I couldn't have said it better myself

Letter to the Editor in today's Sun Herald.

Keepers of standards, or cultural bullies?

I am writing about the book-banning issue that recently occurred in the Jackson-George Regional Library system, and which was reported in the Sun Herald. A best-selling book was pulled from the shelves for board review because one individual found it offensive and made a complaint. The library board will review the book later this month. A similar incident occurred last year at an area book store.


What kind of society are we becoming when librarians and booksellers, who of all people should vigorously stand up for and defend the freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment, allow themselves to be intimidated by individuals who for whatever motivations would become self-appointed regulators of what we read, see and think?

As I recall, the bookstore manager was actually visited by the police and threatened with arrest, and lawyers from the headquarters office advised him to remove the book in question. What kind of lawyers were these? Is constitutional law only an elective now in law school?

I live just outside Picayune, where some business owners have been visited by local church deacons and threatened with boycotts if they continue to distribute a particular free periodical which church officials do not approve of. Most of the businesses bowed to this pressure.

No one seems to be willing to stand up to these cultural bullies. Maybe we should just give in, close the libraries and bookstores, let the churches amend and approve our business plans, and replace the tax code with tithes.

Sadly, there are many sheep in human clothing who would be perfectly happy with just that.

MAC TUCKER Carriere