Sean Swope: I stand firmly with Brian Mittge; It’s time to get libraries back to being libraries

As a Lewis County commissioner who helped appoint Brian Mittge to the Timberland Regional Library Board of Trustees, I am appalled by the vicious character assassination and scapegoating aimed at him.

Brian is an upstanding, dedicated member of our community who has poured countless hours into public service.

He’s generous with his time and truly cares about doing what’s right for taxpayers.

To paint this good man as some villain for speaking plain common sense is disgraceful and dishonest.

What Brian is asking for isn’t extreme — it’s exactly what the people of Lewis County expect. Our libraries should be safe, neutral places where families go to check out books, study and learn. Period.

Not hubs for activism. Not places to push sexual beliefs on kids. And not spots to divide children from their parents.

Brian nailed it when he said libraries need to be “beige, not rainbow.”

Beige means plain, non-partisan and unifying — focused on books for everyone, without the ideological displays and monthly celebrations that divide us at taxpayer expense.

I do not support banning books.

Adults deserve access to a full range of materials, and every book has its proper place.

But let’s be honest: sexually explicit content, books on gender and sexual orientation, and pornographic illustrated material do not belong in the children’s section. Move them to the adult areas where they belong.

And enough with the pamphlets handed to kids — from reading age up to about 12 — that actually encourage them to hide their library cards from their parents so they can check out whatever they want without mom and dad knowing.

That’s not library work; that’s undermining families.

I find it especially concerning that Centralia City Councilor Ray Chapman-Wilson took to the microphone to defend the library’s stance on this very issue. Defending what amounts to grooming — that encourages secrecy between kids and parents so children can access inappropriate and pornographic material behind their backs — is unacceptable.

Public institutions funded by our taxes should strengthen families, not encourage children to hide things from them.

Brian’s last point says it all: “Just get back to being a library.”

That means safe spaces for families, no activism, no therapists-in-training behind the desk, and a real focus on providing ample books for public use.

Parents should feel confident bringing their kids without worrying about inappropriate content or divisive displays.

I’ve worked closely with Brian, and he has been engaged, thoughtful and committed every step of the way. He listens to the community and fights for the responsible use of public dollars, especially as the library faces budget challenges.

If the board and library leadership refuse to change course and keep alienating families with this politicized approach, I will fight hard against any levy lid lift.

I will also look at every option to stop forcing Lewis County taxpayers to fund a system that no longer serves its original purpose.

Our libraries were built for books in rural communities — not social experiments.

Please restore trust and common sense.

Brian Mittge deserves our strong support, not smears. I’m proud to stand with him, and I urge everyone who values neutral, family-friendly public institutions to do the same.

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Sean Swope is a Republican Lewis County commissioner representing District 1, which includes Centralia and surrounding areas.