The following is the recent email exchange that I had with the director of Sturgis Library, who had permanently banned me verbally in 2012.
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From: George Slone
Sent: Sunday, October 9, 2022 10:49 AM
To: sturgislibrary@comcast.net <sturgislibrary@comcast.net>; sturgisreference@comcast.net <sturgisreference@comcast.net>
Cc: Bardetti, Andrew <abardetti@sccls.org>; edith@edithvonnegut.com <edith@edithvonnegut.com>
Subject: A citizen's request for an update
To Director Lucy Loomis, Sturgis Library:
Ten years later and at age 74, I am left wondering if your no-trespass order is still in effect today. Recall that your reason for issuing the order was “for the safety of the staff and public” (see theamericandissident.org/orgs/sturgis_email.html). To this day, however, I have never made any threats and have no record of physical violence at all. Nevertheless, I have been an open critic of librarians, libraries, and the American Library Association. Is such criticism unsafe?
When freedom of expression is punished, democracy dies. Your mission statement seems to be in line with that thought: “[Sturgis Library] Promotes the free exchange of ideas and serves as a community meeting place.” However, how can it not be hypocritical when those like me, who openly express critical opinions, are not permitted at that “meeting place”? Perhaps from your perspective, my criticisms might seem angry, but I certainly do not hate you or Sturgis Library. I am a critic, not a hater.
On another note, the email addresses of your trustees ought to be included on the Sturgis Library website. I would have liked to have been able to cc this email to John Littlefield, President, Board of Trustees, and the others. However, I cannot find their email addresses. Perhaps those who wish to remain uncontactable ought to stay out of the leadership limelight.
In any case, I shall wait a week and a half for your response. If I do not hear from you, then I shall assume the trespass order is no longer in effect and shall then peacefully walk into Sturgis Library as a local taxpaying patron. As you can see, however, I shall remain openly critical… in accord with your mission statement. Thank you for your attention.
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From: Lucy Loomis <sturgislibrary@comcast.net>
Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2022 9:18 AM
To: George Slone <todslone@hotmail.com>
Cc: Bardetti, Andrew <abardetti@sccls.org>
Subject: Re: A citizen's request for an update
Hello Mr. Slone:
I received your recent email regarding returning to Sturgis Library, and shared it with the members of the Executive Committee of our Board of Trustees. I am copying this email to them.
The 2012 trespass order was officially issued by the Barnstable Police Department, and any questions about whether it is still applicable should be referred to them.
If you resume visits to the Library, please know that the following policies, adopted by the Board of Trustees, must be followed by all Library visitors.
Acceptable Behavior Policy
Posting of Non-Library Materials on the Bulletin Board
Thank you.
Lucy Loomis, Library Director
Sturgis Library, Barnstable Village
An independent nonprofit library
http://www.sturgislibrary.org
508-362-8448
Please support Sturgis Library
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Sent:Monday, January 30, 2023 7:16 AM
To:Lucy Loomis <sturgislibrary@comcast.net>
Subject:Re: A citizen's request for an update
To Director Lucy Loomis, Sturgis Library:
Thank you for the response… several months ago.At your suggestion, I finally went down to the police department and mentioned you now have given me permission to enter Sturgis Library.A woman there handed me a sheet of paper, the only thing in my file.And it was the same sheet I’d paid fifty cents for a decade ago.This time it was free of charge.Nothing on it mentioned permanent trespass at all.For a copy of that report, see https://theamericandissident.org/orgs/sturgis_library.htmlon the bottom of the page.The woman explained that the police do not even have to hand me a written document when they trespass a person. All they have to do is tell the person verbally, which they never did with my regard.And of course, since it’s not written, I can’t prove that.The woman also stated that such a verbal order would only be valid for two years.And yet you’d stated permanently.How sad that our laws in America are often vague to the point where they can work against common citizens… to the benefit of directors and, of course, the great legal industry.
In any event, what you did with my regard was certainly not democratic in nature, but rather authoritarian: permanently banning me with no warning and no due process at all… and justifying your decision that somehow I was a public danger, as in “for the safety of the staff and public”?After all, never did I make any threats of violence and certainly do not have a police record with that regard.And how sad that your library trustees fully backed you on that authoritarian decision.Hopefully, former trustee Vonnegut is still rolling in his grave.Such authoritarianism seems to rule here on Cape Cod in the cultural sphere.Alas.
In any case, I am glad that you finally decided to permit me to enter Sturgis Library, my neighborhood library, once again.However, at this point in my life, I just might never do that for I have no desire whatsoever to see you again.Also, in contrast with Sturgis Library, the women at Yarmouth Port Library have been very kind.We have gotten along quite nicely over the past decade since your banning decree.
Please forward this email to the Executive Committee of your Board of Trustees, including John Littlefield, President; Marcia Lay, Vice President/Secretary; and Paula King, Treasurer, since trustee email addresses, for some reason, are not publicly divulged on your website.As Chief Justice Brandeis had rightfully stated:“sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.”Oh, well…
By the way, to this day, not one library on Cape Cod has been willing to subscribe to the nonprofit 501 c3 journal I publish on Cape Cod devoted to literature, democracy (i.e., freedom of expression and vigorous debate), and dissidence.What might that imply?
