a friend just had to flee for his life....from Idaho

[TalenaGor]

Two years ago a friend and his girlfriend and new baby, moved to Hayden, Idaho to be near her family, so she had support while he underwent cancer treatment....

He just moved back...without them. He's Puerto Rican...

He said when the first moved there it wasnt quite as bad but once Trump got elected...they went nuts.... He said every time he went and public someone made a comment about his race, he said a couple in a store, all decked out in camouflage walked up as he was pushing his baby and said 'oh what a cute beaner baby'

Said his car was spit on every day....he couldn't make any friends because their 'reputation' would be ruined if they were his friend....his girlfriend's family told him he 'didnt fit the image' for the family....it actually broke them up for 9 months, after which the mother told her daughter '..well, now that I got rid of him...'

He said he was certain that if he stayed there, he would have been hung.

So he left...he will set up a place here and bring them home...

Trump's America..... festering like flesh eating bacteria in Idaho.....

Wtf....seriously....this shit is so obviously wrong...

[MLAA]

1. Please tell your friend that I am so sorry he had to put up with that BS.

[lunasun]

2. Glad he made it out of Idaho hell alive . Hope his kid can get out of there soon no doubt they may

hurt a brown or black child as they are deplorable

[Alice11111]

3. This is not the America we loved. It has been taken over by

Shameless, ignorant racists. Very sorry.

[maddiemom]

49. What bothers me is that so many of these "deplorables" were just keeping quiet,

stewing in their ignorance, and just waiting for the chance to tell all of us "libtards" how they REALLY feel. It was getting more and more that when they expressed their beliefs, someone would shame them about it. Now they feel free, and there are more of them than we had naively fooled ourselves into believing.

[Alice11111]

68. Yes. Millions more. I shame them. They are so out of the

Closet, they think they are PC.

The younger ones are the scariest, as in general, I thought this college and post college 10 years generation, loathed racism and intolerance. I think, I hope, the younger nazi types are ignorant. I had assumed the racists and bigots would eventually die off, but there is this aggressive, angry resurgence, as you alluded to. The numbers are huge too.
What I observe is many with wealth sending their children to expensive private schools, where they are not exposed to diversity, amd at home they are groomed to be bigots, who believe they are better than others.

[oasis]

4. Idaho. That's where racist LA. cop Mark Fuhrmann took refuge after

his retirement in disgrace.

Right winger Bruce Willis also calls it home.

They can have it

[Nay]

37. 35 years ago when I lived in Colorado, Idaho was a well-known hideout for Nazis,

racists, white nationalists and other similar trash. If you were anything other than white, you did NOT travel there. So sorry to hear it's still hell.

[kimbutgar]

43. I was in Idaho in 1996 for a wedding in Coeur d'alene

The wedding was in the evening so my hubby and I spent the day driving around. Happened upon a white supremist event accidentally. The looks I got were terrifying. It so upset me I immediately went back to the hotel and stayed there the rest of the day. Found out Hayden lakes the next town over was a white extremist conclave near Coeur d'Alene.

[jmowreader]

58. Right winger Bruce Willis owns property in South Idaho

He doesn't actually live here; it's vacation and investment property, in the Sun Valley area.

If you want to point your finger at one person to blame for Idaho turning into a cesspool, the name is Ronald D. Rankin. Ron Rankin was one of the first wingnuts to leave California, back when land was extremely cheap here. He got his real estate license and marketed the shit out of this place to house-rich Orange County Republicans. Then he got elected to the Kootenai County Board of County Commissioners. Pretty much everything that went wrong up here is because of him.

[Alice11111]

69. I hear Boise is a growing progressive spot, do you know?

[oasis]

76. Don't know. I won't be visiting there anytime soon. nt

[Hoyt]

5. I've known a few people who moved to Idaho, not surprised. Sorry about how

your friend was treated.

[MissB]

6. My brother is

a fairly conservative guy. He's also pretty religious- he does have a strong sense of social justice.

Anyway, he was planning a few years back to move down to the lower 48 states and thought maybe Idaho would be a good choice. It offered cheap land and great outdoor activities.

The parts of Idaho he was looking at had way too much racism for his comfort level. And he's white as white can be. He chose to settle not far from me in a lovely liberal bubble.

I'm sorry your friend had so many incidences of blatant racism. I'm hoping wherever he's settled he finds a welcoming community.

[TalenaGor]

17. Seattle area, so ya he's good now lol

Misses his family though....

[roamer65]

7. I wonder how they would handle "What a cute cracker baby".

I'd bet a C-note they'd get all bent out of shape.

[No Vested Interest]

20. I've never heard the term "beaner baby". Maybe it's just as well that I'm

naïve(?), ignorant in that way.

