The Beachwood Police Department reported on May 2 the man checked out the hundred books from the Cuyahoga County Public Library Beachwood Branch, and posted a video of him burning the books on social media.
The Beachwood Police Department reported on May 2 the man checked out the hundred books from the Cuyahoga County Public Library Beachwood Branch, and posted a video of him burning the books on social media.
If you haven’t clicked through, the full statement from Kent Smith is great.
“I condemn this act, not only because it is a crime against our institutions and community, but also because it is fundamentally un-American. This nation was founded on the right to free speech and open expression, and our libraries are the embodiment of that promise. Libraries are designed to be community-based safe harbors of free thought. Libraries offer ideas. This is their fundamental role in our democracy and why they are so vital. This act of violence is not just a crime against the public catalog of literature that was destroyed, but also is a violation of the marketplace of ideas that is a bedrock principle of American life.
This action will not be, should not be, and cannot be tolerated inside the 21st Senate District, this state, or this nation. There is no place for such hate, censorship, or intimidation in Beachwood, nor this country.”
The Office of Senator Kent Smith (D-Euclid)