ENDORSEMENT: Vote for Lippert

Knowledge is love; ignorance is fear.

Our duty as citizens is to form our own intellectual identity. We use that identity to make sense of our world — and vote.

When the government begins to restrict our access to information, we should all pause and consider what that means.

The Community Library Network has removed access to 257 items, 91 of which are unavailable through its partnerships with other libraries. Before you fall for the “It’s to protect the children” argument, 26 of these items are cataloged as “Adult” titles. The remainder are young adult titles written for high school and above to help them understand the world beyond their limited experience.

As parents, our responsibilities include helping our children form their intellectual identities. We shouldn’t abdicate that responsibility to our government. That also means we shouldn’t let the government choose what we have access to. We pay taxes to access materials that help us with our charge through our public libraries. We should expect there to be items we disagree with there. Challenging our beliefs may erode them, but they can also strengthen them. That is the purpose of the library. To help us question our world and better understand it.

Two Republican candidates are vying for a seat as TRUSTEE of our libraries. You can choose to back one who is for restricting access to materials to help you fulfill your obligation as a parent, or you can vote for one who TRUSTS in your ability to explore the thoughts and culture of our world with your children unincumbered by government interference.

For me, the choice is clear. I’ll be voting for intellectual freedom. I’m voting for Michelle Lippert.

NATHAN HANSEN

Post Falls