At least seven states have passed laws that could fine or send librarians to prison for providing sexually explicit, obscene or "harmful" books to children. In Arkansas, librarians face up to six years in prison or $10,000 in fines.

Those on the political right, however, contend that the legislation is necessary to prevent children from exposure to pornographic and sexual content that will harm their mental health and warp their development. In every case but one, a bipartisan bill in Missouri, Republican lawmakers or Republican-dominated committees introduced the laws.

Idaho, Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri, North Dakota and Oklahoma have such laws. Tennessee passed two measures, one that targets schools and another that targets book publishers or vendors selling to schools, with up to six years in prison and up to $103,000 in fines for providing obscene matter to K-12 schools.

Huh.

How many of these states allow 70-year-old men to marry 14-year-old girls, I wonder. Or force 12-year-old girls to give birth? Or let 14-year-old boys work dangerous jobs? I wonder what the minimum age is to buy guns in those states? But hey, books are dangerous, dontchaknow.

I did Nazi that coming.

Actually, I did.

washingtonpost.com - School librarians jailed banned books