone who has ever known me. I am far too non-conformist and outspoken when confronted by anyone who seeks to have any type of authority over me.
I am an independent - always have been. I am an introvert and a loner by nature. More than two people in a room is a crowd for me.
I only wandered into Newsvine in order to try to understand why people were fighting other things that did not and should not concern them. I've learned a lot since 2010 that has made my life richer and worthwhile.
I'm still trying to learn more everyday and occasionally share some of the news that I find pertinent.
The seed is about the wife of a State Rep and her activity with Little Libraries.
You've meandered from that to K-12 public education. DeSantis, Reagan and mental institutions. In your next comment here, please tell us what you think about CW music videos.
You dodged. But that is what some conservatives do here rather than dealing with discussion points head-on.
But, the point has been driven home. As it is with Mrs. Meeks 'pulling books' and replacing them in Arkansas so it is with DeSantis allowing conservative parents to 'pull books' out of the classroom (off the shelves) and Florida conservatives will replace and provide them their Shakespearian 'experience' with prescribed 'portions.' Now can you see the connective tissue between the two 'events.' Do tell me that you know that conservatives communicate across state lines politically!
In the 1970s, my English teachers could not force anyone in my class to read much of anything and finally allowed us to pick contemporary books written for teenagers to read.
In Biology, my class was awarded 5 points for bothering to put their name on their test papers. We were given open-book, multiple choice tests in an effort to pass the majority of the class.
I don't know how never reading any Shakespeare in high school has impacted my life, but I've tried to wade through it as an adult and it just doesn't interest me.
How is never reading Shakespeare "wrong on a 'thousands of years' level"? What have I missed?
I think I know you are female, and on that I feel pretty sure you know more about it than me (though for the life of me I don't know why you chose to offer that up at me -as I do my best to support women as best I can even though I am not one) and as for conservatives I read enough and will continue to 'bone up' as time permits and it seems to be working for me. Albeit, you may be right in one regard I don't get a 'greater' understanding about conservatism from the conservatives on NT because they seem to relish being opaque and obscure about the who, what, where, how, when, why of their political leanings.
Now then, I ask again: Are you a/conservative?
Politically, I am a liberal. I have voted conservative before in my life, but not now. Hell no, not now.
I'm sorry, did or did not Reagan deinstitutionalized the severely mentally ill. Why?
I blame Geraldo Rivera....
J.R. is the determiner of what is on/off-topic here and/or touching on the basics of his article. Don't usurp his position, please.
I'm locking this article, it is incredibly off topic almost from start to finish.
WTF
It is by no means all on you CB.
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