Three cheers for Kirk Cameron. The actor who memorably starred as a teenager in the hit family ABC TV series Growing Pains has written several popular children’s books featuring conservative values.
While Tucker Carlson was still starring on Fox, he ran a segment with Kirk to discuss what by then had become crystal clear: there are public libraries who went out of their way to ban the Cameron books, not to mention keep him from appearing in person to discuss them. Not shy about standing up for those conservative values, Cameron’s fight has been headlined as follows at Fox News:
Kirk Cameron vows to hold American Library Association accountable for 'religious discrimination’
Actor and writer working with First Liberty Institute to assert rights
Fox reported Cameron is a working with First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit Christian conservative legal group based in Texas to challenge the American Library Association for discriminating against him and "pro-faith messaging" in its recent advisories to libraries across America to explore ways to ‘block’ his upcoming nationwide story event on August 5.
Cameron told Fox News Digital about the issue, ‘While I’m trying to encourage thousands of Americans to visit public libraries and read wholesome books to their children, the taxpayer-funded American Library Association is not only criticizing me, they are teaching libraries to break the law and conspiring to prevent thousands of families from visiting their own community reading rooms,’ in a statement.
Yes, you read that right. The American Library Association (ALA) is trying to silence Kirk Cameron and “block” his “upcoming nationwide story event on August 5.”
This, mind you, is the self-same ALA that proclaims this on its website:
ALA is committed to eight Key Action Areas as guiding principles for investment of energies and resources:
Advocacy for Libraries and the Profession
The association actively works to increase public awareness of the crucial value of libraries and librarians, to promote state and national legislation beneficial to libraries and library users, and to supply the resources, training and support networks needed by local advocates seeking to increase support for libraries of all types. Learn more...
Diversity
Diversity is a fundamental value of the association and its members, and is reflected in its commitment to recruiting people of color and people with disabilities to the profession and to the promotion and development of library collections and services for all people. Learn more...
Education and Lifelong Learning
The association provides opportunities for the professional development and education of all library staff members and trustees; it promotes continuous, lifelong learning for all people through library and information services of every type. Learn more...
Equitable Access to Information and Library Services
The Association advocates funding and policies that support libraries as great democratic institutions, serving people of every age, income level, location, ethnicity, or physical ability, and providing the full range of information resources needed to live, learn, govern, and work. Learn more...
Intellectual Freedom
Intellectual freedom is a basic right in a democratic society and a core value of the library profession. The American Library Association actively defends the right of library users to read, seek information, and speak freely as guaranteed by the First Amendment. Learn more...
Literacy
The American Library Association assists and promotes libraries in helping children and adults develop the skills they need-the ability to read and use computers-understanding that the ability to seek and effectively utilize information resources is essential in a global information society. Learn more...
Organizational Excellence
The association is inclusive, effective and responsive to the needs of ALA members.
Transforming Libraries
ALA provides leadership in the transformation of libraries and library services in a dynamic and increasingly global digital information environment.
Got all that? The ALA is all about “Diversity” “Intellectual Freedom” and is “inclusive” because they “support libraries as great democratic institutions.”
Unless, of course, you are Kirk Cameron and write children’s books promoting conservative values, not to mention speak about them at gatherings in various public libraries. In which case the ALA wants to “block” you, and make certain libraries stand up to oppose intellectual diversity and inclusion, making certain that the real value children learn is censorship and how to ban books.
Kirk added this in his talk with Fox:
‘Rather than being an example of genuine respect and non-discrimination, the ALA is the champ in excluding viewpoints it disagrees with and [is] preventing families from using libraries to read to their children about faith, hope and love.'
He also said, ‘ALA, why all the hate? I thought you wanted diversity of thought in the public square? What happened to equal opportunity for all?’
Excellent question.
But of course, millions of Americans already know the answer to Kirk Cameron’s question and just why the American Library Association is censoring him. That would be because the American Left, of which, apparently, the ALA is a card-carrying member, is all about authoritarianism. They speak of "diversity and inclusion" and practice uniformity and exclusion of dissent.
Kirk Cameron’s real gift to America is not just standing up for his own books and freedom of speech, but in showcasing just where and how book banning and censorship in modern America takes place.
In this case, it is sponsored by the decidedly anti-intellectual, anti- diversity, anti-freedom of speech American Library Association.
Who would know?
Answer? Thanks to Kirk Cameron, we all know now.
