By Clarice M McKenney
Peacekeeper volunteers did a great job controlling a crowd, estimated at 800 attending Saturday’s “Hands Off” protest in Sandpoint. They did everything from shepherding pedestrians safely at crosswalks and ensuring that automotive traffic flowed smoothly to counting the crowd and seeing to the needs of the handful of counter protestors.
Around nation and around the world today, just over 70 days into Donald John Trump’s second term s president, a continuous string of gaffes and goofs unlike any ever seen has never Trumpers saying “I told you so” and MAGA members wondering.
I interviewed a dozen protestors from Bonners Ferry at the Sandpoint march, a half a dozen from Sagle and several dozen locals in the two lines stretching down both sides of Main Street near the Bonner County Courthouse. Each were overwhelmingly enthusiastic and energized by participating with others who felt the same.
A Hands Off march in Troy also drew a fair crowd protesting Trump’s leadership, with participants reporting more smiles and waves than flipped fingers from passers-by.
Many had signs saying things like “Trump, keep your filthy hands off… (items from a long list including Social Security, Medicaid, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Public Broadcasting, the economy, international trade, tariffs, democracy, health care, Veterans services, hospitals, libraries and public schools).
The signs were uniquely written to reflect a wide array of negative opinions about the Donald Trump presidency, his administration and Elon Musk. Of course, drivers and passengers in some of the vehicles driving past the two-hour demonstration shot them the finger or gave them a thumbs down, but the vast majority beeped, flashed peace signs and otherwise showed they agreed with the crowd’s expressions of disgust and discontent with Donald J. Trump.
A local man who once lived in Bonners Ferry, Tim Hill, who carried a large flag, and his wife, carried signs asking, “What would Jesus Say?” and “What Would Jesus Do?” Many I spoke with said they were glad to see US flags in the lines of protestors because “it’s our flag, too.”
After crossing the street, I asked the Hills to tell me about their signs, and they said they’re Christians whose faith does not match what they’re hearing from Christian Nationalists. That subject came up several times later in conversations with others.
Truly pitiful. Crybabies who evidently hate democracy and can’t accept the result of an election. The raised left Communist Party fists, revolutionary rhetoric and matching costumes would indicate that this is a well funded leftist hate group, that is unable to accept the will of the American people. All the waste being cut is for the greater good, unless you are the ones living off these programs and the taxpayers.
MP – You hit the nail on the head!
You can identify a cult and recognize those who are engaged in it by how they defend it. The arguments against don’t matter as adherents do not apply logic or reason. They offer no proof, no evidence. Dependent on a strong central figure, they most typically echo the “teachings” of the leader, personally attack the person making the argument or both. I give you MP.
No reason for personal attacks reverend. You worship at the alter of Socialism.
MP if you truly believe in in what you’re advocating step up and use your name! Initials translate to transplant.
Bruce Whittaker
What’s wrong with being a transplant? Are you xenophobic or racist sir? I was serving my nation for 3 decades plus in combat and peace. I got up here as soon as I could.
Put in 30, huh? How about name and rank, just for verification purposes? You might be surprised, but Boundary County has been sending her sons and daughters to serve in our nation’s Armed Forces since its inception, and she has known veterans of all ranks and branches who come home or who find home here, many of whom are bona fide heroes as well as good neighbors who serve and contribute to the community they love. And they have good manners.
You are definitely anti American Mike
Who’s MP?
I was wondering the same thing, Almost anonymous. Such bravery! My hope is that MP will survive the pain to come.
I have! You have no idea what real bravery is.
MP, well said……. I am usually quite a poet when Mike Weland lets me comment, but I could not have responded better to the insanity of the mindless drones who don’t have the ability to think for themselves and are so far gone they are unable to make a rational decision. We will let them whine and moan because they lost the election as this is what a constitutional republic allows……. God bless America and I don’t care what the leftists think……………
Well, Mr. McCollum, I’m afraid I don’t quite see that either yours nor MP’s responses were poetic or up to snuff, but let me take a closer look, if I may, see if I can find any logic in any of the three comments MP made on this article thus far.
Let’s start with the first and begin by getting rid of the unsupported character assessments; “Crybabies who evidently hate democracy,” “The raised left Communist Party fists, revolutionary rhetoric and matching costumes would indicate that this is a well funded leftist hate group,” and “unless you are the ones living off these programs and the taxpayers.”
Those are mere assumptions, ad hominem attacks unsupported by anything in the article.
That narrows the argument down to two assertions, “can’t accept the result of an election” and “unable to accept the will of the American people,” and one argument, “All the waste being cut is for the greater good.”
But your assertions are again, assumptions not borne out by the article and without evidence, so scratch them and your only issue seems to be the statement, again without proof, “All the waste being cut is for the greater good,” which indicates you do not refute the other things listed.
But it does little good making an assertion without substantiation, if only to create a starting point for constructive discussion … so if you are serious about initiating an honest dialogue, it would have been beneficial to have included a sampling of the waste that’s being cut and even better if you provided proof.
But having included, “Crybabies who evidently hate democracy,” “The raised left Communist Party fists, revolutionary rhetoric and matching costumes would indicate that this is a well funded leftist hate group,” and “unless you are the ones living off these programs and the taxpayers,” it seems you have no interest in constructive dialogue or in discerning and proving truth.
Instead, it appears, as with Trump, your true interest lies in owning the libs, stifling dissent and promoting an extremist agenda incompatible with the U.S. Constitution.
But that’s just my opinion. Now, just for fun, MP, I invite you to tell me if you can discern what’s wrong with these statements, “I have! You have no idea what real bravery is,” or “No reason for personal attacks reverend. You worship at the alter of Socialism.”
Mike, the more that you talk, the more you prove my point, but get it out of your system and remember this, we still love you………………
Maybe you should move to UK where you actually fit in
I’m not one to comment often but the one thing that bothers me a lot is the name calling rhetoric that some folks use, Labeling .I went to the demonstration and it was good, peaceful, just average everyday Americans utilizing their constitutional rights as both sides have a right to do. I know a lot of right leaning folks who I very much admire, love when it comes down to it. If we could only practice civility, talk and have a discussion civily? It would be a much better world. I find it all very depressing.
Great comment Jonathan. You’re right on! Name calling and absence of civility will get us nowhere.
I added up the population of both Boundary and Bonner County = 59166, divided by 800 = 0135+ .0135×100 = 1.35% Not a not a very impactful amount of people I would say
.
I concur about civility. There’s no place for third grade play ground name calling.