To the editor:
This week was an interesting week to say the least!
First, Ohio citizens looked at the facts and not the scare tactics and wisely voted no on Issue 1, which keeps the power in the people's hands where it belongs. Thank you to all Ohio citizens who voted for truth and not fear mongering by out-of-state dark money.
Second, was the August meeting of the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County. Once again the issue being discussed in the public comment session dealt with LGBTQIA+ books and those who demand they be removed. The book ban crowd keeps insisting that everyone must abide by their beliefs and morals, that anyone who thinks differently are evil and they call us groomers, child traffickers and worse.
They keep using the biblical quote Matthew 18:6 "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." Mistakenly, they think it refers to actual children being harmed, but if they actually utilized the building they were in for more than just grandstanding they would learn that Jesus is referring to his disciples who were young in their faith, not actual children.
A gentleman was upset that in a letter to the editor from July that a writer had referred to people who want to ban books and attack members of the LGBTQIA+ community as militant Christian terrorists. He was offended by the word terrorist, but the next person who stood up to speak (in favor of keeping the library a space that welcomes everyone) mentioned that growing up, a family member would openly brag about being part of the Catholic Taliban, so they even see themselves as terrorists, or so it seems, they just don't like other people pointing it out.
A local pastor spoke at the August meeting that the library board would rather be home with their families instead of at these meetings, well, let me reassure the gentleman that we would rather be home too, but when the people I care about are being verbally attacked in public by a group of militant Christians I will be standing there to protect them.
The state library doesn't allow hate speech in their library yet it seems Jefferson County library has no issue with people calling members of the LGBTQIA+ pedophiles, groomers and social experiments. If they said these things about African Americans or Jewish people they would be escorted out of the library without a second thought. Why it's OK with the library board for these things to be continually said against the LGBTQIA+ community is a question that deserves an answer.
Barb Davis
Wintersville