Eastern North Carolina U.S. Rep. Walter Jones (R) is a piece of work. Thankfully he doesn't represent my district, but this boob is responsible for some high-level, even dangerous wingnuttery. Mr. Freedom Fries is also responsible for:
* introducing a bill to name Falls Lake after bigot wingnut ex-Senator Jesse Helms
* the introduction of H.R. 235, which would obliterate this line between church and state, allowing relgious leaders to make endorsements from the pulpit.
Now, he's threatened by children's books that teach tolerance. Since he readily admits banning books is illegal, he figures that he can work his way around that little obstacle.
In the clip below you'll see some indignation from Chris Barron of the Log Cabin Repugs about the whole thing. Hey, these are allegedly
your people Chris. Can't you snap them in line, or are you just realizing THEY DON'T LIKE GAY PEOPLE?
With the Federal Marriage Amendment unlikely to pass this Congress, some House Republicans are planning to move legislation that would restrict access to children's books about homosexuals.
After reading news articles about a 7-year-old girl borrowing a children's book from her school library about two men marrying, Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) began to craft legislation that would give parents a significant role in reviewing literature before it can be accessed by young children.
Jones's bill, introduced late last week, would establish review boards of five to 15 parents who would analyze and make recommendations on potential purchases by educational entities.
The impetus behind the legislation is a book titled King and King, which starts out with a queen urging her son to marry and ends with the prince tying the knot with another prince. The book, which is advertised for children from 4 to 8 years old, shows the two men kissing with their lips hidden by a heart.
...His legislation would prohibit states from receiving federal education money unless they have "certain policies and procedures" on buying books for elementary-school use.
The Log Cabin Republicans, a gay and lesbian rights group, strongly opposes the bill. Christopher Barron, the group's political director, called the bill "a federal power grab" that "flies in the face" of the long-held Republican stance on states' rights. Barron said decisions on purchasing books should be left to the states, adding that the legislation "would be laughable if it weren't real."
Responding to those criticisms, Jones said he has analyzed the issue extensively and concluded that the only viable approach to restricting children's access to books such as King and King is through the processes outlined in his bill. "You can't ban the book," Jones said. "This is the only way to do it."
Jones said that by returning power to parents on the state and local level, his bill will promote states' rights.