BRICKNER: If it is worried about protecting children, forbid weapons instead of books – Inforum

Visiting Italy years ago with a friend, I experienced a little cultural shock. As we watched the TV with a Sicilian family, we found an absurd show that combines masks and women dressed in a weak way. Ads could include body washing commercials with empty waist women. The sculptures of the bare men settled near the cathedrals.

What would the northern Dakota legislators do with this?

Legislators have proposed book prohibitions or restrictions – not only for schools, libraries and librarians – but for private libraries.

An invoice from North Dakota,

Senate’s draft law 2307,

Say the following as the Columnist Forum Rob Port reported:

SECTION 3 OF THAT LEGISLATION WOULD SECTION 12.1-27.1-03.1 of North Dakota’s Criminal Code to read this: “A person is guilty of a class b misdemeanor if the person willfly at newsstands or any OY OTHER BUSINESS ESTABLISHTER FREQUENTED BY MINORS, OR WHER MINOR May Be Invited As a Part of the General Public, Any Photograph, Book, Paperback Book, Pamphlet, Or Magazine, The Exposed Cover or the available content of either minor or exploitations, is mainly consisting of representations of human or partially denud human figures, presented or presented in a manner. Sex, lust or perversion for a commercial gain.

Again, we are talking about large images and covers of books containing “harmful explicit materials” related to nudity or “partially denuded human figures” that “exploit sex, lust or perversion to commercial win”.

A similar measure is SB2307, which deals with “explicit material” – defined in the legislation as an attractive “to the prurient interest of the minors” and is “offensive battle, in accordance with the predominant standards in the adult community in North Dakot politically, or scientific value.

How do you define the material that causes “sex, lust or perversion”? What “excites” a person can not excite another.

I’m talking about nudity. Could it be the cover of a novel of Harlequin romance? The cover of an art history book? What happens if it is an anatomy manual? A book with legs on the cover could excite someone with a foot fetish.

In 1964, the justice of the Supreme Court, Potter Stewart, answered the question “What is pornography?” Saying he can’t define her, but “I know her when I see her.” He refused to condemn a work of art.

The legislation considered in Bismarck would not only restrict access to schools from schools and libraries. The language of the invoice also applies to private book shops. So this is not a violation of free expression?

The critics of the draft law claim that there are already guarantees.

Troy Kuntz, a specialist in the media in the elementary library, said: “During the 2023 legislative session, HB 1205 passed, which puts the federal Miller test for obscenity,” Kuntz said. “All public and educational libraries have policies based around these laws. In general, this draft law is not necessary. “

Librarians are also on the verge of extinction. They could face charges if they do not comply.
Legislators claim that they “protect” children, however I remember that legislators and parents proclaim that it was the parents’ task to “protect” the children, not the state.

If “protecting”, why not implement relevant weapons restrictions?

Interested in a wide range of problems, including social and faith problems, Joan Brickner serves as a regular taxpayer on the Forum opinion page. He is a retired English instructor, taught in Michigan and Minnesota.