‘Book burners’ plan prayer vigil
Christian Civil Liberties Union: ‘Baby Be-Bop’ a ‘hate crime book’
By DAVE RANK Daily News Staff
The Milwaukee-based group claiming it will file a federal lawsuit against West Bend city officials and demanding the right to burn a young adult book found in the library plans a 1 p.m. prayer vigil outside City Hall today. Robert Braun, president of the Christian Civil Liberties Union’s (CCLU) Milwaukee branch, stated in a fax sent to the Daily News Monday that the vigil is intended to “pray for (the) West Bend mayor and city Library Board,” who are among those the group wants to sue. In the fax, Braun writes, “Mayor Kristine Deiss and the West Bend Library allowed a hate crime book, which offends minorities, gays and Christianity to remain in the public library, despite the fact that both prayers and God’s name have been removed from public places. “We pray the Mayor will read the Bible which states “thou shall not kill” and “thou shall not condemn thy neighbor(.”) Two months ago, the Milwaukee branch of the CCLU filed a complaint denouncing the book “Baby Be-Bop” by California writer Francesca Lia Block, which is available in the West Bend Community Memorial Library, calling it “a hate crime book.” Braun of West Allis, Joseph Kogelmann of Milwaukee, Robert Brough of West Bend and the Rev. Cleveland Eden of Milwaukee, representing the CCLU, which has a Milwaukee city address, filed the complaint with the West Bend city clerk’s office on April 28. Named in the complaint are the city of West Bend, Deiss, the West Bend Library Board and Library Director Michael Tyree. The group is asking for $30,000 per plaintiff, Deiss’ resignation and that “Baby
Be-Bop” be removed from the library and publicly burned or destroyed to deter repeat offensive conduct. In “Baby Be-Bop,” one of five short novels in the magical-realism “Dangerous Angels: The Weezie Bat Books” series, 16-year-old Dirk McDonald details his difficulties in coming to terms with his homosexuality in the 1980s. In it he is beaten up by his classmates because he’s gay. The CCLU describes the book as being “explicitly vulgar, racial (sic) and anti-Christian.” The four elderly plaintiffs say their mental and emotional well-being were damaged because the book is in West Bend’s library, although their complaint does not state any of them actually read the book. They claim the library is displaying books they consider obscene or racist in content and promote violence. The CCLU demands “Baby Be-Bop” be removed from the library. Because the CCLU’s complaint calls for a financial penalty, it has been sent to the city’s insurance carrier for evaluation and a recommendation whether the city should allow or disallow all or part of the claim. In his fax Monday, Braun asks interested individuals “to join us at a later date when we burn the “Baby Be-Bop” book or would like to join us for any other activities ... .” Braun listed the CCLU phone number, 414-344-7478, and its mailing address, 2634 W. Vliet St., Milwaukee, WI 53205, stating, “If you would like to join us or contribute a gift toward our upcoming Federal lawsuit concerning this matter(. )”