Families Gather at Local Library for Story Time Hosted by Brave Books
Fort Myers, FL. — Nearly twenty children gathered Saturday at their local library for story time hosted by a mother of two, who volunteered to organize a “See You at the Library” event sponsored by Brave Books and its Christian author Kirk Cameron.
Prayer and Patriotic Singing at the Lake Regional Library
The group of families at the Lake Regional Library in Fort Myers, Florida kicked off the story hour with a prayer, asking Jesus to protect children while they gave thanks for the freedom of speech. They closed their event by singing “God Bless America.”
Reading Kirk Cameron’s Book and Discussing Values
During story time, they read Mr. Cameron’s book “Pride Comes Before the Fall” and spoke afterwards about not being prideful and helping others.
Importance of Teaching Children Values
“I think it is important for kids to hear things from their house first, so when they hear it from their peers, the first authority is their family and that’s who the first authority should be because they are our kids,” said Jessica Wielgot, a mother of two. “The Brave Books really give them great talking points like pride. Pride is a bad thing.”
Community Support and Desire to Host the Event
Ms. Wielgot drove 40 minutes to attend the event in Fort Myers, Florida from her home in Naples, Florida, which is about 30 miles south. She said she would have loved to host a “See You at the Library” event in Naples had she known in advance of the opportunity.
Nationwide “Day of Singing, Praying, and Reading” at Libraries
Mr. Cameron held a video meeting with the volunteers ahead of the story hour, which was touted as marking Aug. 5 as “a day of singing, praying, and reading” at more than 300 libraries across the U.S., which agreed through local volunteers to host the gatherings.
Supporting Free Speech and Countering Cancel Culture
The events are geared at supporting free speech and countering cancel culture, which was sparked by more than 50 public libraries not allowing Mr. Cameron to read his book, “As You Grow” — despite at least one of them having hosted Drag Story Hours with drag queen readers.
Prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, and Singing at Book Events
Some of Mr. Cameron’s book events involve prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and singing “God Bless America.”
Conflict with Libraries and First Amendment Rights
Mr. Cameron was set to appear at three libraries in Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas during the gatherings on Aug. 5 — but days before the story hours were to take place, his lawyers had to tell a public library in Alabama that it is running afoul of the First Amendment by canceling his children’s event where Mr. Cameron and women’s sports activist Riley Gaines were set to appear.
Resolution Reached with Huntsville-Madison County Public Library
According to First Liberty, the room at the library had been reserved for 250 people to attend the Brave Books event and canceling it at the last minute suggests there’s viewpoint discrimination being exercised against Mr. Cameron and his publisher Brave Books. The dispute, though, appeared to be resolved by Saturday, and there was an agreement for the reading to take place with a limit on the number of attendees due to spacing concerns, according to reports. “I believe this reconciliation between us and the Madison Public Library is a testimony to the strength and power of moms and dads gathering in prayer for the blessing of their community. Both sides rose to a higher ethic than we often see in today’s polarized society,” Mr. Cameron tweeted.
Showcasing Acceptance and Individuality
Chris Neubert, a Fort Myers father who brought his son to the story hour Saturday, told newsfeedworld that he supports Brave Books because the company sends the message to children that it is ok to be themselves. “It shows them that who they are is special. They don’t have to be somebody else,” he said.
A Shift in Control and Rising Awareness
Mr. Neubert said that the conflict between Mr. Cameron and other libraries was due to the “radical left” losing control over schools and education. “They know that their time is coming to an end,” he said. “The left has had control of schools, Hollywood, courts for the past decade and they know that families and moms and dads are waking up and they are scared.”
A spokesperson from the library did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
