Respect Idaho values
“You are a champion for independence, hard work, and freedom. You embrace Idaho values.”
This statement from the Idaho Freedom Foundation website describes what “true” Idahoans represent. In our state, one person or group should not dictate how others live their lives.
House Bill 139 seeks to use, of all things, insurance companies to determine what is appropriate for public and school libraries in Idaho. Is it because insurance companies do such a great job in determining what treatments doctors should give patients? Removing the ability to curate what is part of a library collection from the professional librarian is a disrespect of the work this profession takes very seriously.
Idahoans should have the freedom to disagree with the content of books, not the power to deny that content from others.
Truly respecting independence is letting individuals decide for themselves what is appropriate. Idaho values are not so fragile that it can’t grant First Amendment rights to its citizens.
Further, HB 139 is a redundancy. School districts and public libraries throughout the state have policies to challenge and remove books that the local populace find offensive. HB 139 assures the public will be unaware of what books will be censored, not by elected representatives or by those who devoted their careers to library science, but by some insurance actuary whose only concern is the monetary bottom line, not freedom of thought.
Please be a “true” Idahoan and respect the independence, hard work and freedom that citizens throughout Idaho deserve.
Scott Funk
Lewiston
