The quaint little vacation town of Grand Marais, Minnesota on the shore of Lake Superior has been a family vacation destination for nearly twenty years since first moving here from out state.  Not at all a place I expected for the kind of indoctrination witnessed on a much anticipated July family get away and in a quaint little bookstore.

I had this sense I should be watching my seven-yearold, as she curiously perused the children’s bookshelf at Dury Lane Books in Grand Marais.  The books I witnessed were at my eye level (I happen to be tall, so this would have been the 3rd or so shelf from the bottom floor).  Titles jumped out like:  “It Feels Good to be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity,” “Tell Me About Sex Grandma” and “Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness.”  

This was not your typical selection of books for children from Dury Lane Book store.  The store, more often than not, is packed with books for children on agates, camping, wild animal’s native to the area, historical events, ships and Ojibwa Indian tribes.  The books I witnessed made no sense next to the agates.  It seemed completely out of place to have this on a children’s bookshelf in a destination vacation shop that prides itself on “Miss Rumphius” and the Lupine Lady or Jan Brett’s winter folk tales.   

Difficult to be discrete in reviewing these books with my child at my side, I tried to quickly leaf through the pages without my child questioning what it was I was reading or alerting that something was completely off in this corner of her world and in this store.

I’m one of those hybrid parents that is open with my children, but also very guarded in the information that is divulged on them from outsiders – aren’t most parents?  It is a sobering reality that society is no longer a safe haven that protects what parents hold near and dear as their own personal values.  Parents know their child, their development and what they may or may not be ready to comprehend.  That’s my job. Period.  There used to be respect for that.

Society today however has decided for us when and how that will take place. And unfortunately for this bookstore, and in my opinion, decided way too soon by taking it upon themselves to descend upon young travelers whose parents are off scouting the latest local reads.  Likewise our education department has decided this for parents as well.  The bookstore was merely following.

We could go round and round on the politics of teaching sex to kids.  That certainly is nothing new (Yawn, you’ve heard it before, go homeschool your kid, you’re a religious puritan, etc.).  But this is different. I’ve seen too much of it in the public schools, and now after having graduated my eldest into college, I can tell you my articles over the last six years are beginning to date me.  No one could imagine how fast and furious the push for exploitive sex education at a younger and younger age has arrived, and one could argue, the conditions are ripe for Sodom and Gomorra.  

One example of how things have changed I happened upon when entering Hopkins West Junior High public school in Hopkins, Minn. that serves students beginning in seventh grade.  Before you even hit the front door, these barely pre-teens are exposed to transgender equality with signs lining the front entry door that displays multiple gender arrows and the infamous “All Are Welcome” encouragement. More often than not, as a parent with a different set of norms, I feel excluded from being welcomed. 

Walk through the halls and witness LBGTQ posters encouraging middle schoolers to explore a group called “Gender & Sexuality Alliance.”  Furthermore, according to the schools Twitter account, Hopkins West Junior High boasts “The Closet: An LGBTQ+ Resource Library” unveiled this past March.  The district was also awarded a whopping $365 grant to the Gender Sexuality Alliance with the sheer intent to increase social activism while working to promote an understanding of, and educate the student body in, LGBTQ+ issues.  

By the way, how are those standardized test scores coming? 

If you don’t think drag queen storytime hour is coming next to your school districts library, think again.  How do kids even get a chance to be kids when they are inundated with such indoctrination?  Teaching children to feel guilty about their own genetic makeup whether white or otherwise, male or female as discovered in Dury Lane Books only stokes racism while indoctrinating children to embrace other gender identities.  This alone seems to be the ‘pornification’ of a minor in the name of social justice.

And drag story hour is no longer just for St. Paul Public Libraries as Hennepin County has gone into the smaller communities through earmarked funding.  Take for example the quaint city of Excelsior, an area posh with all the latest boats, breweries and million-dollar lake homes.  Even here they are gearing up to sponsor drag queen story hour for youngsters at their local library whose target audience is 3-8-year-olds, and, according to the head librarian all happening in the name of “theatre.” 

Head down the way from school to the Ridgedale-Minnetonka shopping area where inside the local Barnes & Noble Bookstore your child can pick up Teen Vogue’s latest trendy magazine.  No longer is this magazine about eye shadow or seasonal ‘musthaves’ and how-to at a bargain.  This is more like soft porn for pre-teens that would make Cosmopolitan blush with envy. 

Some recent and shocking examples include Teen Vogue’s latest that teaches young girls about occult orgasms by way of utilizing “sex magic,” to instructions for teens on how to have an abortion without your parents’ knowledge.  I often wonder how that last part will work out when someone’s fourteen-year-old daughter ends up with a perforated uterus and is lucky enough to land in the ER from hemorrhaging after her ‘secret’ botched abortion following a visit to Planned Parenthood. 

But Teen Vogue’s most horrific graced the shelves – and internet – in June this year shockingly grooming thirteen-year-olds into the sex worker industry boldly stating, “The idea of purchasing intimacy and paying for the services can be affirming for many people who need human connection, friendship, and emotional support. Some people may have fantasies and kink preferences that they are able to fulfill with the services of a sex worker.”  Teen Vogue failed to mention that the sex worker is also closely linked to human trafficking, an epidemic in my state of Minnesota and elsewhere crossing every social and economic familial status.  

Cruise down the way to our endearing Target where you and your child not only will have no say in whoever uses the bathrooms or changing rooms.  It’s literally a free for all in how you ‘feel.’  Throw the baby out with the bathwater with this one as Target was the first to get on board with the controversial passage of HB 2 (or “bathroom bill“) of 2016 where inclusivity severely overrode the safety of women and children. 

Stroll down the aisle and view shelves featuring “Pride” products that would only confuse – if not lure – a child into thinking rainbows and unicorns are something of a special commodity. Also featured is a special display of “Pride” Listerine mouthwash with bonus shampoo and conditioner in the hygiene front end cap.  

Did you know that in 2015 Target defended the sale of a “50 Shades of Grey” sex toy kit next to children’s toothbrushes?  At this location, the kits were actually found conveniently located in the cosmetic section at a toddler’s eye level. I was getting the hint then Target was sliding.

I can also guarantee that on your way out to the check-out lane of Target, Cosmopolitan magazine will be waiting there so your child can easily see and view sexuality explicit headlines while waiting in line.  Yes, we’re proud to have Target corporate headquarters located right here in Minnesota! 

There are evermore players in this market than imagined.  That would take yet another article to uncover those involved in indoctrinating our children at an increasing rate of exposure:  An exposure that is harmful to the future of our society without the proper guidance and developmental appropriateness of what’s being thrust upon them.  

Our vacation plans will not falter with these things.  Only create more awareness to others on what is at stake:  Our children’s right to be free from harm.  

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