Following a series of fights, the library instituted “quiet space” hours that limited the number of patrons in the facility between 2 and 6 p.m. on weekdays. The library has since altered the guidelines, and now anyone 17 and younger must be accompanied by a chaperone during the quiet time.
The chaperone plan seems to be a reasonable immediate compromise. As usual, a few knuckleheads have made it hard for everyone to enjoy a community treasure without restriction, at least in the short term. The constraints aren’t a long-term answer, especially since young, responsible students who need library access immediately after school now get shut out from the services they need. But at least the library has bought some time to get a potentially dangerous situation under control.
Then, the library announced it would remove all “permanent displays of flags and other cultural symbols,” infuriating a clientele that believes the library should stand up to the federal government’s intolerance by keeping the signs up.
That’s easier said than done.
It’s one thing to demand a principled approach when you don’t have skin in the game. The library system has, in the past, received federal grants and might want to apply for more in the future. The Trump administration has vowed to take away funds from any group that advocates for DEI and cultural programs (which is weird since Trump himself signed a proclamation this month to commemorate Black History Month).
The library could ask local donors to contribute whatever funds it might lose by snubbing the feds. But there are also potential lawsuits from the Department of Justice or Trump sympathizers claiming any DEI stance amounts to anti-white discrimination.
The publicly funded library can’t spend taxpayers’ money to defend itself against executive orders, legal or not. Purposefully flouting a government directive and then hiring attorneys to defend the intransigence wouldn’t be a good use of funds,
Instead, the library has done the right thing. It needs to wait this out.
I’ve written this before — and will keep repeating — that societal imprudence doesn’t last forever. We’re living through modern-day McCarthyism, only instead of communists, the government is coming after equity. As more companies like Costco, Apple, and NASDAQ refuse to bend the knee, more will follow their lead. The DEI acronym might be dead, but in a swath of cooperate America and society, the principal isn’t. History shows us the idea won’t die.
Same with celebrations of different cultures, an objection that shows the administration’s true intent. Eventually, people will wonder why the government objects to Women’s Month, Juneteenth, Pride Parades, and more, yet allows Italian American, Greek, and other festivals to continue.
By waiting, the library can see which way the wind blows. Team Trump’s being sued by several groups over his executive orders, and it’ll be a while before courts determine which of his actions are legal and which isn’t. Maybe the courts find, for example, that companies can’t hold DEI training, but can discuss its intent, which would be a novel way to thread the needle.
The country has a way of tiring of intolerance and course correcting. That will happen with the DEI/cultural stuff. It’s just a matter of when.
Waiting out the latest absurdity makes the most sense for the library.
Ray Marcano’s column appears on these pages each Sunday.
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