[DRoseDARs]

23. "Beaner" is a slur against Mexicans. Of course, Puerto Ricans aren't Mexicans, so... n/t

[No Vested Interest]

24. Oh, I get it now.

Obviously, Puerto Ricans, like Mexicans, can vary greatly in ethnic appearance.
Thanks for the enlightenment.

[CakeGrrl]

44. That's the point to the white supremacists

Never mind the ethnic and regional differences:

Brown is brown, black is black, yellow is yellow, and NONE of them are white, so they can all "go back where they came from".

Never mind that they live the big ugly lie that this land is theirs, and they should just as quickly be told to 'go back to Europe' just to make their addled brains spin.

[raven mad]

46. One of our closest friends is from the Dominican Republic.

His beautiful wife is Caucasian.

He, Kara, and his kids have never had an incident here except new imported folks (cheechakos), usually military. At least until he pulls up on his bike in full gear............... (Big guy, about 6'4", 235, ripped - and one of the gentlest nurses I've had the privilege to know.

Of course, at 45 below in ice fog, a snow machine suit, ski mask, hood, bunny boots, and bear claw gloves, you can't tell if it's even human, let alone race or nationality.

I HATE anyone having to go through this, and can promise you that slurs here especially in public get called out by most folks.

[Alice11111]

75. I heard someone repeat a joke about "chinks" the other day.

It was the first.time I had heard an actual person use that term. I had heard it in movies, documentaries. Shocking. My eyes noticeably bugged out. She didn't even know she and her son were being racist.

Very wealthy, educated, but isolated with their wealthy friends.

I think if hospitals required some parenting classes, a few evenings before the birth, that teach parents how to dicipline without abuse (a huge problem & RW teachings make it worse ) and how to raise respectful kids, it would help a lot. High schools and colleges should too, IMHO. Repubs would call it brain washing, but we have to start trying something.

[PatrickforO]

8. What kills me is that these genocidal white nationalist assholes

actually believe that it is we, the larger culture, that is committing genocide on white people.

Seriously.

[Alice11111]

70. Yes. I know some of them.

[onecaliberal]

9. Haven't you heard, we should suck up to three parasites.

[SweetieD]

10. Its Idaho. I wouldn't expect anything different. Seems to be a haven for hardcore white supremacists

[SergeStorms]

18. It has been for a while now.

This is where Randy Weaver decided to make a home after he found so many like-minded white supremacists living throughout Idaho. Then the whole "Ruby Ridge" fiasco made Idaho an even bigger haven for white supremacists, neo-nazis, and every other anti-government, racist movement.
The state book of Idaho is "The Turner Diaries". These people have claimed Idaho as the unofficial "Tora Bora" of white supremacists and militia misfits. They're dug in, and itching for a fight with those jack-booted G-Men.

[2naSalit]

66. Sounds about right...

also, there is a prerequisite where if you aren't already LDS, you have to at least be a white supremacist. I lived in Idaho for fourteen years, in a liberal bubble, but it was still pretty hard to get along. I never could find a job there so I moved to another state that also voted for the current agent orange in the White House. Some dyays it's kind of scary. I'm still living in my vehicle and I wonder when I'm going to be attacked.

[Bradshaw3]

11. I think this is more common than people know

And not just in Idaho. My niece is married to a great guy from Morocco who is secular, started a successful business and is a fantastic father - yet they deal with harassment in Texas. Our awful POtuS has just emboldened this bigoted behavior and it is hard to put back in the bottle once unleashed.

[democrank]

12. I'm glad your friend got out of there alive

and hope his family can join him soon. Sounds like he could use some support.

[Initech]

13. When the UN says hate in this country is a huge problem, it's a huge fucking problem.

And the sad thing is we can't do anything about it.

[raven mad]

48. Sure we can.

I am SO, SO sorry about your friend. I hope the family will be okay (in Seattle, it's a good bet)!

RE: Nothing whites can do? Call them out, especially in public. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. You'd be surprised at the "tough guys" (HAH!) in Wal-Mart, toting open carry pistols, getting totally embarrassed by little ole white ladies, young kids, AND store management.

That's only happened a few times that I know of in our particular crowd, although we embarrassed the shit out of one jerk at a nice restaurant and management made him leave, and once done by my 11 year old grandson in front of the Post Office! No violence has ensued, and the local cops back the sourdoughs (long-timers) way over the military bigots. It's really sorry that there are so many who are "in service" and we teach them how to kill but not how to live with other races/cultures. Of course, the military here doesn't even bother to teach newcomers to drive in the ice and snow, and they mostly account for about 80% of the "first snow of the year" rigs in ditches, trees, telephone poles........ Almost always see the little military sticker in the front window. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE our military folks, most of them, and the problems usually only arise when there's a buildup of troops (we're part of front line for Korea, Russia, etc.).

