Mayor Gene McGee stated he is not trying to ban books during Feb. 15’s board meeting where crowds on both sides of the Ridgeland library funding issue showed up to express their opinions and concerns in a heated atmosphere that required police presence.
Library system Executive Director Tonja Johnson said McGee is threatening to withhold about $110,000 in funding previously approved in the city's budget for the 2022 fiscal year, which began in July, after residents brought the books to his attention. Johnson said so far, Ridgeland has withheld two payments..
Seventy two seats were filled along with the standing room along either side of the chairs plus participants flowing out the doors into the lobby. Twenty people took to the podium, and the number of speakers was split evenly between the two topics with 10 on each side – each passionate about their stance and each getting yelled at or booed by those with the opposing view.
Julian Matthews was first to stand up to speak – stating that she has been in the community for 27 years and has been at many sporting events with Mayor McGee watching their children compete alongside each other. She said she never thought she’d have to stand up and speak against a proposed book ban and loss of funding for the library.
“A religious conviction does not justify banning any book in our public library, and refusing to fund our public library based on a personal conviction is simply not acceptable,” Matthews said. “Please stop this attempt to ban any book and fund our public library. Ridgeland, Mississippi is better than this – much better than this.”
Madison County Library System Director Tonja Johnson took the podium followed by Friends of the Ridgeland Library President Teresa Gerald, and they both reiterated that the library is to serve all people and, when books are banned regarding a particular group of people, it sends a clear message that they are less than and unwelcome.
“Not all families look the same or have the same beliefs and affiliations, so the book that is not right for your child, may be just right for what another family needs,” Johnson said. “Censorship and banning books, including hiding them away so that others won’t be offended just by the sight of them, sends a very clear message.”
Johnson said it tells people their story shouldn’t be here. She said everyone’s story deserves to be told.
“Everyone’s story is not the same and seeing and knowing that fosters empathy and understanding,” Johnson said. “We all need to read stories that reflect our own lives for a shared sense of belonging to know that we are not alone and others have walked the path before us and to even understand and know ourselves. But we also need to read and see stories that open the door to the lives of others. We need to see ourselves as the hero, but we also need to know that others are heroes too.”
While most of the conversation surrounding library funding being withheld has been in support of the library and over $112,000 has been raised to keep the library funded the rest of the fiscal year, half of the crowd at the board meeting consisted of different voices in support of the mayor.
“I applaud your efforts to safeguard and protect children,” Frank Rogowski said. “When I saw that the mayor was speaking out against this, I thought it was a good opportunity to showcase where our traditional values are in Mississippi and what makes a good society. I think banning these books out of our library is a very good thing, and I applaud it.”
Rowoski was followed by nine other individuals throughout the night in support of the mayor. Ridgeland resident Reni Bumpas gave the example in her life of when her children were little and they would have to get shots – saying sometimes it hurts but she was doing what was best for them.
“Sometimes telling the truth hurts, and they call it hate speech,” Bumpas said. “What is troubling is when you’re trying to be loving to someone and it is called hate.”
Bumpas said she doesn’t want censorship and wants open communication, however, she doesn’t think the “library should be pushing books on our children.”
“I’m fine having them available, but please don’t have them on open display,” Bumpas said. “Somebody innocently picks up a book like My Grandad’s Camper that looks like it is going to be a sweet, wholesome book and it's actually putting forward a belief that doesn’t fit with what my Biblical Christian beliefs are.”
The meeting went on for about 90 minutes as individuals went back and forth on the topic – one sharing they believe materials, such as the ones in question in the library, lead to the rape he was the victim of at nine years old; and another sharing that individuals who have transitioned to another gender are dying because of the hate towards them.
The final speaker of the night was Chris Hinkle, a retired FBI agent, who believed he needed to clarify the issue. He said he is a Christian and constitutional conservative whose priorities are his family, faith and country. He shared that one of his late best friends was a woman named Melissa and she was gay, however they had an understanding.
“Melissa and I respected each other,” Hinkle said. “If Melissa and her partner would have come to Mississippi once I moved down here, my wife and I would have taken Melissa and her partner out to dinner and introduced her to friends of mine. But one thing that Melissa respected about me was that I had impressionable children in the home. So although she would’ve come to Mississippi, she would never put me in the uncomfortable position of saying ‘Hey, can my partner and I stay in your home?’ I had a six year old at the time, and she understood that puts me in a difficult position of having to have an adult conversation with a six year old.”
Hinkle said you can’t have adult conversations with a six year old because they don’t have the capacity to reason and reconcile things. He followed that example by asking the mayor some questions.
Hinkle asked the mayor if he wanted to ban books from the library. The mayor answered “no.” Then, he asked if McGee wanted to censor books from the library. The mayor answered “no.”
“It seems pretty obvious right here what the mayor wanted,” Hinkle said. “I took the time to look at the books, and these aren’t children’s books – none of them are children’s books. That is beyond dispute – I don’t care which side you’re on. Putting those adult oriented books into prominent display for children (withdraws) the parent’s right to not subject their children to something without warning.”
At the conclusion of the public input, the mayor and board of aldermen voted to enter executive session to discuss action regarding the library funding issue. At the conclusion of the meeting, they released the following statement:
The Board of Aldermen has not withheld, is not withholding, and will not withhold money because of any books in the library system.
There is currently a dispute between the Parties as to whether a valid contract exists.
The City is requesting to enter into a new contract that would give the Board the authority to make the contributions.
As pointed out in our statement of Feb. 1, the City of Ridgeland has for years enjoyed a harmonious relationship with the governing body of the Library System, and we wish to continue that. The Board of Aldermen has instructed the city’s attorneys to enter into good faith negotiations with the Library System.
Tonight, we have had a meaningful discussion with legal counsel from the Madison County Library System and have been requested to send a revised contract with the mutual goal of providing a library that’s funded by our citizens, and the Board hopes that this matter could be resolved expeditiously.
