Patriot Front arrests show Idaho still has an extremism problem we need to fight

There is nothing patriotic about the Patriot Front, whose 31 members were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to riot over the weekend in Coeur d’Alene, apparently intending to disrupt a gay pride gathering.

But it is a front — a front for white nationalists who carry out their bullying tactics in the name of American freedom. And an affront for those who truly understand American freedom, not the Patriot Front’s distorted view of it.

The Patriot Front’s tactics are the furthest thing from American freedom. Their beliefs are based on freedom only for those they approve of. In this case, the LGBTQ community is not among those who deserve the right to peaceably assemble, that allegedly God-given right protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. That’s because Patriot Front’s ideals are rooted not in the Constitution but in hatred.

Ironically, the Patriot Front’s planned bullying and harassment of a gay pride event perfectly demonstrate why we still need gay pride month.

Our LGBTQ friends, family and neighbors have been marginalized, vilified, even prosecuted simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Gay pride month shows that they deserve the same freedoms, rights and protections as everyone else. To say otherwise is un-American.

The Patriot Front’s planned harassment campaign is part of a growing anti-LGBTQ movement in this country which labels LGBTQ citizens as “child groomers” and pedophiles. That kind of demonization of a group of citizens is dangerous and leads to the very kind of misguided bullying and harassment planned by the Patriot Front.

Unfortunately, this is another black eye for the state of Idaho, which continues to struggle to shed its reputation as a haven for extremism, white nationalists and white supremacists.

In the wake of the arrests of Patriot Front members, Idaho Gov. Brad Little issued a statement about freedom of speech without fear of violence. That’s a good start, but doesn’t go nearly far enough. He didn’t even mention the Patriot Front and the danger it presents. His statement also thanked the “many, many Idahoans from across the political spectrum committed to peacefully demonstrating.”

This runs the risk of giving solace and comfort to those who would continue to bully, threaten and harass those with whom they disagree. Little’s statement also misses the gravity of the situation, the seriousness of this kind of organized effort to potentially do violence to a group of Idaho citizens.

We need leaders who will strongly and forcefully call out and condemn these anti-American thugs.

At least Little issued a statement. U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo also issued a statement: “Hate, violence and bigotry are unacceptable in any form. I applaud the efforts of local law enforcement for their measured response in de-escalating what could have been a dangerous situation.”

U.S. Sen. Jim Risch merely thanked the police. Weak sauce, indeed.

While the weekend’s Patriot Front arrest was plastered all over national news, the other members of our federal delegation, Reps. Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson, were disappointingly silent on the issue as of Monday afternoon.

Could it be they know that if they speak up against the Patriot Front, they risk losing much-needed votes in the upcoming election? If so, what does that say about their voters?

This story was originally published June 13, 2022 at 11:02 AM.