Idaho
You would probably not imagine that things ever get mean in Idaho. Oh, but they do.
The Central District Health Board of Health meeting Tuesday night to discuss and vote on a public health order dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic was adjourned shortly after it started because of the danger posed by protesters at the CDH office and at some board members’ places of residence.
Moments after a tearful Commissioner Diana Lachiondo left the virtual meeting to head to her house — where her son was home alone, and where anti-mask, anti-health-order protesters had reportedly gathered.
There are lines you don’t cross and trying to intimidate a minor is one of them. And that is the problem with the anti-maskers. They have no lines. They believe they have the right to blow their contagious disease in your face, to pee in a public swimming pool, and to scare your kids because they are hacked off at you.
I think these are people who have two emotions – mad and not mad. Oh, and drunk. But the emotions remain the same.
If they feel personally affronted, they don’t have words to express it, so the scream freedumb! Everything is a personal affront to them. Everything.
They love Jesus, think he was blonde, but couldn’t tell you anything he ever said.
They think Wolf Blitzer is a communist. They heard it somewhere.
I’m sure you’ve got more observations ….
They’ve never read the Constitution or it’s Amendments, but they’re absolutely certain it says they can do whatever it is they want to do. And they can’t spell infringed.
1When I first read about this, I smelled Ammon bundy stink all over it. Sure enough, it’s him. He left Oregon after being fricking acquitted of an armed takeover of public property, and went to red red Idaho to be an asshole there. As with most of these paramilitary “patriot” organizations, their 1st amendment right is to bring guns, many and big, threaten and intimidate innocent people (and children) to get their message out. That threat should be a felony, but this is Idaho. He’s a coward along with his followers (another cult).
2I spent 30 of my 70 years in Boise ( ‘58-‘88), and really loved it, but that was then. It was mainly democrat most of those years. Now I hate to admit I lived there.
In our rural area of the only other blue Idaho county, there are no masks except at the library and the charity thrift store. Most people wear one there, but not all. County library makes policy but can’t deny services for those who don’t comply (minority of folks). Thrift store is run by a a religious group, and also has fairly good cooperation but can’t force mask wearing. School board President was recalled because he (and some other board members) voted for masks to protect students and teachers.
3In Lewiston the crowds recently shut down/overran meetings about mask ordinances. It’s beautiful country but sorely lacking in common sense, understanding of “rights” and responsibilities.
Linda, I’m guessing you live in Latah county which was republican in 2016 but voted for Biden and several democrats in 2020. I went to the U of I in 1968-69 and it was too much fun and beautiful country. Had to go elsewhere to get thru college and work, less fun. Only Sun Valley area is now blue.
4I remember Cecil Andrus, a great democratic governor. That was then, not now.
Evening J.J.
5I think lots of them can probably quote chapter and verse where Jesus said Eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth. Mathew 5:38.
It’s the next 4 verses that got left outta the sermons they remember.
Idaho has been a hotbed of skinhead activity for decades. I feel very uneasy when I drive through that state.
6No surprise that Idaho has the highest positivity rate for coronavirus in the country right now (and that’s saying a lot) thanks to people like Ammon Bundy.
7The Idaho panhandle – a stunningly beautiful place – got taken over by white supremacists and lunatics of various other sorts years ago. Idaho generally is an extremely conservative state. Good place to visit, but I’m pretty sure I couldn’t live there.
8I have lived in the N Idaho panhandle for the last 7 years and visited many times. Previous comments are correct regarding the political leanings of many. This house is liberal/progressive and we have friends and acquaintances similarly aligned. We don’t wave flags, we don’t hold rallies, we wear our masks. This area pretty much defined ‘social distancing’ even before Covid-19. Oddly…we have had very little conversation with the few neighbors since the election. And I do wear my “Literally Anyone Else 2020” ball cap into town.
9This just happened here in Bozeman too, going after our health commissioner. Protesting at his home.
I agree with AK Lynne about Idaho. I’ve felt that way for years. I can feel the uneasiness traveling thru areas near The panhandle.
There are places that feel good to be in, but Idaho is not one of them anymore. And strangely enough, the Bitteroot Valley in Montana is the same. This is a major hub of crazy conspiracy freaks, militias and just north of it, Richard Spencer.
There really must be something about energy fields.
Stay safe everyone. Thank you Juanita Jean for all you do.
10Scaring people’s kids seems to be a specialty of these despicables. Chris Krebs’ 10-year-old asked his mom whether daddy was going to be “executed”. Jesus has some words for people like that.
11My older son and his wife live in Boise. It’s a nice town, tends toward the bluer side. State capital, home of Boise State University. There are many refugees who have settled there. The mayor said most of the idiots who were causing trouble came from elsewhere. I did hear that Ammon Bundy organized it. I’m still pissed at his group that took over Oregon’s Malheur National Wildlife Refuge a few years ago. Yes, I said National; it belongs to all of us, not just aggrieved jerks with guns. Trump shows that he is no patriot more and more every day, destroying the country from within. I can’t wait to see him in prison.
