Does banning books protect freedom?
That was one of the questions asked of Community Library Network trustee candidates who participated Saturday in a town hall hosted by the League of Women Voters of Kootenai County at the American Legion Post 143 in Post Falls.
We have an election next month and for the vast majority of us it should be simple. Do we want our children exposed to objectionable books in the children’s and the youth sections in the library? Of course not. Are they in the library? Hundreds of books. Are they a small minority? Yes, but they are there. Even Trustee Regina McCrea, who you should not vote for, admitted as much when she said that she shutters to think that her child would read such material. Why are they not being removed? Because it would be “censorship.” We censor kids all the time. They can’t drive until they are in their middle teens. They can’t drink alcohol, etc. Of course objectionable material should not be given to kids!
The League of Women Voters of Kootenai County will host a Community Library Network trustee election town hall from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 6 at the Post Falls American Legion, 1138 E. Poleline Ave.
In North Idaho next month, two seats on the Community Library Network Board of Trustees will be up for a vote. Trustees help set library policy, approve the budget and work with the system’s director. But this election will also be a test of whether voters think the board ought to be clearing bookshelves as well.
One of the reasons I was attracted to Idaho was freedom. My husband was born and raised in Idaho, and wanted to live somewhere that supported the Second Amendment. I was attracted to the homeschool freedoms we have in Idaho. I believe in medical freedom, and even though we moved to Idaho before COVID, I was grateful we lived here during COVID.