PETITION TO GOV. IVEY AND AL. LEADERS TO UPHOLD LAWS TO PROTECT CHILDREN

 
It is unlawful for any person to operate an adult bookstore within 1,000 feet of a public or private school or any other place frequented by minors!   Therefore, it is not permitted by law for these books to be placed in public libraries.  They cannot be in the building. 
Alabama Code Section 13A-12-200.5 Material harmful to minors – Distribution, possession with intent to distribute, display for sale, etc., prohibited
Local Government has a sacred duty to protect and defend the minds of youth to promote the next generation of healthy families. But many agendas are combining to exploit children for profit, political power and promiscuity. Generation X has been replaced by Generation XXX.  Institutions such as public libraries and schools act as arbiters of propriety by what is purchased, provided, and promoted to children. Small decisions such as purchasing and placing books can have huge effects on vulnerable kids. And those who want to profit from the sexual exploitation of minors, know the power of these decisions. -Joan R. Landes, MA, CMHC Clinical Mental Health Counselor (Link to what her research shows.)
Example:  Emily Drabinsky, Pres. of American Library Assn.--"I think your point that public education needs to be a site of socialist organizing, I think libraries really do too. I haven’t seen that, working in libraries, but I think there’s a real opportunity here to both connect with what’s happening in public education, what’s happening in libraries, but also, we need some help with libraries. We need to be on the agenda of socialist organizing. -The College Fix 9/5/23
Research Shows:
·         Children and adolescents are widely considered the most vulnerable audiences to sexually explicit material because of their developing brains. Just as early cigarette smoking creates lifetime addiction, so early exposure to sexually explicit material can distort a child’s mind for a lifetime.  Repeated pornography exposure often creates many of the same conditions in the adolescent brain as does the use of drugs such as methamphetamine or fentanyl. The brain develops a tolerance. Cravings or further pursuit of more deviant pornography follows. 
·         Young males exposed to explicit sexual material in early adolescence were more likely to engage in sexual harassment in middle adolescence.  Studies show that youth who consume pornography may develop unrealistic sexual values and beliefs. Among the findings, higher levels of permissive sexual attitudes, sexual preoccupation, and earlier sexual experimentation have been correlated with more frequent consumption of pornography. 
 
According to the CDC website, sexually transmitted disease numbers are now higher among minors and young adults than older adults because of multiple partners, anonymous partners, and concurrent partners.  We believe there is a correlation between these shocking statistics and the display of lurid sexual materials.  Children who would never enter a porn shop are now exposed to such materials in what parents used to consider as safe spaces (read 1819news.com).
 
·         Library officials have claimed that Section 13A-12-299-10 exempts libraries from the pornography statute.  But the statute exempts libraries only when they are “acting on behalf of legitimate educational purposes”.  We suggest that this exception applies only to advanced education such as gynecology in medical school.   Research does show-- predators and pedophiles use sexually explicit material to break-down the inhibitions of children who are their targets.  Increase in sex abuse cannot be overlooked.  The New York Times (2019) reported that more than 45 million online photos and videos of children being sexually abused were reported by tech companies, more than double what they found the previous year.
 
New York v. Ferber, 458 U.S.747 (1982), is the decision in which the Supreme Court stated the First Amendment does not protect child pornography. The Court reasoned such material was not protected because of its link to the sexual abuse of children. 
 
We, the people of Alabama, ask Governor Ivey to uphold laws to protect children and direct these materials not be in public libraries or schools.  We ask our Alabama Legislators to enact laws that will help audit public libraries and schools against such materials continuing to stay.  Alabama children like the rest of the country are under attack.  We must help stop the molestation of the minds and bodies of children.