Au plaisir,
G. Tod Slone (PhD—Université de Nantes, FR), aka P. Maudit, Founding Editor (1998)
The American Dissident, a 501c3 Nonprofit Journal of Literature, Democracy, and Dissidence
wwwtheamericandissidentorg.blogspot.com
todslone@hotmail.com
217 Commerce Rd.
Barnstable, MA 02630
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2023 6:47 AM
To: George Slone <todslone@hotmail.com>; Lucy Loomis <director@sturgislibrary.org>
Subject: Re: A citizen's request for an update
Hello Mr. Slone:
I am glad you were able to clarify the trespass order with the police. To be clear, we never stated that the trespass order was permanent. I have copies of all of our correspondence and neither the Trustees nor myself ever declared it a permanent ban. That was an assumption you made at the time, and chose not to clarify with the police or legal counsel.
It is therefore your choice to return to the Library or not, as long as you are willing to abide by our policies. At the time you asked to be reinstated in 2015 and 2017, our Board did not feel, from your correspondence with me and them, that you were willing to do that. I hope that you will be going forward.
Please be aware that if you visit this week and possibly next week we have limited services and hours because we are getting new carpeting. If you plan to visit please enter through the front door. We’ll be open 10-3. We hope to resume regular services and hours next week.
Thank you.
Lucy Loomis
Library Director
Sent from my iPhone
From: George Slone <todslone@hotmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2023 12:39 PM
To: Lucy Loomis <sturgislibrary@comcast.net>
Subject: A citizen's request for an update
To Lucy Loomis,
Confusion, lack of clarity, and absence of written documents always serve those in power. Surely, you must know that… and have taken advantage of it.
Again, the problem with verbal trespass orders like the one you issued with my regard in 2012 is that what was said cannot be proven. My journal entry for that day (see below) does in fact note that you did say yes, when I asked if the trespass was permanent. If you had taken five minutes to write the order on paper and give me a copy, then you could have proven you never stated such a thing.
Also, the police report fails to mention at all the duration of your (or its?) trespass order. See the actual report on the bottom of this webpage: https://theamericandissident.org/orgs/sturgis_library.html.
In an email, I’d written to Ted Lowry, president of Sturgis trustees, in 2013, I clearly stated “permanently banning me.” Lowry responded, but did not argue the ban not to be permanent. Why? See the correspondence here: http://wwwtheamericandissidentorg.blogspot.com/2013/09/ted-lowry-enemy-of-first-amendment.html.
In the email sent by you to Lowry, the only document made available to me thanks to the State Secretary of Records, you did not contradict my statement that the banning was permanent. You failed to mention in it the duration of the banning.
Moreover, in the 2015 email I sent you, again “permanently banned me” was mentioned. Why did you not correct that statement?
In 2017, Jeanie Hill, the new Sturgis trustee president, wrote: “There is a no trespass order in effect; therefore your request to be reinstated at Sturgis Library is denied.” How does that jive with the police argument that it can only trespass someone for two years?
Again, confusion, lack of clarity, and absence of written documents serve those in power. Below is the journal entry I made on the day you permanently trespassed me. I asked you if it was permanent and you said, yes. I certainly did not make that up. Why would I?
Hopefully, you will at least have learned that you should present a written document with precisions to any future trespassed patrons. They should certainly have the right to such a document!
Anyhow, onwards…
Au plaisir,
G. Tod Slone
From my journal:
June 19, 2012
Tues. I work for Rob from 745 to 245. Exhausting shit sanding a deck all day. Then I nap for 20 min and head to the library somewhat dazed and confused. I check out a couple of DVDs, set up the laptop and do my thing. Then Lucy and a cop enter the room. “I do not want you here anymore,” she says. “This is a no-trespass,” says the cop. Then two more cops enter the room. Am I dreaming? Is this America? “What did I do?” I asked. “You’ve been criticizing me and don’t like it here, so now you will not be able to come here.” “Is that permanent?” I ask. “Yes,” she says. “And the no-trespass includes the parking lot,” she says to the other cop. “Why three cops?” I say. “I have no record. I don’t have a weapon.” Then one of them (Foley, I later find out), twists my arm, holds it, and searches me. “Are you allowed to do that? Are you going to arrest me now and put me in a cell?” “As you soon as you mentioned weapon, we can do that,” he says. “Keep your voice down.” “I mean this is fucked up?” I say. “Don’t use that word!” he says. “Is fuck illegal here?” I say. “Is this a democracy or fascism?” “Do you understand you will be arrested if you come here again?” “Yes, now where can I file a complaint?” I ask. “Town hall,” says the first cop. Then the three of them escort me out the door. I know it would be easy as hell to get arrested. Somehow I resist the temptation. “This is why people don’t have confidence in the police,” I say.
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