Idaho really isn’t home to bigots — just billboards
Journal editorial
An electronic billboard in Caldwell that depicts accused mass murderer James Holmes alongside an image of President Obama has stirred justifiable outrage, mostly from Democrats. The billboard, which is operated by a foundation from the estate of the late Ralph Smeed, said of Holmes: “Kills 12 in movie theater with assault rifle, everyone freaks out.” The message with Obama’s likeness said “Kills thousands with his foreign policy, wins Nobel Peace Prize.”
Caldwell Mayor Garrett Nancolas says the billboard went “over the line.” Do you think? Just when Idaho was making progress in living down a reputation as a bigoted, skinhead loving state?
Even Maurice Clements, chairman of the Ralph Smeed Memorial Foundation, acknowledges the billboard was “poorly done.” He estimates he received about 1,000 emails and phone calls by this week— even some death threats. “I didn’t realize this was going to be as emotional as it has become.” He wasn’t thinking, apparently.
Typical of the comments that The Idaho Statesman received directly after the story broke was one from online viewer Bill Galvin, of Greenwich, Conn., who said the billboard message is “the kind of mindless, hate-provoking speech which is accelerating the decline of our society.”
Mayor Nancolas rejects the contention that the billboard controversy is a free-speech issue.
“You are talking about families who had their lives shattered in an atrocious, horrific act of violence,” he said. “What about the compassion for those people? To use that as some sort of political pl oy to disparage for political purposes, it crosses over every moral value.”
The Smeed foundation people still don’t get it.
Clements says the message of the billboard was “misunderstood…We’re not saying Obama is a lunatic.” How charitable, since his likeness was paired with that of a wild-eyed accused mass murderer. Clements says the billboard was intended to draw attention to the fact that American military personnel and civilians are still losing their lives in Afghanistan because “Obama broke his promise to bring all the troops home.” Did Mr. Clements miss the president’s announcement that U.S. combat troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of 2014?
America’s military role in the Mideast is a legitimate issue, deserving of thoughtful discourse as elections near, but not the wild-eyed rhetoric on display in Caldwell. It is disappointing that serious Republicans have not condemned the billboard bigotry as have Democrats and the Libertarian Party. The billboard has been taken down, belatedly, but the mentality that defends it continues to exist in some quarters to the great detriment of Idaho.
Hate is all that Republicscums know, it is the very essence of their base, their existence. And when someone says hate the gays or the words jesus or bible, go buy a chicken sandwich.
Alan, by mentioning chicken sandwiches you are referring to the president of Chick-Fil-A comments. He didn’t say he hates anyone, just stated his views on marriage. So in response to him stating his views (note that he never said he hates anyone) the tolerant left does stuff like this: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=df3_1343942819
Chuck,
Yeah, the hate swings both ways. The guy in that video is about as pompous as they come. But hey, just as I’m sure most people on the Right see this billboard as crossing the line, there are many of those on the Left that find that Chick-fil-a jerk offensive.
I really don’t think I would agree with the assumption that Idaho really isn’t home to bigots , even Pocatello.
Seeing some of the racial or bigoted comments posted here on the ISJ blogs seems to show the assumption that Idaho really isn’t home to bigots to be false.
Most recently two posters, Disgusted Reader and Skezix making comments that President Obama’s birth certificate is not real and the President is not a real American. Also a few years ago when the Tea Party was holding rallies in Pocatello they had Nazi Swastika signs at the rallies.
I have lived a lot of places across America but I have never witnessed bigotry so open as it is here in Pocatello, even the local paper has weekly columns from Tea Party supporters ranting and railing bigoted political beliefs.
No I would say Idaho is very much home to bigots and racism.
jay,
Show me a pdf without OCR (optical character read) and Layering (pdf’s version of cut & paste) turned on and I’ll be more impressed. I also be happy if the hospital was named correctly. And better yet, the signature that looks similar to Ukilee, I want to meet that individual. But, no problemo in your world? There are other things but we’d have to get down in the binary/digital world and that’s beyond you. It’s all zeroes and ones, you know, black and white type of thing.
I want to see the ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE, that was typed on a typewriter because he was born before pdf’s. Just put it on a copy machine and release it. I double dog dare you too.
I witnessed some odd bigotry today, two guys with a sign that said Chick-Fil-Asshole on it, sitting in a car next to the place wondering whether they dared get out and wave it.
