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April 15, 2007
David Lammy calls for rock bands in our public libraries
David Lammy's view about teenage boys is pretty clear from this article about rock bands in public libraries
Mr Lammy doesn't yet have teenage children of his own but he may find, as we did, that bringing them up in this country and trying to keep a basic attachment to sensible culture, civilisation and literature and away from an overpowerful peer pressure of a drug and alcohol bound world is a very hard thing for parents to do.
Performances of rock music are not likely to persuade young people that public libraries are essentially useful. Nor, in my view, are those who organise and promote them worthy candidates for ministerial awards. The Minister for the Arts in the Department of Culture, which is the role Mr Lammy is supposed to play, might think differently about these things later in his own life. Governments should keep out of issues they (and their civil servants evidently) don't understand (like public libraries!)
I suppose Mr Lammy's press office which organises his public relations have chosen the moment opening of the London International Book Fair to make this statement in order to show how much he disdains the idea of books in libraries. Or the people who work there are just as hopeless as they seem.
Posted by Perkins at April 15, 2007 9:34 AM
Comments
It is also so damn patronising to the young. They have their own venues for rock music, they do not need some government minister to tell them libraries are really, really cool. They know they are not. Oddly enough, the young quite like some places to remain distinctly un-cool. But Mr Lammy doesn`t know that.
Posted by: SUSAN HILL at April 17, 2007 9:21 AM