From my site Elephantsonbicycles.com:
The Cincinnati based group known as Citizens for Community Values is dragging the Upper Arlington library into yet another one of its ridiculous lawsuits, reports the SNP. This organization claims that the UA Library denied them their right to free speech by requesting that they refrain from the church service component of a meeting they wanted to hold at the library. The meeting topic was about putting the evangelical christian religion into our government leadership and subsequent laws. I’m willing to be totally honest with you here and say that I don’t have all of the information regarding the alleged first amendment violation; I’m not a lawyer and don’t argue constitutional law for a living. I am taking sides based on my previous knowledge of the groups involved and my personal experiences with them. That being said, here’s my take.
CCV’s divisive tactics have put Ohio at the bottom of the list in the US for equality issues. In fact Ohio placed 49th, only above Mississippi. CCV’s website, membership and legal activities focus on removing rational thought and fact based policy and education opportunities from the people of the state of Ohio. CCV supports religious right leaders who have argued for the overturning of our government, for creating a theocracy like what exists in Iran, and for terrorist like activities against US citizens and officials. However this is apparently acceptable when you give enough money to the conservative candidates so hell bent on spying on Americans, “smoking out the terrorists” and “taking America back for the Christians”. As if christians are some sort of minority in this country.
On the other hand is the UA library. A place where my wife and I can take our daughter to play with other children without any stipulation regarding ethnic background or religion (or non-religion). The UA library offers my family a wholesome experience where we are all able to learn from a diverse set of ideas spanning race, culture, religion and time. The UA library gives us the opportunity to hear from a diverse and inclusive set of voices at the many meetings they hold. This has included various religious groups and leaders that respect the libraries desire to present in a fair and balanced way. The staff at the UA library also comes from a diverse background with a diverse set of religious and social viewpoints. Instead of using these viewpoints to try and segregate our community they accept differences and find commonality - the very underpinnings of our democratic society. These are the values I want my daughter to learn.
I’m proud of our library and the people who we have trusted to run it. The UA library shouldn’t be embroiled in this petty lawsuit but it is. For that reason I felt I needed to express my support of the library and hope that the readers will consider what is happening here when they give time or money to organizations like CCV. Who’s community values is it that CCV is really fighting for? Obviously not mine.
chivespa1 