Calvin and Hobbs, the comic strip, has been banned in Tennessee schools on the grounds that it had pornography in the form of Calvin's naked butt being in some cells.

What is adult content? A cartoon butt? A book on breastfeeding? "I can't define porn, but I know it when I see it" has led to Calvin and Hobbs being banned.

I think the point they were making is that a child can walk into a library, pick up any book, and open it. All without any adults being in the loop. They can do that today.

Yeah, and my point is that the "pick up any book" thing is hiding the fact that selection is in fact seriously limited.

And second, underaged kids can not checkout non kid material without adult in the loop. That part is simply not true, the librarian will say no to the child or ask for parents permission.

> hiding the fact that selection is in fact seriously limited

If your goal is "prevent children from accessing adult material", it really isn't that limited.

> underaged kids can not checkout non kid material without adult in the loop

They don't need to. They can read it in the library; that's what libraries are for.

Have you ever been in the library? Cause they really limit minors.

And obviously "adult material" is not referencing cookbooks for housewifes nor antic philosophy nor fantasy books meant for adults.

It does in fact means porn and such.

I have been to my library yes. You don't need ID or a library card (unless you want to check something out or use a computer) and you can pick up any book you like (including e.g. 50 Shades of Grey), sit down at a table, and read it. There are children in there all the time and there isn't an adults-only section.

A minor can walk into any library I've been to, grab any book off the shelf, and read it.

You can read a book without taking it out.

Meaning anyone taller than 4’ can reach tedious essays about porn.

What public libraries have porn?

Or is it the pearl clutching where a novel with a same-sex kiss is smut? What about all of the graphic acts that happen in the Bible?

10 year old me definitely checked out the Clan of the Cavebear books and similar from my local library, no one cared.

My idea of a hot date was looking up dirty words in the unabridged dictionary.

Pretty much none which is exactly why the comparison to libraries makes zero sense.

And yes, there was considerable pearl clutching over same sex kiss. To the point the supposed old school bastions of freedom would not print it, would not put it in the library and would do everything possible for kid not to read it.

The physical world of back then was considerably more restrictive in terms of what kids could access. Whether in the libraries or outside of them.