The names on this poster are a who's who of far right in the Inland Northwest. When I was young my mother often warned me, "You will be judged by the company you keep." I'm not sure that is entirely just, but I think it behooves voters to be aware of the company that candidates and office-holders keep. Soon-to-be former WA State Representative Matt Shea (LD4, Spokane Valley and points north and east) is near top billing, as is ID State Representative Heather Scott (LD1A, Canadian border to south of Sandpoint). Once a person has attained a government position, it offers the person an aura of legitimacy. (We see this in another Shea acolyte, Jason Kinley, a naturopathic physician recently appointed to the Spokane Regional Health District’s Board of Health, who spouted fringe medical ideas at the May 1 Shea-promoted stay-home protest.) Take note of the name Rob Chase, former Treasurer of Spokane County and recently declared candidate in the shuffle for one the LD4 Representative seats in Washington State. What is he doing speaking at a "Liberate America" gathering in North Idaho? Chase is also on record as "seeing nothing wrong" with Shea's "Biblical Basis for War" document. Chase is a frequent attendee at Greenbluff's Northwest Grassroots gatherings, infamous for hosting James Allsup. Allsup is the young eastern Washingtonian white supremacist whose contorted face appeared among the marchers at Charlottesville. Among "birds of a feather" Chase's plumage is clear. The updated "Guest Speaker" listing above (found on Redoubt News), rightly gives Ammon Bundy, son of Cliven Bundy of Bundyville, Nevada, top billing. Ammon, with his father, was pivotal in the armed standoff at the Bundy Ranch in Nevada in 2014. Ammon gained further notoriety leading the deadly occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Oregon in 2016. LeVoy Finicum achieved what these people characterize as martyrdom in that incident (Finicum was shot dead after pulling a gun on state troopers). Both Matt Shea and Heather Scott traveled to the Malheur occupation in solidarity, perhaps in the hope the occupation might be the right spark to touch off the national conflict they stoke. Ammon Bundy apparently recognized friends and fertile ground for his ideas. He now resides in Emmet, Idaho, from which he peddles his ideas in the Inland Northwest. Joey Gibson is founder of "Patriot Prayer," a small group notable for violent clashes in demonstrations in Portland OR. Patriot Prayer attracts white supremacists and the alt-right, including the "Proud Boys." The "Proud Boys" recently made local news for vandalizing a memorial display for Covid-19 victims at Spokane City Hall. Joey Gibson demonstrated his lack of broad-based electoral appeal in WA State in 2018 by running against WA State's U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell. He garnered 2.3% of the vote. Even so, he carries on as a political agitator, as this "Liberate America" billing shows. John Jacob Schmidt (the alias of Jack Robertson) spreads the word by hosting a weekly podcast on Radio Free Redoubt. Rene Holladay, aka "Lady Liberty" of the theocratic Liberty State movement (and former Shea aide), is also the author of a book, “The Perils of Sustainable Development." Tom Deweese, new to me with this poster, is a national figure, founder of the right wing 501(c)(4), the American Policy Center, and prominent promoter of conspiracy theories around Agenda 21. Agenda 21 is a non-binding UN resolution around sustainability alleged to be "the linchpin in a plot to subjugate humanity under an eco-totalitarian regime." Pastor Afshin Yaghtin leads the small fundamentalist and activist New Covenant Baptist Church at 5109 N Adams St in Spokane. He is a close ally of Pastor Ken Peters of the Covenant Church at 3506 W Princeton Ave, Spokane, where Matt Shea sometimes preaches and holds forth as a supposed persecuted patriot. Both pastors and Matt Shea have been involved in "The Church at Planned Parenthood," yet another idealogical means of rallying political support. Ingri Cassel and Jaclyn Gallion are active local leaders in the anti-vaccination movement. Pay attention. These people are not benign, to which Matt Shea is testament. They aim to be elected or appointed to public office and thus gain influence and a whiff of legitimacy. Knowing their backgrounds and associations is key to knowing where they would like to take us--and I, for one, don't want to go there. What does it mean when every one of the folks listed as a Guest Speaker for "Liberate America" is part of a known subculture laced with 1) white supremacy, 2) armed intimidation and rebellion, 3) the theocratic Liberty State, 4) the anti-vaccination movement, or 5) weird conspiracy theories around non-binding United Nations resolutions, Covid-19, and sustainable development? Follow the links to familiarize yourself with these people. You will be rewarded by recognizing their associations each time you see their names in print. It's a useful exercise. Keep to the high ground, Jerry P.S. The Economist (rated "least biased" by mediabiasfactcheck.com) on May 17th published an article that puts some of what the Kootenai Fairgrounds' "Liberate America" likely represents into a national perspective: "America’s far right is energised by covid-19 lockdowns" It is an interesting read--and there is no paywall for this article. The Inland Northwest has long been a center for some of these movements.