So, the people who want tolerance are they themselves beyond intolerant and you can only see what? Hey, move to Texas and try to figure out what the concrete trucks with ‘It’s Tex-Mix’ on their sides mean. If think beyond 1 second you’d say it was a bigoted remark.
You’re hopeless, dude, you’ll find a pony in a manure pile all your life. You can’t depend on your judgment when your imagination is out of focus. – Mark Twain
I’d say you’re one of the bigots and racists, big time and never will get the clue that you are and how you come across. So, Idaho is home to at least one, YOU.
Never tell a Texan he can’t do something, he’ll do it.
Noticing things that aren’t correct on a form is bigoted and racial, only in out of focus world? It’s the economy stupid. Put up or shut up Harry Reid.
Bring on the 3 R’s.
Racist=anyone who disagrees with a liberal.
Bigot=anyone who disagrees with a liberal.
Helps if you’re white for some odd unrelated reason. Liberals have no color that they’ll admit to.
It’s an election year folks. Only democrats get outraged? Republicans just have to grin and bear it.
How can we forget why we started the war in Afghanistan? Have we forgotten about the individuals who deceived the American people to get us into Iraq? Who was the person who declared the war with Afghanistan won when it wasn’t.
Along with President Obama’s picture (because he hasn’t gotten our soldier home as he said he would) we need to place President Bush’s picture- be got us into that mess!
I would like to know the companies or organizations that the Ralph Smeed memorial Organization supports because they have lost mine.
DR,
You can access President Obama’s birth certificate on the internet- I’ve seen it. By the way DR, you can’t get your original birth certificate either- just a copy.
Don’t confuse me with the other Jay, but I agree with him when he refers the the Tea Party as an ultraconservative group, and in many aspects is similar to the National Socialist German Workers Party, which later became the NAZI Party.
jay hook,
I know this is going to come as a great surprise to you but there are page after page of DEMOCRATS speaking of going to war in Iraq for one. Congress voted for it too, unlike Libya that was never voted on. Afghanistan and it’s Talibums supported who? Yes, there were WMD’s and we found a few but not all and now Syria says it’s reserving it’s for attack from outside? How did they get in Syria of all places?
I’ve seen the birth certificate on the internet, thus my comments about what I saw. I’m a retired CSE/network administrator. It’s got some problems least of which is the question why it took so long to come out and why he spent the sums he did to keep it from sight, if there was no problem. There’s also a Kenyan birth certificate on the internet, explain that one away. And Kenya was delirious when he was first elected because he was the first “native” Kenyan to be president until they found out about the “native born” requirement and shut up fast. And then there was who, grandma who saw him born, where? Too many people had to lie in concert, dude.
My dad died fighting Nazi’s in the Battle of the Bulge in WWII, you have no clue as to what they were like and some of the things they did. One didn’t become the other, the Nazi’s took over, period. Germany is not a comparison with the present US, not even close.
You need a history lesson and bad. People who know the constitution and can quote it to you are bad but those who can only shout slurs and innuendo are right? No way. Tea Party rather than going down in the attacks on it, seems to be surviving, since the attacks are so extreme and lack reality. I’ve attended two of their rallies here and never joined but your description of them is totally wrong. I also the gentlemen in Pocatello who get accused of being members, one of which is and one of which has never been. Both have credibility and then some. Either you have valid complaints and can back them up or you continue down the nitpicking path that guarantees them success at your expense.
DR,
Here you go again ranting and raving about nothing! My father and his four brothers fought in the war. My uncle Bobby fought on the islands and never spoke of the war. My uncle Arther was in Europe and wouldn’t speak of the atrocities he saw. My father was a clerk to a general and never left the states.
Get on the internet and look up Nazi and read what the group was called before it was called the Nazi Party and educate me. who was this party trying to push into leadership, and how did they do it?
Now for the last comment. You can say what you want, but I sat there in front of the TV while the portable missile were explained and the use of chemical weapons. From what I was told, then I found out the information was selective, I agreed with going into Iraq. They found nothing after the invasion!
The birth certificate has always been there. You just didn’t care about researching it, like you don’t investigate much. I don’t want a subjective opinion, support yours with some fact. Where did he go to high school? Are there yearbook pictures. Did he play any basketball?
