There are a great many sexually explicit books and library materials which, while falling short of being pornography or of meeting the legal definition of obscenity, are nonetheless inappropriate for children or even teenagers. This is the same common sense that is reflected in the movie industry’s film rating system.
After a number of parents complained about such books in the children and teen sections of our library, the Huntington Beach City Council reasonably directed that such questionable material be relocated to the adult section. Not a single book was removed from the library, and only a relative handful were relocated.
You would have thought the world was coming to an end. This modest action was loudly decried as “Book Banning” and “Censorship,” “a violation of the first amendment.” We were, it was said, on the threshold of the darkest days in human history, a return, not only to Hitler’s Germany, but something far worse.
Why, we were warned, the library itself, the “crown jewel” of Huntington Beach, was on the verge of being sold to developers to bulldoze and build high rise apartments. Sure, they are just relocating a few questionable books now, but don’t you see if we allow this, that soon all books will be banned and no one will be allowed to read anything.
Meanwhile, the truth is that a handful of books were moved from an inappropriate location to a more appropriate one.
The current situation with Measures A and B all began as a tactic to support the 2024 reelection campaigns of Dan Kalmick, Natalie Moser, and Rhonda Bolton. Petitions were circulated to convince people of this absurd narrative of a threat to our library, allowing these candidates to pose as “library champions” against a non-existent threat. Having no accomplishments, this was about all they had to run on.
As it happened, Kalmick, Moser and Bolton lost, but the petitions succeeded in qualifying Measures for the ballot, and now we are faced with a special election on Measures A & B, two campaign ploys now being sold as serious measures. But unserious as they were in origin, they would be nonetheless awful in their impact were they to succeed.
Measure A not only strips the Council’s 21 person committee of the ability to move inappropriate books to the adult section, transferring this power to a single government employee, but even prevents that person from moving any book, however objectionable, to the adult section. It would codify a requirement for material with all “moral ideas,” including immoral ones, to be available to “all people,” including children. This would be law.
The city council has no control over the internet or other avenues where children might be exposed to inappropriate sexual material, but it does fund and control our public library. Parents and all adults have a responsibility to protect children in their formative years from destructive influences of all types. Contrary to what Measure A assumes, children do not have a right to access pornography, obscenity or any other dangerous material and public libraries have no obligation to provide it to them. If you are 18 or over, you can see the books in question at https://calhomeowners.com/no_a_b/ or https://www.protecthbkids.com/ for yourself.
Measure B is a special interest protection measure. All city councils are wrestling with difficult budget choices. One option is the outsourcing of selected city services to private contractors when this makes sense. The city already outsources many services including some library services. Measure B effectively prohibits considering outsourcing of library management services while leaving all other city services subject to this option. How is that fair to the other city employees? By crippling the council’s ability to control the budget it may even be illegal.
In a way, Measures A and B would themselves “privatize” our public library. They would remove discretion and control of both library content and budget from the public’s elected representatives on behalf of the private interests behind these Measures. You almost have to admire the craftiness.
Don’t be fooled by false rhetoric about “Parents, not Politicians,” or “Protect our Precious Library,” or whatever other nonsense you may hear. The library is fine the way it is being run now. No one wants to do anything to the library except make sure books are in the appropriate section. Vote “No” on both Measures A and B.
Russ Neal, President, Huntington Beach Republican Assembly
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Editors Note:
This op-ed is part of a series allowing OC residents to add their voice to the library debate in Huntington Beach – ahead of a June 10th special election. We welcome opinions on all sides of the issue.