This is the context - an Idaho law that penalizes any library that allows minors access to “inappropriate” content, and lets each child’s parent define what “inappropriate” means. So libraries could be penalized if, for example, a homeschooled Christian child reads a book on biology that mentions evolution or a YA novel with a gay character, and their parents object to it. Or if a liberal parent objects to their child reading the Bible or Quran.

Given the wide scope and uncertain limits of this law, some Idaho libraries are banning minors entirely. As was, I suspect, the goal.

Laws like this are becoming widespread in red states and will likely become federal law with Project 2025.

The United States is becoming a nation where parents’ right to keep their kids stupid and bigoted is more important than children’s right to learn. And if that isn’t a sign of collapse I don’t know what is.

  • Mike D.@lemm.ee
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    5 months ago

    This is crazy. When I was young my friends and I went to the library a lot. We would read magazines and play tag as well as work on school projects. Banning children from a library is insane.

    • Croquette@sh.itjust.works
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      5 months ago

      Old fucks don’t want children anywhere they might see them, so this shit happen.

      In a small town near me (not in the US), a bylaw states that children that want to play in their street must have 2/3 of the street signing a document. Otherwise, anyone can call the cops on kids playing in the street and cops might decide to kick the off the street.

      This is fucking pathetic and I can’t wait for these old cunts to leave this world so that we can move forward as a society.