Educate me with some reliable facts!
This racist Tea Party supporter Disgusted Reader shows just what kind of person he is when he starts with is birther crap.
Anyone reading this blog go to the Tea Party blog and see what Disgusted Reader has to say, he has one hell of a acute knowledge of Aryan Nations symbols, signs and flags , knowing all the meanings.
Told on himself big time . Disgusted Reader and his WHITE POWER.
jay hook,
Then put it on a copy machine and let the world see it? Doesn’t exist does it? The pdf is after the fact and the functions turned on only guarantee it will be questioned forever.
Put on the Social Security info too while we’re at it. There is a long list of things we’d love to see. And no, I could care less about a tax return showing he’s a stingy liberal. Wonder if he will put the $5,000 he gave to himself on next years tax return?
Stop whining cynnie. Google is my best friend, too bad you don’t know how to use it. Real easy, that’s probably your downfall. So, it wasn’t what they said it was? You just verified that remark. Sometime take 10 seconds and regale us with ALL YOU KNOW. Probably have time left over.
Oh, meant to ask, you live in Oakland California? Got a recording that sounds like it could be you, that will turn the air blue from someone who thought they were so smart but weren’t.
Cynnie is a liberal loser democrat of the worst kind. She’s mastered crap. I’ve never been on the Tea Party blog. LIAR. Stop making things up, it makes you less than insipid, i.e. tasteless – vapid – flat – flavorless.
Yet Romney absolutely refuses to release 10 years of his tax returns. You have to admit the double standard here. Why are you not asking to see Mitt’s tax returns? What is Romney afraid the public will find out? What is he hiding? You can’t be okay with Romney hiding his tax returns when you aren’t even satisfied by the copious amounts of evidence presented for Obama’s birth in Hawaii.
I agree with Jay Hook that it would be interesting to hear more of Disgusted Reader’s conspiracy theory about how 50 years ago the infant Obama infiltrated the U.S. as part oh his plot to take over the United States, subvert the constitution and establish a socialist tyranny while denying you the right to vote and taking away your gun.
In any case, good job refuting the claim that Obama-haters aren’t crazy by bringing up the birth certificate thing. Do go on…
Dang Summit Drive is getting crowded nowadays.
When Obama opens up and starts releasing ALL of the stuff he’s hiding then we might consider more but until, nope. Either you have evidence or you don’t and right now, you don’t. Start with his college records, especially the ones showing him as a foreign student. That should be interesting. Strange we have yet to find anyone who remembers him. How odd?
Nothing to find out in what Obama is hiding but everything to find out with the other guy? Prove it. Divert, divert, divert attention from the loser and amateur?
Obama’s made up pdf is just that. Evidence of more questions that anything. So, if we don’t care about Obama and the media never went this route with Obama, why should be get excited about the media fairy stories and going this way with the other guy and still ignoring Obama?
Consider The Source. He’s not a very good american for a start.
Ask him grandma her opinion. The one you know where.
Where are the tax returns?
I keep thinking about these Obama groupies still demanding Romney go back 10 years on his taxes, yet they allow Obama to hide most of his background. And he doesn’t even have to go back 10 years. A lot of us would be happy if he would just open his records up for the last 5 years. But – as long as he has the funding, he will keep everything about himself hid away.
Now – for those of you who keep screaming about this ’10 year’ crap, I have to assume none of you have ever been audited. Well – guess what, even the I.R.S only goes back 7 years. So, get the I.R.S to audit Mitt Romney, and at least you can get back that far. Oh wait! They have audited him; more than once, I believe. Well, maybe they will be happy to do it again, just for you, then when you find out he is 100% up to date on his taxes, what are you going to try and hang on him then? Romney’s water bill must be out of sight, washing off all that mud that keeps getting slung at him. Good thing he’s rich. Wonder if he can claim that as a deduction(?)
I get to thinking about how the troll/clones on here call those of us ‘racists’ who disagree with Obama’s policies, and say we hate him because he is ‘black’. Then I read about how much hate comes from them about Romney, and I can’t help but think they not only hate him because he is L.D.S.(Mormon), but also because he is ‘white’. Wow – double jeopardy! But wait – now he has a running mate who is not only ‘white’, but Catholic. Be ready to duck folks! The proverbial (you know what) is for sure going to hit the fan.