The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

To the editor,

Some leaders of countries, cults, & religions know that if you keep most of your people uneducated or undereducated, they are easier to control to that leader’s viewpoint. That is one of the reasons our early U.S. leaders promoted public education for all, including women. Until then, most female children did not have access to learning to read.

Ignorance increases hate!

Those backing the proposition to dissolve our Columbia County Rural Library will cause all of us to lose our library. What will they put in its place? Ignorance and hate? How long and how much money from taxpayers would it take to restore a library? What will they tell those with less resources than them how to find compatible library services? Where will those with less financial resources go to find books and information?

Is this a Christian value reflecting how to help the poor?

When you know better – you do better. We all know better than to destroy our public library because some are unhappy with parts of it.  The good they think they are doing for children is nonexistent compared to the harm their proposition will do to ALL children and community members.

Voters need to know that those wanting to dissolve our library used a lot of made-up and exaggerated situations about the library. This is an effort to weaken our community.

Yes, there are some questionable books in the library, also a lot of books & items that are valuable for all of us. A good library has something for everyone, no matter their religion or political views. Having a collection of books in a library that may be inappropriate for certain ages does not indicate anyone is a pedophile or is grooming children. That was a terrible, hurtful lie some people had spread.

If you know of and have evidence or information on any child that has been abused or sexually traumatized, you should IMMEDIATELY report it to Child Protective Services and the police. Doesn’t matter if it’s a parent, an older child abusing a younger one, a relative, a close neighbor, or someone in the community. Sexual abuse most commonly takes place in the home or from trusted relatives or friends. Educate your children, at their age level, how to protect themselves and let them know it’s OK to tell responsible adults.

We live in the United States of America.  Destroying a library is ridiculous.

Vote NO on the proposition to dissolve our Columbia County Rural Library.

Carol Anderson,

Dayton, Wash.