Thread by @JMHendersonSr

In honor of #NationalLibraryWeek, I'll pass along this lovely tidbit from the history of the @OnslowCoLibrary. The main library is located in the City of Jacksonville, just off Gum Branch Road.

In the early 1980s, I served as president of our county chapter of NC Right to Life. During my tenure, I was a library patron. Back in the day, the library had a film lending program. You could check out films and a projector.

For example, together with a group of friends, I screened a film version of the miniseries "Holocaust," which featured, among others, @RealJamesWoods. We also screened pro-life films, including Bernard Nathanson's Silent Scream.

At the library, I noticed two things. First, there was a serious dearth of books on the subject of abortion. Second, the library had a display case that was available for public use, a month at a time.

With our local NCRTL chapter, we put together a collection of prolife books and pamphlets to give to the library. And I applied to use the display case for a month to promote the abortion-related materials being donated to the library.

I'm not an artist. I do have a keen aesthetic sense. So, I spent a good period of time planning out the display. When the appointed day arrived, I spent about three hours setting up the display. After I finished, I headed to @bicycleshopjax, where I worked selling bikes.

Shortly after arriving, someone from the library called. They advised me that my display had been taken down, and that I should come pick up my materials.

This occurred right around the time that the Supreme Court had decided Widmar v. Vincent. I hadn't been to law school yet, but I found out about the case and its implications for public bodies and how they regulate speech.

I picked up my materials. But I also complained to the library, and to its board.

My display and my complaint became the subject of a disputatious meeting of the library board. I gave the board my argument that the library was bound, under the rule in Widmar v. Vincent, either to allow my display or to discontinue providing public access to the display.

And, surprise, surprise, surprise!

The board voted to withdraw the display case from use by the public.

I suppose I can view that as a victory for freedom, but only because when freedom is denied to some, it is denied to all. And the only way to communicate to all that the library was officiously intermeddling with the speech of county residents was to force it to silence us all.

So, yes, thanks @OnslowCoLibrary, for silencing free expression, and happy #NationalLibraryWeek!

@threadreaderapp unroll