The recent 3-2 vote by the Nampa School Board to ban 22 books forever has caused many reactions. Social media has condemned the 'censorship' of the selected material. But doesn't a community have the right to enforce its own community standards?

Conservatives have complained about the erosion of morals, values, and ethics on radio, television, and the internet. Idahoans have no control over what is broadcast or whatever is presented on various platforms.

Unlike other Idaho cities, Nampa has decided to fight back against the wokeness. The parents, the gatekeepers, have every right to determine what their children are exposed to at their school library.

The Book List

The Idaho Press shared the list of books that have been given the boot in Nampa. Here's the list of books that will be removed: Kite Runner," by Khaled Hosseini; "Leah on the Offbeat," by Becky Albertalli; "The Prince and the Dressmaker," by Jen Wang; "Thirteen Reasons Why," by Jay Asher; "The 57 Bus," by Dashka Slater; "Drama," by Raina Telgemeier; "Looking for Alaska," by John Green; "The Bluest Eye," by Toni Morrison; "The Handmaid's Tale," by Margaret Atwood; "l8r, g8r," by Lauren Myracle; "Out of Darkness," by Ashley Hope Perez; "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," by Stephen Chbosky; "Crank," by Ellen Hopkins; "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian;" by Sherman Alexie; "City of Heavenly Fire," by Cassandra Clare; "Clockwork Princess," by Cassanrda Clare; "Eleanor and Park," by Rainbow Rowell; "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," by Jonathan Safran Foer; "Sold," by Patricia McCormick; "Speak," by Laurie Halse Anderson; "33 Snowfish," by Adam Rapp; and "It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health," by Robie H. Harris.

Local Control

Will the world end if kids are not exposed to those books listed above? We all know that there are other options to read books if they aren't in a library. Taxpayers should be encouraged by this local decision and seek to hold their school boards accountable. Nampa has made the right decision in protecting their children.

It's not easy to take a stand in the overly saturated, divisive world that we live in. The easy way out would be to either complain or ignore the problem. The media will not acknowledge that Americans must ensure that their kids are being educated and not indoctrinated. School libraries should reflect a communities values, not promote counter values. In Nampa, parents are the deciders. Let's hope that other Idaho communities will follow their lead.