Support Susan Shea for library board seat

I love the EBCL because it has been a haven of peace and freedom from the divisive politics that seem to be so pervasive today. Our current library board, and the incumbent Susan Shea, have run a very tight fiscal ship with a focus on meeting the needs of all citizens, regardless of creed or ideology. Their goal has been to support and protect our First Amendment rights. Their efforts have made the EBCL one of the crown jewels of Bonner County.

I remember the days when “conservative” meant advocating for small government. Now that concept has disappeared, to be replaced by culture warriors who want to create a nanny state that polices our library books.

Every authoritarian regime in history has started out by restricting information unfavorable to their cause under the guise of “protecting society“ from harm. We already have an age-restricted section in the library — it is called Adult Fiction and is one floor removed from the Children’s Section.

Conservative values also include personal responsibility — if you don’t want the government raising your children then you, not the library, should be responsible for what your children access at the public library. The PEN America list of Banned Books (the challenger’s guide to what should be segregated in our library) includes Harper Lee’s "To Kill a Mockingbird". It is fairly clear that “obscene” really means “we don’t like it."

If you don’t want extremist ideology running our public library please vote Susan Shea on May 16.

DEBORAH H. OWEN, MD

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