Far-right out-of-staters are trying to silence reasonable Idahoans. We won’t give in | Opinion

Idaho will stay Idaho

A message for Dorothy Moon and the rest of the far right in Idaho: No matter how many right-wing Christian Nationalists and white supremacists you recruit from California into Idaho, there are hundreds of thousands of us here who love Idaho as a welcoming place of inclusion and moderation, and you will not drive us out. We are here to stay and will not silenced.

Dick Bennett, Boise

Simpson no longer fit for office

The events of Jan. 6, 2021 were nothing more that the attempted violent overthrow of the government of the United States and the attempted assassination of the vice president of the United States and the speaker of the House of Representatives.

U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson has raised his arm to the square and taken the sacred oath of office at least a dozen times to defend and protect the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. Notice the words defend and protect and domestic.

On Jan. 6 Congressman Simpson was running and hiding from the mob. When the impeachment hearing was held against Donald Trump. Mike voted to acquit the very man who planned and lead the riot. Now Mike has given his full endorsement to Donald Trump, who wants to be our next president.

Simpson has failed to protect or defend the constitution. He has violated his sacred oath of office. He no longer deserves to represent the people of Idaho and our great state. Time to vote him out.

Blair Moncur, Idaho Falls

Risch doesn’t care about Idaho

I just got an email from U.S. Sen. Jim Risch. He had to tell me how much more I have to spend. Yet he never mentioned that he gave himself a $30,000 raise to deal with living expenses. But the one thing that I have noticed from him and his fellow Republicans is they are a do-nothing group that have little to no empathy for the plight of the people of Idaho.

Didn’t the Democrats submit a bill that would put an excise tax on the oil companies and their profit? After all they are getting all their oil from the landscape of America, but seem to be charging the public for as as though they had to pay $70 a barrel.

It appears that all you and your fellow do-nothing Republicans are capable of is sitting on your hinny and waste time on worthless investigations. All the while you seem to be willing and able to protect the biggest criminal that ever served in the White House.

Seems to me the best thing the people can do is dump you and get people in office that care about the people of Idaho, and not your stock portfolio.

Jerry Johnson, Payette

A good library should offend everyone

We need to open our minds and consider the idea that a good library has something in it to offend everyone, as experienced librarian, Jo Godwin once wrote.

Dealing with this idea is simple. Stop reading the book if you don’t like it and don’t read anything else by that author or on that topic.

Library management is best done on the local level based on individual choices. This good plan has worked, is working, and is the best way for the needs of all to be satisfied. No higher power needs to supervise anyone else’s reading choices. That would be an unfortunate loss of freedom.

Jean C. Stark Boise

Phoenix ripped me off

I am writing to express my profound disappointment and frustration with the University of Phoenix, which has left many individuals, including myself, burdened with crippling debt for what has turned out to be a worthless degree. At the age of 53, I find myself in a dire financial situation, having invested thousands and thousands of dollars on a masters degree that was a waste of time.

The University of Phoenix’s promises of a brighter future and a successful career have turned out to be empty, leaving countless students struggling to find meaningful employment in their field of study or going to a different school to actually complete their degree they were promised at University of Phoenix.

It is disheartening to see educational institutions exploit the aspirations of individuals seeking to better their lives through education. The University of Phoenix’s actions are not only unethical but also deeply damaging to the lives of its students. It is imperative that such predatory practices are brought to light and that measures are taken to protect future students from falling victim to similar scams.

Kathryn Long, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Fear guns, not books

You know what’s really harmful to children? Firearms are the second leading cause of death among American children and adolescents, after car crashes. Republicans worship Trump, Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orban, Kim Jong Un and guns(not necessarily in that order); that shows where their true allegiances lie. When has a book in a school (or any other) library actually killed a child or turned them homosexual? When you can definitively show a trend in those directions, I’ll give you 30-seconds to reveal everything else you “know.” That should be enough time.

Now the Trump lovers in this state want to put guns directly in classrooms, while outlawing children’s books the Republicans imagine are “dirty”. What is this “freedom” you (Republicans) keep shouting about? It’s not the “freedom” to live free of fear from the 400 million guns in private hands, or to have a choice to read what you want, instead of only what “Conservatives” will “allow” you to read. I guess the only “freedom” Republicans really crave is the “freedom” to shoot their neighbors if they read the “wrong” books or they aren’t the “right” color for America.

Jefferson Young, Boise