A group of citizen volunteers from Huntington Beach, California, showcased problematic books they discovered in the public library before a city council meeting on April 16, hoping to raise awareness among more residents. The volunteers urged for these inappropriate books to be moved from the children’s reading area to the adult section.
Delaine Bailey, a volunteer from the grassroots team, stated that the Huntington Beach volunteer group consists of hundreds of volunteers who continuously monitor changes in various aspects of the city to fulfill their civic duty. “We have checked the library based on the list of 71 most explicit and unsuitable books for middle and high school students provided by Karen England and displayed them here. We do not want minors to be exposed to these books,” Bailey said, noting that they also found obscene books listed in the public high school libraries.
Karen England is the founder of the grassroots organization “The Kitchen Table Activist.” Bailey and other team members previously voiced their concerns to the library but faced resistance. “Today’s public display here is aimed at raising more awareness about the situation in public libraries,” Bailey explained.
Jean Paris clarified, “We are not demanding the city council to ban certain books; no books will be banned. We only wish to move some books from the children’s area in the Huntington Beach public library to the adult section because these books contain a lot of sexual and pornographic content.” One book obtained from the library, titled “Let’s Talk About It–The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human,” contains images and text that adults find too explicit.
“We also want to recommend some appropriate children’s or adolescent literature to be placed in the children’s section,” Paris mentioned the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” as suitable for middle and high school students. The book was voted the most popular in PBS’s “The Great American Read” of 2018, depicting events in a Southern town from a child’s perspective.
“As parents, we do not want to instill such sexual concepts in our children,” Valentina Bankhead said. She mentioned removing her children from public schools due to the teaching of homosexual and gender-fluid topics. She believed that homeschooling was worth it, despite public schools offering free education.
Hundreds of residents participated in the city council meeting that day, with many expressing support for the removal of problematic books from the children’s section. However, four women and one man stood across the booth holding signs saying “Save Huntington Public Library,” “Hands Off Our Library,” and “Shame,” but none agreed to be interviewed.
Dominic Mcgee stated, “Although the library is not a member of the American Library Association, it is influenced by the radical communist agenda that attempts to instill homosexual and transgender concepts in children.” He pointed out the impact of communist theories leading to millions of unnatural deaths in the Soviet Union and China.
Rick Brown highlighted the influence of the radical left in major media, academia, social media, and Hollywood on shaping children’s beliefs. He believed that the best way to protect children was to voice out. “It’s not about banning books, it’s about setting boundaries to protect children from negative influences,” Brown emphasized.
Russell Nell, the chairman of the Huntington Beach Republic Assembly, also attended the event. On the heated debate regarding children’s books in the library, he mentioned supporting the removal of unsuitable books from the children’s section.
Public libraries remain a focal point of concern, as school curriculums or materials provided to children may be challenging for parents to monitor. Resident Cary expressed, “We should not let those things pollute children’s minds. We should teach children fundamental knowledge and engage them in healthy activities like playing baseball and soccer.”
Chad Williams, a city council candidate, compared restricting children from accessing tobacco, alcohol, firearms, and R-rated movies to unsuitable books. He pointed out a children’s picture book called “The Big Bath Room,” intended for kids aged 3 and above, featuring naked adults and children bathing together, raising concerns that should be addressed.
At the public speaking session of the city council meeting that evening, individuals with differing opinions expressed their views, but no motion or decision was proposed by the council regarding this matter.