May 12 Letter to the Editor

Letters not accurate

Some recent letters to the Daily News editor are not accurate about library board candidate Colton Bennett. Please read BennettForIdaho.com to see for yourself rather than trust the rumor mill.

Also, I find it completely disrespectful to say that a veteran is flaunting his uniform picture. Bennett wears his uniform proudly and deserves your respect, as do all veterans. Bennett has served in Ukraine and as a combat medic and sergeant in Bavaria and Poland. In addition to his military service, Colton served his community as Firefighter/EMT since he was 18 years old.

The books in question cannot be quoted in the newspaper due to their obscene nature as described in Idaho Code 18-1514. Books I have read and find inappropriate for minors include “Gender Queer,” “Lawn Boy,” “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” “Dreaming in Cuban,” “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” “Heartstopper Volume 3,” “The Bluest Eye,” and “Lolita.”

Idaho code 18-1513 declares it to be “ ... the policy of the legislature to restrain the distribution, promotion, or dissemination of obscene material, or of material harmful to minors, or the performance of obscene performances harmful to minors. It is found that such materials and performances are a contributing factor to juvenile crime and a basic factor in impairing the ethical and moral development of our youth.”

By endorsing the American Library Association’s guidance to allow minors access to any and all materials, the Latah County Library District appears to be violating Idaho law. I am not a lawyer, but it seems to me that without a policy in place to restrain the distribution of obscene materials to minors, libraries are breaking Idaho law. Vote for Colton Bennett and Juliana Bollinger for the Latah Library board now through Tuesday.

Lucy Redmond

Moscow