Dear Editor at Muncie Voice,
There is no place I feel safer than in a public library. Whether I was homeless and looking for somewhere dry and warm or holding my grandmother’s hand and bouncing excitedly with my new books in tow, I can mark every stage in my life through the libraries I frequented. Between sitting in squashy chairs while sounding out words and listening to audiobooks as I crochet in a quiet corner, Donald Trump decided unilaterally to take away not just my access but the access of a nation.
There is no greater or purer good in this world than public libraries. They provide warmth, comfort, knowledge, community, and a million other things. We already have a literacy crisis; why add to it? Why hand the next generation a world that is less educated, less kind, and less hopeful without the support of our public library?
We are a nation of fighters, of rebels, of philanthropists. We are a nation that held our flag high never to admit defeat. We exist because we fought for it. You exist because generations of people brought you to this place, this moment. It is easy to do nothing. It is harder to stand up.
It is a trope of every dystopian novel to burn the books. To destroy knowledge and disseminate truth through inaccessibility. I fear that we are in a time where inaccessibility is a fire crackling at our feet. I ask you to be a voice for our children, a voice for generations past, and a voice for your community. Do not let our libraries be defunded without a fight. I am begging.
I will leave you with a quote, “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.” Are you going to be silent? Thank you for listening.
Sincerely,
Laura Wetherill
745 Winding Ridge Drive
Richmond, IN, US, 47374
lalalovelylaura@gmail.com
