the library board just confirmed they are keeping the movie program exactly as it is. i cant thank you enough for sticking with me while we fought to keep our collections open to everyone. we won this round but lets keep paying attention to what happens at the meetings moving …
October 5, 2021
Support Our Library
Final supporters
Once again our Pickens County Library is under attack. As some of you may already know, certain radical members of our community would like to prevent our library from showing R-Rated movies. Their argument: "R-rated movies are not appropriate and the movies in question are not educational." This group of people is active, highly motivated, and will never stop attacking our institutions and the freedoms for which those institutions stand. It would be easy to sit back and allow this slight to go unchecked. If we do that, then slowly but surely these backwards ideals creep into the fabric of our society.
You too may find yourself thinking how is it "appropriate" for the library to show R-Rated movies? How are these movies educational? Why should my tax dollars support this?
I encourage you to ponder these points in answer to that question:
- The word appropriate is subjective. What's inappropriate to one is not necessarily inappropriate to all. There is content at the library that even the vast majority of people would find offensive, grotesque, or otherwise "inappropriate". The library does not exist to cater to any one person, it exists to serve everyone.
- There is no educational mandate whereby the library must ONLY provide educational media. The Pickens Library mission is to provide services that "cover the informational, educational, cultural, and entertainment needs of [ALL] county residents".
- Tax dollars go to many programs that benefit the public at large but may not necessarily benefit you personally. This does not preclude you from paying taxes nor does it necessarily diminish the need for any particular program or service.
- No one is forcing people to watch R-rated movies at the library. They are presented in a safe and isolated viewing room. Persons under 16 not admitted, unless accompanied by parent or adult guardian.
- A public library in the USA should never restrict content based on public opinion, morals, theology, ideology, politics, or really any reason whatsoever. The overarching purpose of a library is to provide and present a record of all that humankind has created, explored, researched, and discovered (utilizing limited space and financial resources).
Regardless of whether you approve of the movies being shown (by Title, Genre, Rating, or educational value), it is my hope that you can agree: the ability to show these movies fully intersects with not just the mission of the library but with the mission of our Country. Please consider signing this petition. It is imperative that we let our library know they have our full support!
...and if you still disagree, go watch the movie Footloose. You can probably check it out at your local library!
Updates
Reached 100 supporters
August 12, 2021
42 Comments
Religious censorship has no place in government — federal, state, or local — including in public libraries.
If they don't want to watch it or if they don't want their children to watch it. Then they should be a parent. Don't let them go in the room where the movie is playing and don't let them watch it. Most children need a driver or a guardian present. Just say no, you can't watch it. Do your job, don't cause issues for everyone else.
It’s ludicrous to even think they could censor the library. If R-rated films are banned from the library then I want Bibles banned also for sexual content.
The majority of Pickens County residents are over the age of 17. The library offers services to these residents as well!
As an educator, one of the worst things I can do to my students is censor the media they consume. Don't let the extreme belief holders take those freedoms from the general public.
The public library in this county serves an overwhelmingly important service to its citizens. The idea of getting rid of our libraries is unacceptable!
Lived in Easley for decades and the library is one of our community’s most valuable resources. Fully support it and will continue to do so.
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the library board just confirmed they are keeping the movie program exactly as it is. i cant thank you enough for sticking with me while we fought to keep our collections open to everyone. we won this round but lets keep paying attention to what happens at the meetings moving …
October 5, 2021
Support Our Library
Final supporters
Once again our Pickens County Library is under attack. As some of you may already know, certain radical members of our community would like to prevent our library from showing R-Rated movies. Their argument: "R-rated movies are not appropriate and the movies in question are not educational." This group of people is active, highly motivated, and will never stop attacking our institutions and the freedoms for which those institutions stand. It would be easy to sit back and allow this slight to go unchecked. If we do that, then slowly but surely these backwards ideals creep into the fabric of our society.
You too may find yourself thinking how is it "appropriate" for the library to show R-Rated movies? How are these movies educational? Why should my tax dollars support this?
I encourage you to ponder these points in answer to that question:
- The word appropriate is subjective. What's inappropriate to one is not necessarily inappropriate to all. There is content at the library that even the vast majority of people would find offensive, grotesque, or otherwise "inappropriate". The library does not exist to cater to any one person, it exists to serve everyone.
- There is no educational mandate whereby the library must ONLY provide educational media. The Pickens Library mission is to provide services that "cover the informational, educational, cultural, and entertainment needs of [ALL] county residents".
- Tax dollars go to many programs that benefit the public at large but may not necessarily benefit you personally. This does not preclude you from paying taxes nor does it necessarily diminish the need for any particular program or service.
- No one is forcing people to watch R-rated movies at the library. They are presented in a safe and isolated viewing room. Persons under 16 not admitted, unless accompanied by parent or adult guardian.
- A public library in the USA should never restrict content based on public opinion, morals, theology, ideology, politics, or really any reason whatsoever. The overarching purpose of a library is to provide and present a record of all that humankind has created, explored, researched, and discovered (utilizing limited space and financial resources).
Regardless of whether you approve of the movies being shown (by Title, Genre, Rating, or educational value), it is my hope that you can agree: the ability to show these movies fully intersects with not just the mission of the library but with the mission of our Country. Please consider signing this petition. It is imperative that we let our library know they have our full support!
...and if you still disagree, go watch the movie Footloose. You can probably check it out at your local library!
Updates
Reached 100 supporters
August 12, 2021
42 Comments
Individuals determine what is appropriate for others is called censorship. I probably will not see any of these movies myself, but I have no right to deprive others of the chance to make that decision for themselves.
Religious censorship has no place in government — federal, state, or local — including in public libraries.
If they don't want to watch it or if they don't want their children to watch it. Then they should be a parent. Don't let them go in the room where the movie is playing and don't let them watch it. Most children need a driver or a guardian present. Just say no, you can't watch it. Do your job, don't cause issues for everyone else.
It’s ludicrous to even think they could censor the library. If R-rated films are banned from the library then I want Bibles banned also for sexual content.
The majority of Pickens County residents are over the age of 17. The library offers services to these residents as well!
As an educator, one of the worst things I can do to my students is censor the media they consume. Don't let the extreme belief holders take those freedoms from the general public.
The public library in this county serves an overwhelmingly important service to its citizens. The idea of getting rid of our libraries is unacceptable!
Lived in Easley for decades and the library is one of our community’s most valuable resources. Fully support it and will continue to do so.
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Individuals determine what is appropriate for others is called censorship. I probably will not see any of these movies myself, but I have no right to deprive others of the chance to make that decision for themselves.