The ACLU’s library positions boggle the mind

Posted on February 8, 2007

Vail Daily: Religious posters lure ACLU to library

GRAND JUNCTION – Colorado’s Denver-based chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union wants local library officials to spell out policies for religious displays.

This, in response to posters critical of homosexuality and divorcees, which are part of a display now lining the rear stairwell of the Mesa County Public Library’s main branch.

“In the absence of a prominent and conspicuous disclaimer, it seems very likely that a reasonable observer could conclude that the government endorses the religious message found in the library display,” reads a letter sent to local officials by ACLU staff attorney Taylor Pendergrass.

The letter arrived Wednesday at the Mesa County Attorney’s Office as well as the office of Susan Corle, with the local firm Williams, Turner & Holmes, who represents the library district.

Corle couldn’t be reached for comment late Wednesday, but Mesa County spokeswoman Jessica Peterson confirmed the letter was reviewed by staff with County Attorney Lyle Dechant. Bob Delavan, president of Mesa County Library District’s board of directors, said he wasn’t aware of the ACLU letter.

Filed under the Colorado Open Records Act, the letter asks library officials for “any documents” related to the display filed by “Christians for Healthy Families,” in addition to the library’s written guidelines “including, but not limited to, the library’s policies regarding displays that contain a religious message.”

Bill Hugenberg, a retired local attorney, said he contacted ACLU on Monday after he’d visited the library this past Saturday.

“I looked up and saw Leviticus staring at me,” Hugenberg said. “I was appalled and incredulous.

“What does a reasonable person think when they see this? They think the religious right has taken over the library.”

No, only a shrieking bigot would think that, not a “reasonable” person.

Let me get this straight (ha-ha)…porn on computers is constitutionally required, promotion of Communist propaganda is an inviolable necessity, homosexual magazines must be displayed in the library entry in a kindergartener’s line of sight…but any mention that same-sex sodomy and divorce may not exactly benefit society brings the threat of litigation? What a world.

What this looks like is a community bulletin board, which is normally an open forum in a public library. For someone to ask for that public forum be closed to religious messages when it is otherwise open to other peaceful messages is…you guessed it!…unconstitutional.

The ACLU’s letter which asks the library to spell out its policies is just the bait. What it really wants is for the library to be intimidated into removing any religious message, regardless of whether it would be singling out religious speech for censorship.

A disclaimer? How about a disclaimer on all material promoting unhealthy activities like male-on-male sex? A public library can’t possibly be permitted to endorse a public health threat, can it?

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Comments

One Response to “The ACLU’s library positions boggle the mind”

Greg on February 8th, 2007 4:02 pm

Man, they want a simple note saying that the posters are not sponsored by the library and you get all up in arms. Would it help if they had a similar note saying the porn was not sponsored by the library as well?