Letter: We all must participate

I just read with great interest the banning of Amanda Gorman's book "The Hill We Climb" at a Florida school because of one parent; yes, one parent is apparently all it takes to get a book banned.

One parent gets to decide for the rest of us what our children will read in school. I hope readers here understand that all it takes is one parent to object and the school board caves in to their demand. Imagine what would happen if two parents showed up at the next school board meeting and demanded that Ms. Gorman's book be put back on the shelf? Imagine if all the parents who wondered why it is that one parent gets to dictate what everyone else gets to read actually stood up and said "No, we all get to decide."

This is, after all, a Democratic republic in which all of us get to decide, but that is only if we actually participate.

Rich Garling

Grayslake