Empowering individuals to build a stronger community
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
“The time is always right to do what is right.”
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”
Martin Luther King Day is being celebrated this week, and in seeking more about the man who received this honor, I discovered that he said all these things. His words speak to today’s world as much as they did to his world a generation ago. Controversy and divisiveness continue to plague our society, our country and even our personal lives. From talk of fake news to control of the media by government, it behooves us to remember the lessons from history and the founders of our country. The First Amendment to the Constitution states:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Chief Justice Floyd E Thompson supported this point when he said, in 1923:
“The struggle for freedom of speech has marched hand in hand in advance of civilization with the struggle for other great human liberties. History teaches that human liberty cannot be secured unless there is freedom to express grievances.”
Justice George Sutherland also agreed when he wrote in 1936:
“A free press stands as one of the great interpreters between the government and the people. To allow it to be fettered is to fetter ourselves.”
Locally, your Craig County Public Library has the following policy about what we put on our shelves:
“The library staff strives to provide a collection that presents various and diverse points of view. They make no attempt to promote specific beliefs or viewpoints through its collection, nor is the selection of any given item equivalent to an endorsement of the viewpoint expressed in that item. Certain subjects, including those related to religion, politics and moral attitudes, are inherently controversial.
Selection of materials is based on the individual merit of the work, its author’s intent, its relation to the collection and its fulfillment of patron needs. In no case will library materials be excluded because of race, nationality or the social, political or religious views of the authors, nor will materials be proscribed or removed from the library because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.”
Human beings have the unique ability to ponder, read, write and speak. Exercising these capabilities, and perhaps in this order, will uphold the values we hold dear.
– Marge Lewter, President, Board of Trustees
Library news:
•Photo contest: Historical Treasures of Craig County. Deadline April 15. Start taking photos now! Winning photos will receive prizes and be displayed locally.
•Congratulations to Tina Gilliand and her dog who won the “Read to Your Dog” Gift Basket!
•Come by and welcome Alex White, our new library assistant!
•Thank you for all the financial contributions to our “small but mighty” little library.
•Wishlist: Volunteers to organize the book barns, someone to sell old books online for us, astronomy geek to host the stargazing program, fundraiser to begin a super capital campaign, desk volunteers
