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Across the nation, parents are confronting their local school board and county officials about obscene content being found in our public schools and libraries. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Gov. Greg Abbott, and dozens of other lawmakers have all spoken out about this problem and the need for solutions.
Last week, I visited Midland to speak to the Midland County Republican Women about this very issue and what Texas Family Project is doing to ensure lawmakers tackle the problem in the Texas Legislature. After the meeting I spoke to a local business owner who was shocked at the obscene content in the books and believed such material had no place in public libraries. He was, however, skeptical of such material being found out in conservative West Texas. “I can understand how this might be a problem in Austin or Dallas,” he said. “But in Midland? We don’t have that kind of stuff here.”
I don’t fault him for having these doubts. If someone had told me 6 months ago that there was pornographic material in my community library, I would have shared this doubt. Sadly, this radical sexualization of our children is not bracketed to liberal cities.
Later that afternoon, I drove to the Midland Public Library armed with a list of 1,000 inappropriate books and searched for the first 20 on the list. Of those 20, 16 were in the library’s possession, and most were in sections designated for minors.
I am a father of 3 young boys. Every parent is different. Some are very strict and don’t let their kids watch PG movies like Star Wars or read books like Goosebumps. Some draw the line a little farther out. However, I don’t know any parents who want their young children exposed to pornographic content. I don’t know any parents who want their teenagers reading books that glamorize rape, drug use, and abortion. And yet, these kinds of books are on the shelves in even Midland.
Take for example “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson which the Midland Public Library has on its shelf in the “Young Adult” section. Written by LGBT activist George M. Johnson, the book contains sexual nudity; sexual activities including sexual assault; alternate gender ideologies; profanity and derogatory terms; alcohol and drug use; and controversial racial commentary.
Here’s a brief excerpt: “I remember the condom was blue and flavored like cotton candy. I put some lube on and got him up on his knees, and I began to slide into him from behind. I tried not to force it because I imagined that it would be painful; I didn't want this moment to be painful.”
Or what about “What Girls are Made of” by Elana K. Arnold which includes graphic sexual content and a fourteen-year-old girl getting an abortion? It’s also in the “Young Adult” section at the Midland Public Library.
Here’s an excerpt: “I don’t want a baby,” I say. I’m done crying now, and I absolutely know the answer to this question. I know it more surely than any question I’ve ever answered, ever. “Okay,” says the counselor. “This is California, so you aren’t required to have parental permission to move forward, but we do recommend that you consider having someone with you.
Frustrated? Upset? You should be. Your tax dollars purchased these books, and your tax dollars are being used to try to get them into our children’s hands.
The good news is your elected school board members and county officials can get them out of the libraries in Midland. And your elected lawmakers in the Texas Legislature can get them out of every public library in the state.