The citizens of Gillette, Wyoming have been working to get the Campbell County Public Library to move a number of inappropriate books that promote promiscuity out of the children's section. Ben Decker of Wyoming MassResistance says after the library refused to take action, a criminal complaint was submitted to the district attorney's office.
"First [they] turned it over to the Weston County attorney because the Campbell County attorney had a conflict of interest," Decker details. "And the Weston County attorney decided that it wouldn't meet the burden of proof on two separate statutes to be pursued legally."
The prosecutor has refused to press charges, even though the same material would be considered pornography and not suitable for children if it were found anywhere else.
Also, a state law has gotten in the way.
"In Wyoming there is an exemption for libraries, schools, museums, colleges, and universities," the family advocate reports. "They're exempt from penalties for promoting obscenity, which is kind of strange. My guess is that that law is there to avoid frivolous lawsuits."
But Decker contends there is nothing frivolous about the concerns of Gillette parents who consider the material totally inappropriate for children, and he asserts that the latest setback simply motivates them to press on until appropriate action is taken.
