To the editor:

On Aug. 23, Jake Vail wrote that our libraries should contain thousands of works of violence and illegal activity. That’s nice. While lecturing Phill Kline on the Constitution, Mr. Vail construes the First Amendment as an imperative obligating the government to provide libraries with material that satisfies the needs of a few patrons with incredibly bad taste. The state of Kansas is not obligated to provide music to anyone. The First Amendment gives everyone the right to speak freely, but not the right to have their speech funded and provided for by the government.

If the government or individual libraries choose to provide material to patrons, that’s fine, but such action is purely discretionary. In fact, librarians all across the state exercise discretion in ordering books for their shelves every day. Because they regulate the content of public libraries, are they censors as well?

Finally, Mr. Vail failed to mention that the terms of the settlement agreement between the state and the music companies specifically prohibited certain types of CDs from being sent to libraries. Thus, in withholding delivery of those CDs, Mr. Kline was actually upholding the state’s contract and the law.

Derek Teeter,

Lawrence