When you mix library books and six educated and calm women with one rude, self-righteous, condescending and glaringly angry man who can play a fiddle but can’t hide his disdain for strong women, you have a gigantic mess.
And that was exactly the case Friday for the Arkansas State Library Board meeting, which happened in Little Rock but which former state senator and new library board member Jason Rapert opted to skip in person despite the extra security he had requested. Rapert visited by Zoom, where he made angry faces and repeatedly interrupted other speakers.
Rapert took to Facebook earlier to publicly share his struggles as a board member: “I believe they’ve created a hostile work environment for a Christian white male on the board. They absolutely can’t stand it that I’m speaking up to say, ‘We need to do something about these nasty books.’”
On Friday, the six women on that board were indeed united in their opposition to two motions by Rapert, who took the time to lecture board members on procedure.
This was only the second board meeting which Rapert has had the opportunity to screw up since Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders appointed him to disrupt the panel late last year. Sanders’ other appointee, Shari Bales, seconded one of his motions, only to vote against it, as did every other member except Rapert.
One motion would have defunded libraries that have declined to make books that someone deems obscene, pornographic or sexually explicit from being available to minors. The board chairwoman said she didn’t think there were such books in the libraries, though Rapert indicated he knows better.
Who would decide which books were inappropriate, one board member asked. I never heard a good answer.
Bales said she viewed this issue as a matter for legislators, not the board, and added, “I sure have a conscience” — an apparent response to Rapert’s recent statement that he was happy to be the “conscience of the Arkansas State Library Board.”
Bales said she also has “no intention to silence anyone on this board” — an allegation Rapert previously made against some board members he did not identify.
Kudos to board member Lupe Peña de Martinez, who told Rapert she had read some of the books he finds offensive.
Speaking to Rapert, she said, “I agree with you. There are absolutely atrocious scenes” in some of the books. “You are absolutely right.” But she stressed, “They are intended for young people who have faced trauma” — suggesting these books can help those children heal.
Her comments actually silenced Rapert, albeit for only a few seconds.
The other motion was a rehash of one he previously failed at — getting the board to deny funding to any library that sues the state or taxpayers. Bales noted that she lives in Hot Springs, which she indicated is known for its Mafia ties. From that perspective, she said, Rapert’s proposal “seems a bit like coercion.”
In a Facebook video this week, Rapert confused the whole issue by holding up a Bible at one point. I don’t know what translation it is, but unless it’s the New Sanitized Version, the Bible also includes rape, incest, adultery, murder and more. Maybe he should reread it, especially the part about turning the other cheek.