Noting that school policy forbids students from uttering profanity or wearing T-shirts with lewd sayings, Weber said, “Why should the school library have any lower standards?” Area resident Jamie Mehlhoff tried proving Weber’s point by reading passages from the book aloud, only to have the board adjourn in order to stop her, according to the June 16 Butte Montana Standard.
“It’s very important to let people read it,” Twin Bridges High School junior Megan Miller stated earlier at the meeting. Revealing that she had suffered abuse, Miller added that avoiding the topic “is like saying this doesn’t happen. That it won’t happen if you don’t read this stuff.” Arguing the same point, the reconsideration committee wrote in its report, “Abuse cannot be painted with a pretty picture.”
“Banning books is something like eating popcorn or potato chips,” testified Edward Ruppel. “If you ban one, there will be more.”
Posted June 18, 2004.