Last week, this news outlet filed a substantive report about which books should – and shouldn’t – be allowed in libraries at government-run schools in South Carolina. It’s an important conversation … one that has been unfortunately (and opportunistically) conflated by baseless attacks on parents, who have been falsely accused by the Left of “book banning.”
I’m sorry, but as much as the indoctrinating neo-Marxists wish it were otherwise … keeping porn out of schools is not book banning. It is protecting our children from things they shouldn’t be exposed to – certainly not at taxpayer expense. And let me be clear: I say that not as some sanctimonious moralizer – but as a libertarian who supports the right of consenting adults to enjoy as much porn as they want.
I do not believe porn can (or should) be censored in a free society – so long as its production and consumption is confined to consenting adults. But porn in K-12 schools? Paid for by taxpayers? Absolutely not.
That should never happen.
In the process of preparing our report on this ongoing debate, we stumbled upon two books which were allegedly housed in the school library at Powdersville High School in Anderson County, S.C. These books featured some pretty explicit sexual content – including graphic descriptions of intercourse.
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I won’t name the specific books here, but they were brought to the attention of superintendent Robbie Binnicker of Anderson County school district one earlier this summer.
Binnicker’s response?
In a Facebook message obtained by this media outlet, he reached out to a concerned parent about the matter.
“Turns out those two books are part of the ‘adult’ bookshelf (in the library backroom) that is only available to adults in the building,” Binnicker wrote. “The librarian adds a few titles every year for staff to check out.”
Wait … what?
A backroom? With an adult book shelf? In the library of a government-run high school?
What in the actual hell is going on at this school?
Binnicker assured the concerned parent the books in question had been “removed from (the electronic card catalog) so there would be no confusion that someone might think those books were available to students.”
Right. Removed from the card catalog … but not removed the backroom, apparently. There, X-rated titles are still being added by the school librarian, it would appear.
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RELATED | THE REAL HOSTILITY IN ‘BOOK BANNING’ DEBATE
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“They have never been on a student bookshelf and have never been available for a student to check out,” Binnicker clarified.
Okay … but again … what is this stuff doing in a government-run school to begin with?
Seriously: Since when did it become the obligation of South Carolina taxpayers to provide erotic entertainment for state employees?
Um, since never. That’s when.
Teachers, staff and administrators at Powdersville High – and at every government-run school in South Carolina – can purchase as many “adult titles” as they like once they cash their generous government paychecks twice a month. They can subscribe to as many adult sites and OnlyFans pages as they desire, too. But they cannot misappropriate tax dollars for such items, they cannot bring such materials onto school/ state property and they sure as hell cannot expose children to such fare – especially children whose parents wound never consent to them being so exposed.
None of that is banning books, either. It is common sense. And basic respect.
Look, I do not relish the role of killjoy. In fact, anyone familiar with my reputation knows I enjoy being at the opposite end of that spectrum. But you can’t put porn in a school library, get caught and then claim it’s some government-subsidized adult “reading room.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven (soon to be eight) children.
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18 comments
Should not surprise anyone – find a copy of George Counts’ 1932 pamphlet “Dare the School Build a New Social Order?
“we stumbled upon two books which were *allegedly* housed in the school library”
ALLEGEDLY
What a maroon.
I heard there was this one book in some of these school libraries that talked about dudes hung like farm animals having huge loads. What kind of pervert would advocate for that book being in schools? We should probably get that one outta there.
I don’t think “I am a libertarian” means what you think it means…
1. I call bullish!t.
2. How do you expect anyone to take you seriously when you thorough both the phrase “generous government paychecks” when talking about teachers or school staff. Do you ever reflect on what you write, or is it all just reflex designed for MAGA and Moms for Liberty morons?
Right!? It sounds more like a ticked off parent complaining about anything and everything they can just to get attention. Teachers are definitely not paid enough. Admin… I think they are paid just fine. It’s the teachers I’m mostly worried about. And let’s not forget certified librarians who actually care about student education!!
I live in this community. I have been to the school board meetings. I have been in the email communications. This is all true.
Have you really? Did you work in the schools? Did you work with the students? Or are you just a parent? I’m not for porn being in a school, but this just sounds like malarkey to me.
“Generous checks” are not so generous when divided up between schools in ASD1/Admin/Custodians/Teachers/Assistants/Child Advocates/Etc. I would encourage you to actually look at the facts. It’s all on ASD1 School website too. Look it up, break it down yourself since you seem to have all the time in the world to attend all the board meetings.
What a terribly written piece of propaganda. You should at least label this as OPINION or COMMENTARY.
I hope you know and you’re comfortable with the fact that the person feeding you this false information does not care about books or kids but is looking to take over the ASD1 and other school boards just like they did in other states. That’s what Mom’s for Liberty is trying to accomplish. They want too push their radical agenda. I hope the parents realize this….
Why for the life of me does anyone think these lgbtq propaganda and porn books should be in school libraries. What the hell happened to giving a basic education of reading, writing and arithmetic. We all know they are not getting that now. If you think these books belong in the reach of kids, especially up to middle school then YOU are the problem.
I find it interesting the two books aren’t named. Is it because people may disagree on how they are characterized?
To those who have chosen to focus on the manner in which the report was written, or on certain phrases that were used, please keep in mind that IF the books in question were indeed found in a high school library, that alone should bring us all together. UNLESS one supports having pornography available in high school libraries for the enjoyment of “adults”. At the very least say whether you would support having books of this type in the library or do not support it. Address the issue, please.
If it was truly porn, the police would be involved. I call BS on your labeling.
Yes ma’am!
Do the adults in the school building have access to a public library? Why would a school library carry any books for employees? Our students don’t have the resources they need to learn the basic subjects but we got tax dollars to provide school employees a “shelf”? Make it make sense, please!
lets have a BOOK BURNING, not just a book banning!
Fahrenheit 451? Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy and see what happens when we start burning books. Or better yet. Research what happened when HITLER did it….