Ah! It's the Books Again

 AH! IT'S THE BOOKS AGAIN

Books are on their mind.  It usually is this time of year when the legislature is nearing midterm finalizing various legislative proposals.  I will give credit when credit is due.  We once again are making renewed efforts to keep books from minors.  

Long ago our legislature understood the serious nature of minors knowing anything.  This is allegedly a  matter of sexual knowledge.  Unfortunately sex is necessary if you want to consider the continuation of the species.  And what's more, every life form on the planet engages in it - - or they wouldn't be here.

One can conclude from this that sex is the foundation of life as we know it.  However, our legislature is determined that children, their children and my children presumably, need not know about it; that there is such a thing; that such a thing is necessary for life; that they will one day engage in it in one form or another.  The idea is that if we talk about sex rather than what is really the issue, which are books, the public will support their efforts.

The main culprit in the dissemination of information regarding sex is the library - - any and all libraries i. e., books.   Libraries are the problem; libraries provide knowledge and knowledge is not required or desired.  We must limit the knowledge that our children possess - - knowledge just isn't good for them and without books, it would be so much better in keeping it from them.  Children  should not be reading books!  Our legislature does not approve.  

Since every child in America, which includes Iowa, has access to the internet, the idea that a library poses a special danger to sexual knowledge is ludicrous.  Consequently, what one must gather from the renewed efforts of the Iowa legislature is their distaste for books not their obsession with sex.  They must think about it all the time; probably nightmares and sleepless afternoons wondering what literature their children might come across at the library.

But again, it really isn't sex that is the issue. I can't imagine our legislators don't like sex since presumably they engage in it;  so it must be the books they don't care for. Clearly, they don't like books and don't approve of anyone who would read one. Sex is just the excuse to get rid of the books.  One can only assume that the public who elect these people are in agreement - - books are bad and the less access to them children have the better.  Banning books is as old as the first book; not only banning but burning and sometimes the author along with it. Knowing stuff is not good for you and clearly this should be addressed through legislative action.

Richard E H Phelps II

Mingo