Conservatives join libertarians in ‘quiet and polite’ rally in Idaho to protect their libraries from book banners

And why do libraries need their support? Because the trustees are facing a recall, because the librarian has just resigned under pressure, and because a vocal activist group is demanding guarantee among more than 400 books from the library’s shelves. Many books are targeted to be about gender or sexuality. And currently, the library doesn’t have any of them.

But they showed their feelings in library board meetings. “Things need to change,” one man told the board at a meeting in late August. “Otherwise, you bring curses upon yourself. Period. From the Most High.”

And at a meeting in July, Donna Capurso, a local real estate broker, put it this way: “My job is to protect our children from sexual deviants, kids. Children will be drawn to our library if inappropriate pornographic material is on our library shelves.” Capurso is an occasional contributor to a website called Redoubt News, which caters to a growing group here in northern Idaho who describe themselves, “God-fearing, freedom-loving patriots.” .

“The American Redoubt” is a term coined in 2011 by a Christian survivalist. The idea is that Christian patriots should retreat from modern America here to live the truth and protect themselves. Redoubt is a large expanse of land that includes all of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming as well as eastern parts of Washington and Oregon. Boundaries similar to those of the whites-only homeland were envisioned by the Aryan Nations, whose headquarters were for many years about 80 miles south of the Bonners Ferry Terminal. The Redoubt movement does not endorse racism.

“Over the last few years, a large number of people are trying to come to this area to get away from the environment,” said Darrell Kerby, a well-dressed, well-dressed former mayor of Bonners Ferry, where he lives. urban. born and grow up. Like most people around here, Kerby voted for former President Donald Trump. And will consider doing so again.

Just outside town, a large billboard reads “Welcome to Trump Country” in large, bold letters. And in a smaller font, “Go Badgers,” in support of the Bonners Ferry school sports teams. Kerby is a conservative, but is also staunchly supportive of library trustees and their efforts to combat book banners will come to fruition.

“This is not about Trump,” he said. “This transcends any conservatism into quasi-Naziism, where they are trying to force their own religious ideas and notions on everyone else. It’s not water. America.”

“What I hate to see is that my community is divided like this,” said Lee Colson, who was also spotted reading in protest in the blinding light of apple trees outside the library.

He is a recently retired forestry worker and has been a volunteer firefighter for over a quarter of a century. He has a thick mustache, a wide smile, and wears a nice baseball cap. He voted for Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. He is also one of the librarians currently facing revocation. And stand up for those who want to ban all the books that aren’t on the shelves but are on that long list emailed to the library in the spring.

“The conflict is I can’t say we won’t get them,” Colson said. “Because if we’re a library, if the public comes and asks for those books, we’ll get those books. That’s what we do.”

And what they do is in accordance with the Constitution. What he went through made Colson more politically aware, he said, and engaged. “The first part of the lesson is paying attention to your community,” he said. “Get involved. Last week, I attended a school board meeting, which I’ve never actually attended before.”

Kerby, the former mayor who also served as a city councilor, agrees that this isn’t just about books. “Obviously it’s not, because they don’t exist. They’re not here. It’s about control, I think more.”

Under the apple trees, there is a concern. Maybe even anger. But I also hope that everything will be okay.

“There’s a group of people who want to change this community, and there’s a group of people who want it to stay the same,” Colson said. “I’m a notorious optimist, I think free choice and freedom will eventually win out.”