This past week:

Jay Ashcroft @JayAshcroftMO
Wouldn’t it be nice if the @MOlibraries said, “we agree, let’s work together to protect our kids from obscene materials,” instead of, “how dare you ask that we stop giving kids obscene materials!”?
[….]
8:08 AM · Apr 18, 2023

Pearl clutching Fascist pig.

Some of the responses:

Really? Have you been to a library?

This is not happening. Anywhere.

This is a pathetic attempt to pander to the far right base for your weak run at governor.

Also, how do you think kids get to the library?

Wouldn’t it be nice if Republicans hadn’t invented a new wedge issue in the first place?

There was already a process for book complaints. This is a solution in search of a problem, in service of your quest for unending political power.

Curious who gets to define obscene?

Have you ever been to a library?

Evidently not.

It would be even nicer if Republican politicians either showed us proof of “obscene” materials in libraries or stopped trying to defund libraries and intimidate librarians.

A library transaction is a voluntary one, even for children. The patron selects a book, the librarian uses the library catalog system to denote that the patron is now in possession of the book for a period of time. The patron leaves. That’s how libraries work, Jay.

The problem is your definition of “obscene” and how you view others. In other words…your bigotry.

Wouldn’t it be nice if government officials actually did their jobs instead of making things up to fight a “culture war”.

Jay Ashcroft (r) is running for Governor.

Wouldn’t it be nice if Republicans stopped emulating Nazi Germany by banning books, closing libraries and attempting to alter history, including censoring the fact that Rosa Parks was black???

So sad that the people of Missouri are currently stuck with a SOS of state that doesn’t even understand a library.

It would be even nicer if fascists stopped lying about everything they can’t understand or control.

That’s not what happened, you’re just a bigot

Have you ever been in a library before?

When my kids were younger, I always went to the library with them & they always brought the books to me they wanted to check out first. I had the choice to decide if appropriate or not.

It’s not rocket science!

Another Christian theocrat wiping his bum with the first amendment. Fundamentally unamerican, champ.

Omg, was your dad John Ashcroft, who embarrassed Missouri and the country by requiring drapes to cover the statue of Justice when he was AG? Figures.

Yes.

Odd way of showing how you’re not a responsible parent, Jay….

Tell me you’ve never been to a library without telling me you’ve never been to a library.

Lying to advance your political career. I guess that’s the Ashcroft family legacy. Pathetic.

The Ashcroft family’s definition of obscenity differs wildly from people significantly less prude than they are. Remember dad’s statue problem? Had to cover that boobie lest the world fall apart. Parents don’t need the government looking over their shoulders.

Heh. One of the funniest comments at the time about the photo of then Attorney General John Ashcroft (r) standing with the draped statue of Justice in the background was “The big boob is still visible in the photo, John.”

Wouldn’t it be great if elected officials worked for all of their constituents and stopped trying to legislate morality based upon their personal beliefs.

Wouldn’t it be nice if politicians did some research? I visit our public library in Columbia MO with my grandkids every week. We spend hours perusing their excellent collection of children’s literature. We have never encountered a single example of obscenity.

Ashcroft: Vote for me. I’ll find a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist and maybe shut down some libraries in the process!

Wouldn’t it be nice if republicans would worry about real issues instead of making up fake ones daily

Wouldn’t it be nice if you knew how libraries worked?

Wouldn’t it be nice if the christo-fascist nazi movement stopped trying to impose theo-political censorship on free Americans?

There it is.

When was the last time you spent any significant time in a library? Maybe quit tweeting pandering nonsense and go visit one for a day.

Shut it, fascist

Stop talking about doing things for the children. If you actually cared about kids, pre school through secondary ed would be fully funded, including libraries, art and music. Daycare would be fully tax deductible. Kids wouldn’t be paying the price for white guys to own ARs.

Wouldn’t it be nice if people parented their own kids and stopped trying to parent mine!

Kids should definitely be protected from obscene books like the Bible.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you were bright enough to understand the mission of public libraries and know that they aren’t pushing obscenity on anyone?

Libraries don’t buy pornography. You’re defining “obscene materials” as anything that you personally don’t like – like a penguin with two dads or books with gay characters. But public libraries serve the PUBLIC. Not just fundamentalist Christians.

Got proof? I’m guessing you don’t as you have clearly never been in a library. Instead you’ve just made up an issue that doesn’t exist to try to convince people you know what you’re doing. I’m not buying it. You have no clue. Just admit your lie.

Wouldn’t it be nice if RW fundamentalists let parents decide what they want their children to read? Pure gaslighting.

We don’t want you to tell our kids what they can and can’t read.

Obscene like Ann Frank? Obscene like Harry Potter? Obscene like the Bible? Which obscene are you talking about, Jay?

Wouldn’t it be nice if you would leave our libraries alone? They are a place for everyone, not just for Christian fascists.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you actually went to a library and saw that there isn’t porn just laying around. And understood that if you don’t want your kid to read something you don’t need too…but you also don’t get to decide for my kid.

Wouldn’t it be nice if MO politicians worked on issues that would actually improve the lives of Missourians instead of fake culture war issues?

Wouldn’t it be nice if our MO Secretary of State wasn’t gaslighting and sabotaging the very libraries he pretends to support in order to operate a scam fundraising campaign out of his public office? We see your scam. Fake rule changes so Jay can $ out to run. Sad.

For generations libraries have been a tower of virtues. A place of knowledge and research. You could learn about Karl Marx, Thomas Jefferson, or what a parliamentary government is. The holder of all knowledge. They don’t force it on you. You seek it.

Someone who has actually been in a public library.

Protip… the ones banning books are never on the right side of history

Wouldn’t it be nice if you bothered to learn a thing or two about how libraries are run?

Have you considered becoming a better person?

Evidently not.

No one mistakes your bigotry for anything other than what it is.

I’ve never had a librarian force my children to read any books.

Classic straw-man argument, and not even a clever one. How did you even get through law school?

Legacy?

Wouldn’t it be great if MO GOP admitted they made up yet another problem that doesn’t exist and decided to try to solve a real issue that would actually help Missourians?

So, you’ve never actually been to library, have you?

You are being ridiculous, Mr. Ashcroft. No one is giving kids obscene materials at public schools or libraries.

MO Library Association @MOlibraries
Wouldn’t it be nice if your Sec of State consulted ANY librarians before making accusations and rules that impact their daily operations?
#FreedomToRead
[….]
11:15 AM · Apr 21, 2023

MO Library Association @MOlibraries
Wouldn’t it be nice if your Sec of State realized that libraries don’t “give” kids anything? We provide books that kids (with their parents’ involvement) can choose or not.
#FreedomToRead #WhatLibrariesDo
[….]
11:16 AM · Apr 21, 2023

That’s quite ratio there, Jay (r).