VOICES Banning books is for bullies

WRITERS ON THE RANGE

southwest Idaho.

So far, only Nampa has succumbed to the pressure. Oddly, the book tossing was started by just one woman, Tosha Sweeney, who emailed the Nampa school board to demand that it remove 24 “pornographic” books that sex offenders might use to “plan their attacks.” ere was no formal review, infu- riating some parents who championed free speech and free choice. A month later, they joined students and teachers outside the Nampa school district o ces to protest the bans. en the Idaho state Legislature jumped on the controversy. Last year, House Republicans passed HB 666 to hold librarians “criminally liable” for distributing material considered “harmful to minors.” e “Idaho library community has lost some good people due to the con icts centered mostly around book challenges,” state librarian Stephanie Bailey-White told me. ankfully, Idaho’s Senate refused to give the anti-librarian bill a hearing. But lawmakers found another way to punish libraries: ey cut $3.8 million from this scal year’s original $11.5 million budget for the Commission for Libraries.

To bolster her demand, she cited section 18-1515 of Idaho law, which says a person is guilty of “disseminating material harmful to minors” when they knowingly loan material with detailed sexual descriptions to underage children. e 24 books she cited were all “young adult” books, and parental consent was already required before they could be checked out.

In a city as big as Nampa, with over 100,000 residents, you’d think one person’s demands would at least require a hearing before action is taken, yet the school board removed all 24 books “forever.” As it turned out, only 23 books were taken o the shelves because one young adult book on the list had never been bought.

Laura Delaney, who owns Rediscovered Books in nearby Boise, fought back against censorship by giving away 1,500 of the banned books — donated by concerned citizens — to Nampa students and teachers.

“ ese books are written because authors are trying to gure out the world, and having them share their wisdom with people of all generations and backgrounds makes a difference,” Delaney told reporters.

“I would rather my 6-year-old grandson start smoking cigarettes tomorrow than get a view of this stu at the public library or anywhere else,” said Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa.

A misdemeanor conviction for disseminating harmful materials includes up to one year in jail and a $1,000 ne. Many librarians found the law terrifying; some quit their jobs or changed careers.

Idaho’s library budget cuts have now made it harder for libraries to stock new books and expand telehealth services for seniors and rural residents. Lawmakersalso defunded a statewide e-book program managed by the Idaho Commission for Libraries.

Book banning campaigns aren’t new in America, but last year the American Library Association said that library sta faced an “unprecedented number of attempts to ban books.” e organization said the books most targeted were those about Black or LGBTQIA people. e Bible was not on anyone’s list. e developer has portrayed his proposal to the county and CDOT as a public service and has explicitly requested setback relief, expedited rezoning, expedited concurrence review, and direct transfer of land (avoiding a public bid process required by state law) in return.

Crista V. Worthy is a contributor to Writers on the Range,writersontherange.org, an independent nonpro t dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. She lives in Idaho.

Jack is back. Two years ago, developer Jack Buchanan came in like a wrecking ball with a proposal to raze the El Rancho park-n-ride, the Alpine Rescue Team building and the Rainbow Hills re station to construct what he envisioned as a miniature downtown Vail west of Highway 74 and north of U.S. 40.

Now, he has decided the ideal site for his proposed hotel is in the valley below U.S. 40. His new scheme called “Option B” still entails removing the re station to a site a quarter mile away, this time on a proposed 40-foot deep platform of ll dirt. He still intends to create a permanent, quarter-mile detour for the public Rainbow Hill Road.

While the plan on its face “provides” the re department a new station, it requires them to sacri ce their excellent site and facility only to gain 400 square feet in the proposed new building. Crucially, it asks the Foothills Fire Protection District, a public agency, to participate in the developer’s broader scheme in exchange for this donation.

In addition to acquiring adjacent right-of-way, his ultimate reward is the corner property containing the park-n-ride lot—a second taxpayer-funded asset that would be sacri ced for his private bene t.

Beyond that brazen objective, he has recently submitted a contract to the FFPD that articulates a second scheme,explicitly requiring them to deceive with the expressed intention of interfering with CDOT’s property rights enshrined in the language of the deed to the parcel the re station occupies.

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MICHAEL DE YOANNA Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

DONNA REARDON Marketing Consultant dreardon@coloradocommunitymedia.com e watershed decision is the FFPD’s to make. e developer has for two years sought to convince them that he alone can x their infrastructure needs, and the only way forward is his “free” o er. e people of this district are better, smarter and more resourceful than that. FFPD’s decision should be obvious, but incredibly it is still pending.

Alternatively, Buchanan’s newly formulated “Option A” entails developing only the private land north of U.S. 40. is innovative idea entails no harm to existing public assets, nor does it embroil a special district in the morass of complications, delays and ethical ambiguity that is Option B.

Kathryn Mauz, El Rancho and Evergreen

What to wear?

On Jan. 7, a man entered the Mall of America wearing a t-shirt that many found o ensive. e shirt was neon yellow and stated, “Jesus is the Only Way.” e COEXIST motto which represents peace among di erent religions was crossed out.

ere were so many complaints that mall security asked the man to remove the shirt.

e man said he was not soliciting or preaching. However, days before, he was was doing those exact two things at the mall, and got a notice of trespass as a result of his behavior. He was not allowed in the mall for 24 hours. Many people said his shirt was soliciting on its own. I am a 12 year old boy. I don’t know all the in’s and out’s of this incident. But what I do know is that man had a right under the First Amendment to wear the t-shirt. I may not believe what his t-shirt says, but I do believe that he has a right to his beliefs and a right to wear what he wants to wear.

Hudson Jones, Evergreen

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