12Had a second or third cousin who was a senator in d.c. from Idaho. He’s got a wilderness area named after him. He was apparently a real charmer and a sweetheart. Considering what i am seeing on the TV today about folks in Idaho, its hard to believe he came from there and actually loved it with his life. next comment: what the hell are those people drinking?
13My aunt taught at University of Idaho in Moscow, Id. Good place for it. She was hired to teach Native American and Black literature. She is a published author and Native American herself.
14She was threatened with death by the students for trying to teach them about other than white men. Her children were called niggers on the street and in businesses. She was denied tenure after being strung along for years.
Idaho is a hot bed of racism, hatred, and sedition. One of my business associates is moving there because she doesn’t like “what is going on in California.” I am glad I will be able to replace her with someone who is not of her mind set.
The only good thing I can say is that the white supremacists lost their compound to their victims some years ago and that made me very happy.
Beautiful state, I would not drive through it on my way somewhere else.
And the Anne Frank Memorial in Boise was just vandalized. Plastered with swastikas and the note “we are everywhere.”
15Maggie #13: your cousin was Frank Church? Cool!
16I have nieces and nephews in Idaho/Utah (the Mormon branch of the family). They are conservative to very conservative but also deeply distressed by trumpism. (Mormons are internationalists, so they dislike anti-immigrant policies.)
I follow their discussions. They are distressed by the threats but their friends are unable to see anything but gun rights. Take away the guns and they would no doubt be horrified by actions disturbing children (Mormons being obsessive about family).
Add guns and all they can think of, is, oh no, our gun rights are under attack.
Until Idaho is disarmed, there is no chance of its joining the civilized world.
(Whenever I consider Idaho, I cannot forget a parody cover of Reader’s Digest in Mad some 60 years ago.
(The first article was condensed from the Alarmist Journal: “We are losing Idaho and Montana to the Russians.”
(I forget what publication the second article was condensed from, but its title was: “Who wants them?”
(Turns out, we were losing Idaho and Montana.)
17Hannah, this is a cousin originating on my paternal grandmother’s side of the family. Never met him. But he is held out to the younguns as a mdoel.
18I co-founded an underground newspaper, The Natural, in Spokane, in the late 60’s, with Russ Nobbs.
19I can tell you, Idaho and Eastern Washington have been madly conservative/reactionary forever.
Our offices were shot at, firebombed and had pickups crashed into them, all while occupied.
Police, including Federal, were uninterested, almost gleeful.
Progressives were considered as poisoning the minds of children.
We achieved 2500 PAID subscribers in six months, thanks to the leftover Wobblies in town, and a strong covert jazz scene at the Red Lion drinkinking establishment, both augmented by the usual disaffected teens and Gonzaga college stoonts.
We lucked out with a few Viet Vets who formed a covert counterstrike group that infiltrated their John Birchite mob.
Bad times. Still bad times, but now there’s an Internet, soon to be Everywhere, courtesy Elon Musk and Starlink Internet.
Maggie: your cousin Frank Church certainly is someone to be held up as a model. I found this summary of his three terms in the Senate: “As a senator from Idaho, Frank Church championed wide-ranging causes. He played a major role in creating protected wilderness areas, floor managing the Wilderness Act of 1964 and authoring the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. As chairman of the Committee on Aging, he supported legislation to provide automatic cost of living adjustments for Social Security recipients. Church forged his legacy, however, in the realm of national security and foreign policy, serving 24 years on the Foreign Relations Committee—the final two as chairman. He was an early critic of the Johnson administration’s Vietnam War policies, and in 1971 he co-authored an amendment to the foreign aid authorization bill to stop all funding for the war in Southeast Asia. In 1975 Church chaired the Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities, a 16-month investigation of national intelligence agencies.”
The wilderness area bearing his name is named the River of No Returns, renamed the Frank Church River of No Returns Wilderness after he helped with its creation. (Presumably people have actually returned from visiting the area, LOL.) Sadly, Church died at the young age of 60 from pancreatic cancer.
One of Church’s contemporaries in the Senate was Oregon’s Mark Hatfield, one of a handful of Republican senators to oppose the Vietnam War. Hatfield was succeeded in the Senate by Gordon Smith (moderate R) for two terms, who in turn was defeated and succeeded by current fantastic Dem Senator Jeff Merkley (fan girl here). At 19, Jeff served as an intern for Hatfield and is proud to now hold Hatfield’s seat. Jeff just won election to his 3rd term. Hatfield would be considered a liberal these days… Sad how the Republican Party has morphed. 🙁
20Back to current Idaho politics, my Boise kid (an attorney who doesn’t suffer fools gladly and sugar coats nothing), replied to my inquiry about what’s going on there simply: “they arrested some people over the last few days”. He’s pretty busy with work and apparently doesn’t know the state is in the national news. He likes it there in Boise and we’ve visited enough times to know it’s an OK place.
Ah, a new reply from him, about Ammon Bundy: “he’s currently making some cockamamie arguments in court about what a jury of his peers is.” Love my kid. 😀
Face it, this garbage is going on all over the country, not just Idaho. The sooner Trump is gone (and dead and really gone), the better. Something’s gotta change – our educational & economic systems and probably a lot more – before things get better.
21