The Squeaky Wheel gets Greased

​Have you heard the phrase “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”? It’s a phrase that means that whoever complains the loudest or causes the most problems is usually the one to get their way.  For some reason, that is the phrase that kept going through my mind while watching last night’s Okefenokee Regional Library Board meeting. Whether or not you attended the meeting or watched the video, here are a few of the highlights from the portion of the meeting focused on the Libraries are for Everyone mural.

The discussion got started with board member Daryl Edwards talking about how divisive the mural has been. Board chairman Evelyn Denton read an email in which someone said that “half the community finds it offensive.”  They both imply that the entirety of Waycross and Ware County are split about the mural. This is simply not true. 

In reality, most of Waycross and Ware County don’t care either way. Most people don’t come to the library all that much and if they do, they’ve not really noticed the mural. What has divided the community are a small group of people who have gone to great lengths to obnoxiously stir up a lot of controversy and fearmongering among the local churches. They have made out like there’s a big scary agenda and the library is out to get their children. People tend to believe things they are told at church, even if the information is coming from people who don’t believe in science and think the earth is flat. They have stirred up a bunch of people and gotten them to harass all of the city, county, and board of education officials as well as harassing library employees.  When elected officials say they won’t fund the library “until this mess is straightened out,” what they really mean is “until you appease these people that are harassing us.” 

When the topic of the mural first comes up, one board member asked about the legality of voting against the mural and whether they could be sued. Evelyn basically tells her not to worry about that and says “If you believe in something, stand up for it.”  But when our side stands up for diversity and inclusivity in the library, we are said to “have an agenda.”

Board member Tawanna Harris tried to point out the problems with the “new” display policy, stating that it is vague and was written for the sole purpose of removing the mural. Being the writer of that policy, Evelyn banged the gavel and would not allow Tawanna to finish speaking. Then she cut off board member Cheryl Jacobs as she was also asking about legalities and said “Here it is, we’re going to vote.” 

BUT, the self-appointed parliamentarian, Danny Bartlett, who is not even on the board, asked to speak and Evelyn allowed it. How many times have we been told at these meetings that members of the audience are not allowed to speak if they are not on the agenda? Perhaps Mr. “Robert’s Rules of Order” only follows the rules when it suits him.  He started out by stating that he was taking off his parliamentarian hat (obviously) and putting on his hat as Executive Director of Okefenokee Citizens Defending Freedom.  Do you suppose Evelyn would have allowed someone from the Okefenokee Library Alliance to stand up and give an opinion? I doubt it.

When attorney Ken Taft spoke up to say that Mr. Bartlett was not on the agenda, Evelyn banged her gavel at him and told him not to have a meltdown. She went on to say that as chairman of the board, she has the authority to allow him to speak if she wants. This after she had already cut off two board members from speaking. Then she rudely said to Tawanna “You’d go on for 90 minutes if you could.  

At that point, the board voted to remove the mural. So now we are left with nothing but questions. Now that they have won this fight, do you suppose they will leave the public library alone? Will they start a book banning campaign?  Why are some of the speakers so concerned with the personnel policy?

Until next time friends, go read some banned books!

P.S. The video is on our YouTube page. The link to our YouTube page is https://www.youtube.com/@OkefenokeeLibraryAlliance