![]() ![]() One of those five review requests was made by Van Der Mark in 2020, and it was successful in moving “Gender Queer: A Memoir” to the adult section of the library. Acting director of community and library services Ashley Wysocki said during the meeting it has been requested just five times in the last five years. The Huntington Beach Public Library system does have a system in place for a review process if a patron believes a book is inappropriately categorized. The default is, the government doesn’t get involved in this. and that is the way the 1st Amendment works. “That’s just the way the book business works. “There’s safeguards in the system against obscenity at every step,” she said. movie rating system of “G” through “R” and “NC-17.”īolton, an attorney, warned that passage of the item could open the city up to litigation. Strickland said a system could be comparable to the Motion Picture Assn. The item states that Gates would analyze and evaluate the books to see if they are protected by the 1st Amendment. Michael Gates, returning this September with options for stopping minors from viewing obscene and/or pornographic books or materials at public libraries. Under Van Der Mark’s item, City Manager Al Zelinka will work with City Atty. The three-pronged Miller test remains a guideline for determining if something meets the federal standard of being called obscene, and thus not protected under the 1st Amendment right of free speech. Supreme Court upheld the prosecution of a California publisher for the distribution of obscene materials. we’re confusing the term child with young adult and adolescent and teenager in this conversation.” ![]() I have a 4-year-old who I have now taken to all but one of the public libraries in this city, and I don’t let her out of my sight when she’s there because she’s 4. “I think all of the issues that were brought up by the mayor pro tem have been solved by using the existing process. “Making something unavailable to someone is a synonym for banning it,” he said. ![]() Kalmick argued that he believed the recommended action did constitute a ban. These are safeguards to protect our kids.” I know this, because I’ve been doing this for six years. A lot of parents don’t know these books are in the library. “If this is what you want for your kids, go for it, but a lot of parents don’t know this material is in these books. “Parents, check these books out,” Van Der Mark said. She also read from a few selections, including “Gender Queer,” “Grandad’s Pride” and “The V-Word: True Stories about First-Time Sex.” Her presentation included censored versions of images and passages available in several books. Van Der Mark reiterated several times during debate of the item that she was not calling for a ban on books but restricting children’s access to them in the Huntington Beach Public Library system without adult supervision. Councilman Dan Kalmick and Councilwomen Natalie Moser and Rhonda Bolton voted against, in what has been a very common vote in the months since the conservative majority was sworn in last December. Strickland, Casey McKeon and Pat Burns voted along with Van Der Mark to support the item. Mayor Tony Strickland allowed everyone the customary three minutes of speaking time. Two overflow rooms were packed for the meeting, as others watched from the lobby of City Hall. There were also more than 600 emails received, City Clerk Robin Estanislau said, with a review showing a majority of correspondence was against the item. Wednesday, after more than 100 residents weighed in on the issue in public comments that lasted until minutes before midnight. But after nearly six hours of contentious public comments, the panel voted 4-3 to support Mayor Pro Tem Gracey Van Der Mark’s agenda item seeking to make books deemed obscene and/or pornographic unavailable to children. Many who attended Tuesday night’s Huntington Beach City Council meeting said no. Should politicians be involved in determining what is appropriate for school-aged children at public libraries? ![]()
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