Lewis County Commissioner Sean Swope likes to talk about roles, telling us his idea of the roles of a public library. Mr. Swope, and you who elected him need to understand some other roles.
It is not, nor ever has it been, the role of a county commissioner to determine what is or is not appropriate for any library patron to read. Nor is it his role to guide readers’ journeys through a well-structured rating system of books available in our libraries.
His proposed ratings plan does nothing but apply his subjective ratings to stigmatize books based on what he decides for you is appropriate. Do you understand that? Mr. Swope wants the power to decide for you what is proper for your kids to read.
Who do you think you are, Mr. Swope, to assume such power to yourself? If you claim to be a concerned father, fine. Your concern begins and ends with what your own children read. What mine wish to read is for me and them to decide, not you. Not ever.
Jesse Ohlsson
Formerly of Lewis County
