One Mans Perspective: You have the right to remain bookless

It's a sad day for child molesters, but a happy day for book stores.

From now on, all sexual predators whose preference is of a child age nature - once convicted - will no longer be allowed to enter public libraries in the state of Iowa.

Kris Todd's story this week about the state level changes with regards to sex offenders with child victims, and their being disallowed in public facilities that children frequent.

Here are a few excerpts from Kris' well read article that has generated a great deal of chatter on The Daily Reporter Web page.

"First, I should emphasize there are two kinds of sex offenders for purposes of our consideration: Those who have committed an offense against a minor, that's a person under 18, and those whose victims were adults. Only those whose victims were minors are subject to the prohibition," (City Attorney Don) Hemphill clarified. "Sex offenders whose victims weren't minors can come in and use the library like everybody else. But, sex offenders who have committed offense against a minor are banned from library property or from loitering from within 300 feet of the library property. However, the statue specifically provides that these offenders may live within 300 feet of the library. So, they can live next door in the new middle school."

Hemphill also explained there are two technical exemptions cited in this prohibition: Released offenders are authorized to come to a library to drop off their child. They may also be allowed in a library for voting purposes.

Hemphill then informed Spencer Public Library Director Kay Larson and library board members, "You don't have to enforce this law. You don't have to prepare a listing of these offenders and make sure they never set foot in the library. The standard is like any other person in the library: If somebody is acting in a way that causes you concern or suspicion, then you probably have a duty, as a reasonable person, to make some investigation. But, no, you don't have law enforcement authority or affirmative duty to try to list all these people."

As board members discussed the new law and whether they should develop a policy relating to it, the city attorney indicated there are a few existing policies they may want to consider.

"They can be on the premises with the approval of the library administrator. So, you need to think about under what circumstances, if any, should Kay authorize one of these persons to be on the library premises. I saw a suggestion that that would have to be a board decision. You could take the other extreme and leave it up to Kay to do whatever she wants," Hemphill told board members.

....Board members directed her to crosscheck the online Iowa Sex Offender Registry registrant listings for the surrounding area with the library's current database. Larson was also told to invalidate their library cards, denying them this certain class of library service.

"I don't think that would take too much time and I think it would give our staff, if nothing else, peace of mind that we've blocked these people from just coming in here arbitrarily," she said.

While board members agreed with Spencer Public Library staff that homebound deliveries would not be allowed, it was clarified that they would be able to access the library's Wilbor and EbscoHost systems. The online systems allow users to download audiobooks and to access full-text articles from magazines, scientific journals, newspapers and reference books.

"And, if any of those offenders have this urgent need for checking out a book, surely there'd be a friend or associate who could use their card to do that to pick up a book for them (at the library)," board member Roger Littlefield said.

Now there has been an outcry from some that this just isn't fair. It's not constitutional. It's a violation of the sex offenders rights.

Are you kidding me? Now we're worried about a sex offenders rights. We're feeling badly because some person who chose to engage in some form of sexual act with a child can't come into a facility that is often occupied by children, to get their read on.

I'm sorry, I could care less. You see, their right to live the life of an ordinary, law abiding citizen - enjoying all the freedoms guaranteed to citizens of this country - ceased when they chose to stop acting like a law abiding citizen and prey on an innocent child. You want to behave like an animal that acts on instict and and has no control over its behavior, we don't allow them in the library either.

When the offender made the conscious choice to commit this most heinous crime, an invasion and assault on the most innocent among us, not only should they banned from libraries in the state of Iowa, they should be banned from breathing in the state of Iowa.

To those bleeding hearts out there, your sympathy is misplaced. To those sick and misguided individuals who prey on children, losing your library card should be the least of your worries.

This is a no brainer. To a child molester, a public park, the school playground, the kid's section in library is like a buffet. My philosophy is protect the children at all costs. If that means that child predators aren't allowed to stop by and check out books, and are forced to go on-line and purchase their reading material, I suggest they just pick up the check and thank God for the freedoms they enjoy in a world where criminal rights outweigh the victim's rights.

In a just world, you wouldn't be able to read after commiting the crime of sexual abuse of a minor. You see, it's pretty dark in a wooden box with six-feet of dirt blocking the light.