By Steve McKenna, Grandparents4Kids Board Member | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice
A funny thing happened on my way to my 60s. Concepts of tolerance my parents, teachers, and others taught me as a child evolved. In the 1960s, tolerance meant accepting others, not persecuting them because they were different from you or your friends. Now, in my 60s, it seems more about persecuting those who fail to tolerate to the satisfaction of a bullying minority of ideologues.
Case in point. To celebrate “See You at the Library” on July 16, Grandparents4Kids, a nonpolitical group I am fortunate to be a part of, planned to have Douglas County Deputy Sheriff read Kevin Sorbo’s book “The Test of Lionhood” at a story hour presented at, but not sponsored by, the Highlands Ranch library. The book follows a young cub, Lucas the Lionhearted, on a treacherous journey where he must show courage and resilience to find the rare ice flower and save his sister Chloe’s life.
A group called the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) tried to derail the event by sending a threatening letter to the Sheriff’s office claiming that allowing a deputy to read Sorbo’s book would show “official favoritism toward religion over nonreligion,” potentially violating the US Constitution’s protection of religious freedom.
The FFRF complained that Sorbo, best known for playing Hercules on TV, is a Christian and the book’s publisher “Brave Books” which originated “See You at the Library,” also promotes Christian values. The FFRF asked the office to “disassociate itself from Brave Books and refrain from participating in events promoting religious viewpoints.”
If the FFRF simply seeks freedom from having religion forced upon its members, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution explicitly guarantees that. Just as it guarantees the freedom to practice the religion of your choice.
But the FFRF seeks more; they demand “freedom” from mere exposure to religious values, many of which overlap with those of the nonreligious, at least with any hint of government acceptance. That claimed “freedom,” however, is incompatible with and indeed intolerant of the right to practice religion freely.
Fortunately, Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly is no coward. Not wanting to subject a deputy to potential harassment for reading a story of courage and fighting for your family, Sheriff Weekly showed up and read the book himself. Thank you Sheriff Weekly for not letting the FFRF bully you into silence. You did Lucas the Lionhearted proud!
The story hour was well attended, and all present had a nice time and learned something about courage and perseverance; religion was never mentioned. Had the FFRF or those that encouraged it to write the letter shown up or even done some homework, they might have learned something as well.
Here is the letter the Freedom From Religion Foundation, shared with the permission of Sheriff Weekly.
Grandparents4Kids is dedicated to raising awareness and returning to an academic focused education. Go to Grandparents4Kids.org to learn more.
Douglas County Grandparents4Kids is the local chapter of a national network founded by Linda White. The group advocates for a return to nonpolitical, academically focused education and organizes events such as “Grandparents4Kids Story Hours” as alternatives to drag queen story hours. Each year, the chapter participates in Brave Books’ national “See You At the Library” event, hosting readings that emphasize courage, truth, and family values. Their mission is to “protect our grandkids’ education” by informing grandparents about declining academic standards and resisting what they see as sexual indoctrination in schools.
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.