NO TOLERANCE FOR HATE SPEECH OR HATE CRIMES. (Map below from SPLC, and the 1 incident was anti-Samoan, in Anchorage.)



https://www.splcenter.org/20161129/ten-days-after-harassment-and-intimidation-aftermath-election

[Initech]

50. 867 hate incidents since the election? Damn.

One is too many. But 867? And 99 in my home state alone? That's way too much hate. The sad thing is we can call them out as much as we want, but it's not enough. They'll go back to their hate-filled message boards and chat rooms, and call in on hate-filled AM radio talk shows and complain how their views aren't represented. I don't think they get the hint that we don't want their views.

[raven mad]

51. Sure they do, Initech, but!

They hesitate to crap in the next store/public area.

[progressoid]

67. And those are just the ones that have been reported.

[Alice11111]

71. We can point out the truth & fallacies in their belief systems.

Sure, it pisses them off, but a rational argument raises a tiny doubt about their beliefs, even if they don't admit it.

Do it appropriately to the circumstances.

[Initech]

73. What I'm getting at is we can't pass laws criminilizing hate speech.

Without getting into the censorship debate, and I'm not touching that one.

[Alice11111]

77. I'll touch it. Europe has touched it. It needs to be discussed.

[sharedvalues]

14. White people can lead the charge of calling out this behavior.

[Frustratedlady]

15. The story of your friend's treatment and that poor 8-year-old boy they tried to lynch make me ill.

The situations both smell of Trump. In the short time he was campaigning and now sitting as POTUS, what progress we made has pretty much been erased by his fake macho talk and actions. Just repealing/ending Obama's accomplishments is proof of his racist demeanor.

We aren't born racist, we pick it up from others.

I hope your friend is able to rebuild his marriage.

[BigmanPigman]

16. I am starting to believe that it is realistically for people to move,

or begin, their lives in "blue" cities and states and urban areas. However, that only continues to polarize the geography of the US. So what are the short and long term answers? My sister and I always say that we would never live in a certain state or city yet we know integration and shared viewpoints is the way we should approach the "melting pot" philosophy of our country.

[MarvinGardens]

55. Plenty of blue cities in red states as well. (nt)

[CanonRay]

19. He's not drugged,

its just the noon coke wearing off.

[Hekate]

21. Did you have two tabs opened in DU? It looks like you're replying to one about Trump slurring...

...his speech by early evening.

[IronLionZion]

40. Trump probably has syphilis and dementia

it's so bad it infects browser tabs on DU

[Oneironaut]

61. "The sniffling? It's just allergies, honest!"

[cwydro]

22. Puerto Rican is not a "race".

This confuses me.

[leftstreet]

25. +1

I don't get it

[Hell Hath No Fury]

31. Actually, "Puerto Rican" is a particular racial blend --

My Mom is Puerto Rican, and there is great pride taken in being "Puerto Rican" specifically. The racial blend is "blanco" (white) from the Spanish, Taino (the indigenous people), and African. The average Puerto Rican would look very out of place in Idaho.

[DonCoquixote]

79. I am Boricua also

but keep in mind, we do vary. My Mom has skin that gets her mistaken for irish, my Dad has skin that gets mistaken for Arab, and both fo them are native born Puerto Ricans.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

26. Russia exploited our worst instincts as Americans.

"Russian operatives hiding behind false identities used Facebook’s event management tool to remotely organize and promote political protests in the U.S., including an August 2016 anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim rally in Idaho, The Daily Beast has learned."

http://www.thedailybeast.com/exclusive-russia-used-facebook-events-to-organize-anti-immigrant-rallies-on-us-soil

[JHB]

27. Wasn't Hayden were Richard Butler's Aryan Nation was based?

If it's the same area, no wonder he ran into so much of that shit. AR was a magnet for neoNazis and related varieties of white supremacists.

[red dog 1]

62. Yes indeed!

From the late 1970s to 2001, the Aryan Nations headquarters was located on a 20 acre compound 1.8 miles north of Hayden, Idaho.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

28. That child is better off away from Idaho.

The child would probably be better off in an area of racial and cultural diversity. With proper parenting in an open-minded diverse area, the child is young enough to not be impacted by these events.

Shame on those people for causing separation for this couple. Apparently, they don't realize that they are robbing this child of one half of its heritage.

[liberalnarb]

29. Insanity. K+r

We have to defeat this horror. All you fascists bound to lose.

[mythology]

30. This is hardly new with Trump, he's a symptom, not the cause

The aryan nations was founded in Idaho in the 1970s. The only reason they aren't still based there is because they lost their compound in a lawsuit over the beating of a mother and her son.

