Letter to the Editor Rockton: Why, indeed, “would anyone want to be on a library board."

Why, indeed, “would anyone want to be on a library board if they hate the library
and all it stands for?” So wrote a former librarian in her letter to the editor
published May 15, 2026.
Am I the only reader who noticed the pejorative and obvious second-grade logic
being employed by the author in her opinion piece (i.e., because you disagree with
library staff decisions you must hate the library)? Have we really devolved so
much in our critical thinking skills that this passes for good argument?
Good people will disagree on many things, from what we consider appropriate
children’s literature to how certain books are arranged in our library’s many
sections. A difference in opinion does not constitute hate.
And yes, we all have opinions, which typically emerge from the worldviews we
hold. Some of us promote a worldview that seeks to protect and shield young eyes
from content we consider too adult. Some do not. That’s called disagreement.
Why is it, however, that only one side of that disagreement is considered hateful
and the other is not? Why, for instance, is one board member labeled a “hater” for
having an opinion while those members of a dissimilar opinion are not? If
disagreement is hatred, as the author suggests, then everybody in the room is a
“hater.”
No doubt, I will be labeled a “hater” for disagreeing with the author’s assessment,
but only if she once again employs second-grade logic.
William A. Landerholm - Rockton, Illinois -Comments can be sent to William at email address: blanderholm@martinauto.com