Letters: Idaho libraries that turn to self-censorship show cowardice and arrogance | Opinion
This nearly slipped by me.
My own Ada Community public library board is self-censoring materials including at least one of which is a classic I have respected for decades.
I just now placed an online hold on one of the most pivotal and highly meaningful books I have ever read, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison. Though given an option to request it, I noticed a designation on the record saying it has been “transferred” to “?????” I will await its arrival.
From how I interpret this, my Library Board made an arbitrary decision to remove certain titles that had been found on some unnamed “list” somewhere.
This self-censorship shows pure cowardice and arrogance. What right does this group of people have to determine my reading choice?
Diane Claus, Boise
Republican extremism
I wrote to Sen. Jim Risch, and he responded to my letter with pure political chicanery. He seems to think that the Second Amendment includes unlimited rights to bear arms. The Amendment does not state that. Perhaps unlimited muskets — but not assault rifles, tanks, grenades or bazookas.
The GOP keeps losing ground by stubbornly maintaining indefensible positions. They would like women to carry unviable fetuses to term under the guise of “pro-life” and maintain that it’s OK to keep killing children by the 10’s, 20’s or 30’s because of “gun rights.” So those who are pro-life before birth but to hell with the kids afterbirth. They protect assault weapons, lower SNAP programs and cut school lunches. They can even see its inconsistencies. The Republic Party is dying and that is sad for our country.
Mike Máher, Boise
End the death penalty
There’s been a lot of bible waving and comments by the Idaho legislature over the last year about protecting the “sanctity of human life.” That is why it surprised me when HB 186 was signed into law to allow human lives to be killed by firing squad. Rep. Skaug, Attorney General Labrador, and Gov. Little all claim that they support this bill because it allows the death penalty to be carried out as mandated in the Idaho Constitution. Instead of introducing a bill to allow enforcement of a bad law, our legislature should fix the real problem and eliminate the death penalty. Protecting the “sanctity of human life” should involve protecting ALL human lives. In my bible, stoning is described as an execution method during Jesus’ time. In the Gospel of John, Jesus’ disciples asked him his thoughts about the law requiring a woman to be stoned for committing adultery. Jesus responded, as noted in John 8:7 – “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” I urge Skaug, Labrador, and Little to heed these words and reconsider their commitment to the death penalty.
Glenn McGeoch, Meridian
The GOP is ruining its brand
The First Law of Holes: If ever one finds themselves in a hole the very first thing one should do is to stop digging.
Obviously, the GOP leadership does not comprehend the essence of that simple rule. A review of GOP actions and legislation over the past few years reveals that obvious truth. They have at every level from county commissioners to the U. S. House of Representatives and judicial benches screwed themselves with anti-abortion rulings; anti-individual rights actions; anti-voting rights legislation; and extremist judicial rulings.
Never have so few done so much harm to so many.
It all really started with the overturning of Roe v Wade, but it was decades in the making. If future elections were limited to females of Gen Z there probably wouldn’t be enough GOP representatives in any currently Republican-dominated state to fill a mid-size SUV on that issue alone.
The much-ballyhooed ‘Red Wave’ of 2022 was reduced to a ripple on almost every front at the polls. This ripple forced McCarthy to kowtow to the minuscule Freedom Caucus just to reach the speakership — concessions he’s sure to regret.
I keep waiting for the rationale GOP to come back. Will they ever?
Gil Beyer, Sandpoint
