NORRIS: Never stole books

Someone shouted out an insult against the sheriff at the last Community Library Network board meeting. The word-warpers (those who twist words to mean things they were never intended to mean) and societal destroyers have been up to their usual tactics. They’ve loudly and publicly smeared the sheriff, saying he had stolen or had possession of stolen library books. I gave those people ample opportunity to set the record straight, but they haven’t.

The books the sheriff had (in order to warn parents/demonstrate sexually explicit material kids might come across in the minor’s sections of our libraries), were given to him by another community member who had checked them out but not returned them.

I was told the value of the books had been charged against that community member’s account. Though certainly not advisable, I’m pretty sure this doesn’t qualify as ‘stolen’ (otherwise everyone who’s been charged for late library materials had stolen property).

The sheriff ensured the books were returned to the library a couple months ago, and I was witness to this.

So the sheriff never stole the books or had possession of stolen books, and made sure they were returned to the library. Since I haven’t heard his name being cleared, it seems more like the usual agenda to smear, trash and burn anyone who opposes the left, than caring about the books being returned, truth, or what is right. Apparently, some are operating with the National Socialist (Nazi) Joseph Goebbels’ propaganda tactic “Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth.”

RACHELLE OTTOSEN, Community Library Network board chair

Rathdrum