Fliers denouncing King found at Ypsilanti library

Why did they destroy them?
I happen to think that MLK Jr was a philandering, plagerizing fraud.

I also happen to think he did wonderful things for civil rights in this country.

Do they have to be mutually exclusive? Can’t I dislike the man and like what he did. Are we not allowed to speak ill of the dead? I also think JFK was a drug addicted adulterer, but he kept nukes out of Cuba (Cuber).

Lots of people probably don’t like me, but the guy who was hit by lightning that I did CPR on is alive today. He probably thinks that was a good thing. Can’t you be a putz and do good things as well?

Why do librarians stifle differing, and unpopular opinions? That seems professionally irresponsible to me. To have ‘staff’ destroy things without a proper review -just as one would handle a book challenge- is simply wrong no matter how distasteful ‘staff’ may find them.

Re:Why did they destroy them?
Why isn’t the bathroom an appropriate place? I’ve been to many a bog where there are things posted. Some places even put the sports page above the urinals (although that seems to contribute to the damp floors).

The article noted that they were not posted solely in the bathroom. Does that make everything posted in the loo bad? Can I put up a READ poster over the thrones?

It seems they removed them because they didn’t like the content.

Re:Why did they destroy them?
We allow flyers that are for community or non-commercial ventures. We allow them to be up for a week before the final date on the flyer.

We have the seperation of church and state groups and we have church picnics on the same board. We have had pro-abortion fliers, and GBLT fliers. I don’t like all of those causes, but it really does not matter.
Someone put up a self-made “RIB ODB” sticker in the john soon after Old Dirty Bastard died. Its still there.

So yes we have rules about what can be posted on our bulletin board but we don’t regulate personal speech (commercial speech as we all know is subject to more restriction). So do I think people should put up fliers that disparage MLK, no not really. Would I take them down, not until after MLK day. Would I late people put up fliers calling the Pope an Anti-Semite (an opinion I don’t share) yes, would I take them down? Yes after a week.

The library staff doesn’t have to like it, but they can’t remove it because they don’t like it. The article said the fliers were not just in the bathroom. It also says they destroyed the fliers because they were inappropriate. Who decides if they are inappropriate? No mention was made of any formal review. That is what should outrage librarians.

Do I think MLK was a great man, yes. Do I think this country is better off because he lived, sure I do. The Civil Rights advances made during the MLK, Rosa Parks era brought a modicum of equality to all in this nation. There is still a long way to go, but stifiling opinion will not move things along.