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  Home Page » Opinion » Letters To The Editor » Library Card Harder To Get Than A Gun

Library card harder to get than a gun

by Sari Benmeir, Durango
Letter to the editor

I recently discovered that although I passed the stringent federal requirements for purchasing a firearm, I am unable to meet the even more stringent requirements for obtaining a library card. I am trusted not to blow somebody's brain out, either accidentally or on purpose, but I apparently am not considered responsible enough to borrow books from the library.

This is because I was unable to provide "proof" of "physical address." I actually have two local, physical addresses and a post office box. Everything I had in my wallet shows the box as my address.

This was sufficient for the federal gun check one hour later, but not the library card. I had a copy of my passport, vehicle registrations, bar admission, credit cards, driver's license, original Social Security card, etc., but that wasn't good enough for our library. I imagine they are trying to protect us from illegal terrorists without local physical addresses from checking books out and (gasp) perhaps not returning them or (gasp again) taking them out of the state or country!

Without making the obvious comment about how I could use the gun to obtain the library card, perhaps a better alternative would be this: Library staff, you are invited to my physical address Tuesday at 3 p.m. for tea. Will that be sufficient proof of physical address?

Well, in that I have no books to read, I guess I'll spend my spare time watching violent movies and polishing my guns.

Sari Benmeir, Durango