By Marie Tiemann

Dear Concerned Parents, Friends and Neighbors:

Are you aware of what your children are seeing?

Parents, do you know what books or electronic media your children are being exposed to at school or in the public library?  That got much harder this year when the VT legislature passed Act 150. (1) That law rejects porn protections for young public library users by preventing parents of children 12+ from accessing the records of what books the children have checked out.  The law also prevents the public from objecting to any content in school libraries “related to sexual health that addresses physical, mental, emotional, or social dimensions of human sexuality, including puberty, sex, and relationships”.  

It appears that that the public is allowed no grounds for complaint against even the most extreme sexual content.  But, is that true?  More on that further down.

Misleading argument

Many of you have heard about the controversary of the “banned books”.   

• If a book is banned, no one can buy or obtain the book—however, these can be easily purchased.
• Each year librarians select a small number of books from the thousands of titles available—so, are the remaining books “banned”?
• Therefore, the alarm raised about “book banning” is really a tactic to undermine the efforts of concerned citizens to protect young people.

Are these books really that bad?

Do you have any doubts about the content of the “banned books”?  I ask that you first open and view the content in the books.  The sexual books on display are so disturbing that I had to close them.  I found it hard to comprehend that they are recommended for children and youth.

A warning sign should be placed on the library shelf and on the books:

WARNING: Contents in this material are harmful to children’s minds.

Images can permanently damage young minds. 

Pictures and images make lasting impressions on the human mind.  Once you see an image, you cannot “unsee” it.  We need a protective shield for images that cause damage to the mind.  While the public is now more concerned about what the children are viewing on social media, they should also be vigilant about what they are viewing in books.

How images can harm young lives

Exposure to graphic sexual images & content is especially harmful to young developing minds that creates a permanent effect on their brains.  Graphic sexual images release an overload of dopamine in the brain which results in addictions, depression, and often inappropriate behavior. Children and young adults who view age-inappropriate graphic sexual images before their minds are ready to adequately process the material will develop a distorted perception of sexuality.  This will have lifelong effects on their future relationships.  A distorted perception of sexuality will also cause a child to lower their defenses if a sexual predator is trying to gain their confidence.

We rightfully protect minors from many hazards

We have laws requiring seat belts and bike helmets for protecting kids’ bodies.  We should be just as concerned about protecting their minds. There are laws preventing those under 18 years of age from entering the brick-and-mortar strip clubs. Would you let your young child or even a teenager freely roam the “red-light” district in town?  Would you allow them to watch X-rated films?  I think not! Many of the library books containing graphic sexual images are in our school’s classrooms. So why are these sexually explicit books allowed to take up valuable space on the classroom shelves?  How are these books that describe explicit vulgar sexual acts, and display sexually graphic actions going to help educate our children? I personally know parents who lament the damage done by pornography to their child’s ability to concentrate, think and learn.  

What needs to be done?

School staff have a responsibility to protect the children when they walk through the schoolhouse doors. But, does the law prevent them from doing that? If you read carefully you will notice that the law protects only books that promote “sexual health”.  However, it has been objectively shown that pornographic materials are damaging. In addition, the law requires school library staff to ensure that “such materials are tailored to the cognitive and emotional levels of the children served by the school”.   Therefore, we have the grounds to insist that materials which contain age-inappropriate sexual content be removed from our school library shelves. 

Final responsibility

Parents, you have the freedom to choose what you do in your own home and what content you put before your children.  But these books have no place in the public school where young minds are in danger of being subjected to exposure of inappropriate material.  Parents, not the state, are the ones who are responsible for deciding how and when to introduce their children to sensitive issues about gender and sexuality.  

1. Act 150 ACT150 As Enacted.pdf

Marie Tiemann is President of SPEAKVT.  Please contact us at speakvermont@gmail.com if you are interested in joining our efforts or have any comments or concerns.