It is rare for the editorial board of The Augusta Press to fail to reach a total consensus when discussing issues destined for the editorial page, but it does happen, and recently the board found itself at loggerheads over the issue of content found in library books in Columbia County.
Publisher Joe Edge and Executive Editor Debbie Van Tuyll both took pen to paper explaining their points of view and, usually, such an exercise ends with a consensus that is printed under the board’s byline; however, despite our best efforts, we had to agree to disagree.
The issue goes far beyond mere words presented on the printed page and strikes an emotional chord for those on both sides of the issue.
The topic of what reading material is provided by the public library system is multifaceted and opens up many tracks of discussion. What is “age appropriate” when we all know that children reach maturity at different ages? Are the social mores of the past to be tossed out as archaic or studied for context? By arguing about the specific language of a sexual nature in “The Diary of Anne Frank,” are we re-victimizing Frank by publishing what was meant to be a private journal or does censoring out such language somehow deny Frank her humanity, including her innermost desires and their frailties?
In this debate, the important take-away is that parents, on both sides of the issue, in Columbia County, feel the issue is important enough to attend library board meetings to have their voices heard. Parents in Columbia County honestly care and pay attention to what their children read.
In an age where people are almost literally glued to their electronic devices and tend to use those devices as babysitters, it is refreshing to see people actually picking up the classics such as “To Kill a Mockingbird” in an effort to guide their children in the right direction.
We, as a board, agree that adults coming together to politely discuss this sensitive topic amounts to good parenting.
Naturally, some of the loudest voices are those with beliefs that land on the fringes of the issue, or have a distinct agenda; with one bloc fretting that Anne Frank’s rather frank thoughts on her burgeoning sexuality is inappropriate and those who claim that choosing not to include books with graphic sexual content further serves to marginalize groups, such as the LGBTQ+ community.
Regardless of one’s personal stand on the issue, what is important is that we, as parents, keep talking and keep discussing the issue. After all, isn’t that why we have books in the first place?
