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Reality Check

Promises Made, Promises Broken

Under the auspices of “protecting children,” the Library Board with the full support of the county commissioners is reviewing books with an eye towards banning those they unilaterally determine children should not have access to

By Tammi Fisher

During Flathead County Commissioner Pam Holmquist’s initial campaign for office in 2010, she told the Daily Inter Lake, “you eliminate risk when you follow the rules.” She also promised county government would not “get between You and Your kids.” My how things have changed. The commissioners through their Library Board appointments are now mandating government interference with the fundamental right to parent in Flathead County. Under the auspices of “protecting children,” the Library Board with the full support of the county commissioners is reviewing books with an eye towards banning those they unilaterally determine children should not have access to. 

Yet again, our county marches lock step with the Montana GOP, ignoring Montana law to favor more big government interference in our lives. If they bothered to crack open the Montana Constitution or maybe consult with a lawyer that has some familiarity with Montana law, they would find this: 

40-6-701. Interference with fundamental parental rights restricted. (1) A governmental entity may not interfere with the fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing, education, health care, and mental health of their children …

The most selfish decision a person can make is to become a parent. Parents thus undertake an enormous responsibility to ensure their children receive an upbringing consistent with their family’s values – not the government’s values. It follows that when my child enters the library, it is my responsibility to monitor his activities there just like it is my responsibility to monitor his activities when he goes to the mall with his friends. It is my responsibility to ensure he doesn’t check out books from the library that I deem inappropriate for his age and maturity. It is antithetical to conservative Republican principles and Montana values that government would dictate ANY part of my child’s upbringing, including the books my child is “allowed” to read. Parents are smart; we know smut when we see it and don’t need government to ban books for fear that parents are too stupid to recognize useless content. Some parents use offensive reading material (like “Mein Kampf”) to educate their children about the dangers of propaganda and to actively engage them in critical thinking.  Our children don’t need “saving” by county government and authoritarian soldiers appointed to the Library Board. 

If the commissioners’ crusade to ban books is successful, next up will be banning Santa Claus from mall photos, and fair rides manned by carnies under the auspices of protecting our children from “stranger danger.” Despite promises to stem litigation against the county, our county commissioners lurch toward authoritarianism by deliberately violating Montana law begging for more litigation paid for by you and me. The commissioners could still save face and actually meet one promise they repeatedly make: to “conserve tax dollars,” but only if they choose to “eliminate risk” by adhering to Montana law. Otherwise they can expect yet another lawsuit for their actions, this time from Flathead County parents whose fundamental right to parent continues to be violated. 

Tammi Fisher is an attorney, former mayor of Kalispell and host of the Montana Values Podcast.