To the editor:
Since beginning to attend library meetings in June 2022, I have consistently brought my concerns with the LGBTQ ideological agenda portrayed in children's literature to the board of the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County.
On every occasion, the public comment period has been civil. I used my five minutes to address the board and then let the meeting run its course. There were no shouting matches. There were no bouts of impassioned yelling at board members. There was no rancor or uncontrollable name calling, unlike the circus arena that has replaced the political forum of our nation.
Rather, civil dialogue and a respectful exchange of information marked all meetings. I am very grateful that the PLSJC library board has attentively listened to our concerns and ensured that meetings remain peaceful even as we discuss these controversial issues. Consequently, I was shocked when I read the recent letter to the editor decrying library board meetings as full of "hatred and venomous slander."
If anyone would like to witness the truth of the library board meetings, read the minutes. Even better, come visit. Every meeting is open to the public and held at the Main Library downtown. Arguments presented by the writer of the letter "Conduct code should be enforced" that appeared in the July 16 edition might lose their truthfulness compared to the reality of the library's respectful open forum.
Annie McKenna
Steubenville