[TexasBushwhacker]

34. Yup. Ruby Ridge, Randy Weaver country n/t

[Javaman]

32. Once upon a time back in the early '80's...

a buddy of mine was stationed at Mountain Home AFB in Idaho.

He told me that probably at least once a week, the base would have some sort of run in with the nazi/skin heads in the area trying to breach the perimeter.

the northwest has long been a hot bed for white racists.

[smirkymonkey]

33. I am so disgusted by what is happening in this country.

These assholes have always been there, but it's like Trump has given them the green light to act on their worst impulses.

[Initech]

47. The hate in this country has gotten so far out of control it's unbelievable.

When you have people driving into protests one day and then innocent people getting harassed the next, something is very fucked up. And we have a president and his precious news network of choice that enables this behavior. It's wrong.

[Madam45for2923]

35. Donald the gift that keeps on giving!

[weissmam]

36. If youy are from Puerto Rico, by definition youy are a US Citizen

tell them to go stick it , pound salt , take your pick

That's a slap in the face of every individual in the US Military from Puerto Rico past and present

[IronLionZion]

38. Do Idahoans know they elected a Puerto Rican to Congress?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raul_Labrador

Trump really brings out the worst in people. It's like there was stuff simmering below the surface but he has made it acceptable to open about it now. Trump is definitely festering like a deadly infection or snake bite or something.

I know the feeling. My adorable little niece was called a half breed where she lives in Tennessee.

I recently met a bartender who when she cards obviously underage college students, they respond with where's your green card? She's a US citizen.

And there are a large quantity of idiots who still don't know that Puerto Ricans are Americans too.

[PatSeg]

39. What a horrifying story

Every day a new and outrageous story about hate and racism in America. Trump has brought out the worst in us and it is far worse than I could have imagined.

Where did he move back to?

[TalenaGor]

65. back home to Seattle - we dont roll like that here :)

love my city

[L. Coyote]

41. Hayden is Idaho's white supremacist hotbed.

[cwydro]

72. Wiki says they have a Hispanic population of just over 4%.

Certainly not like the states many of us live in, but sorry, I just find this story odd.

People in Camo approaching a baby to say, "what a cute beaner baby." Makes no sense at all to me.

[onetexan]

42. there are many small towns here in Tx i avoid as well

especially those in the panhandle - a hot bed of RW extremists and nazi-esque rambos. Tell your friend to hang in there, idiot 45 will get what he deserves and the goons will crawl back to whatever crevices they came out of. This too shall pass.

[fleur-de-lisa]

45. I have family in Idaho . . .

Cousins, aunts, uncles. They are all racist asshats!

Mind you, I have lots of family in Mississippi and Louisiana . . . all are now liberals or independents. Racism is not confined to the former confederacy.

[dembotoz]

52. not just there...there are places in wisconsin that are scary

you hear the stories

hell i have SEEN a number of jaw droppers

[liberalmuse]

53. This needs to be a news story.

Seriously! This is unacceptable. Racists need to crawl back into their holes.

I'm at a loss. Your friend and his family do not deserve this. The people responsible are reprehensible.

[awesomerwb1]

54. But they should be very familiar with Puerto Ricans

in Idaho.

After all they have this excuse of a human being called Raul Labrador as their rep and possibly future governor.

Terrible story by the way.

[cemaphonic]

56. Idaho, one of the most beautiful parts of America, filled with the worst people.

I know some very good people there, fighting the good fight for decency and tolerance. And I know that there isn't a corner of the world where intolerance and bigotry isn't some sort of problem.

But Idaho is the only place I've ever been where random strangers at gas stations have chatted me up about how the Jews are taking over America.

[Glaisne]

57. The true colors of much this country

are coming out thanks to Trump.

[MariaCSR]

59. Chris Rock: "I ain't scared of Al Queda...I'm scared of Al CRACKA!"

[yuiyoshida]

60. I stayed a year in a small town once in idaho

I was run off a tenis court because I wasn't Mormon, white and male.

[red dog 1]

63. K&R

[DFW]

64. Frank Church was from Idaho

I only have vague memories of him and his son, Forrest, coming out to our house for the weekend. He and my dad were friends, and about the only thing I DID know was that he was from Idaho.

How times have changed, and not for the better.

[Ken Burch]

74. I just attended a reading by an African-American poet from Moscow, near the WA state border,

Who discussed how she left the state out of fear as well.

[samnsara]

78. N Idaho is whitey white supremicisy type. My sis..a t partier and

..trumper and had to relocate back here to wash state for her own cancer tx and left her hubby up there ( near ruby ridge).. I thought once she got out of there ( and away from HIM) she'd be at least normal but she's in dire need of deprogramming. its so sad too because I have waited for 15 years to have my little sis back in the same town so we could do stuff together.... but I have basically distanced myself from her.