YES! Idaho Kerry bumper sticker sighting!

[Selwynn]

"Idaho Steel Workers Supper JOHN KERRY for President!"

Woot!

[ochazuke]

1. There's a brave man.

In the heart of the Aryan Nation.

[Cleita]

2. With all due respect, the Aryan Nation is a small part of

Idaho residents, most of whom don't like what they stand for and they have been trying to get the Reverend Butler and his gangsters out of there.

[Selwynn]

4. That's true however...

..as an idaho resident for 10 years (er wait.. 9 years) I can say that its clearly an extremely conservative state. No Aryan nation does not represent the state, but there is a LOT of racism around here. A lot. It only gets worse the farther north you go.

Anyway, just really happy to see the sticker.

[Cleita]

6. Well, I lived there five years north of Couer d' Alene.

I never found the racism you did. I did find a definite dislike for elitists, but that was directed toward white people. I guess this is about different perspectives.

[Selwynn]

8. Not perspectives - experiences.

When your black friend is told he's not welcome in a restraunt in Caldwell, its about experiences. When Boise is vandalized, not once, not twice, but three different times in less than a year with white pride racial slurs, its about experiences. When families tell of experiences of discrimination in north idaho, its about direct experience.

Idaho has a problem with racism. The legislature says so, the governor says so, the mayor of Boise says so. I say so.

[Cleita]

9. You are talking about south Idaho and around Boise.

Yes, I agree. In the north they are different. They are more Catholic up there and inclined to booze it up a bit. Go up there sometime. It's beautiful and you might like it. I don't particularly like that old deserty, Mormon potato part myself.

[Selwynn]

11. No I am not. Do you live here now? What year was your last year?

Look, I realize that is going to put you on the defensive, but the fact is I do live here right now, and my entire community of friends and family come from North Idaho - yes it is indeed very beautiful, and full of bigotry. Caldwell may be where my friend was shafted. Boise may be where the hate crimes occurred, but its a problem all over the state, and in the last few years, as bar or worse in the north. Three different families (aka clans) have lived in North Idaho their entire life, and I have been friends with those families for the bulk of mine. Any one of them will give you an endless accounting of the escalating - not deescalating - racial and bigotry problems in the state, especially the north, particularly Cour de alene in recent years. It's a serious problem that these families talk about often.

Maybe its just different than how you remember it? Like I said, the legislation says the state (not southern Idaho, the state) has a problem, the governor says the state has a problem, I say there's a problem, and I live here right now, this minute today.

It doesn't mean the whole state is evil. I doesn't mean north Idaho is not beautiful. It doesn't mean there aren't' good people too. Like I said, a large part of my community of friends and loved ones all have permanent roots in north Idaho. But trying to deny the facts that as of 2004, there is a real problem with bigotry and racism in the state is just silly, especially if you don't live here now. Idaho can overcome it and come through it, but denying there is a problem is silly.

[Cleita]

12. I have to admit I haven't been there in five years.

Yeah, the guns and the woodsey types scared me a lot up there. But I tried to understand them, and funny enough I found out when I tried to learn from them, they taught me a lot. I really didn't find them racist as much as they were anti-outsider. Am I wrong?

[Must_B_Free]

15. I met a guy on the plane fri

who was just in idaho. I was terribly surprised that it was deserty that far north.

[ochazuke]

7. How many Aryans does it take to key your car?

Or those Christian Identity types?

I'm sure lots of good folk live in ID, Kerry has a house there. But haven't lots of racists been moving there to get away from African-Americans? Haven't lots of cultural conservatives been moving there to get away from west-coast liberals?

Here in the suburban Kansas City area, I have seen very few bumper stickers for either Kerry or Bush. At this stage, at least some of the Bush supporters should have their stickers on. The fact that they don't indicates that they don't feel good about backing chimpy boy. I think thier turnout this November will be low.

Kerry's should start to show up soon.

[Cleita]

10. Actually the Aryans are just a criminal gang of white guys no

different from the Crips or Bloods in So. LA. They couch it in a religion, but they consider themselves outside of the law, so they have no problems with robberies, hold-ups, murders etc.

[ochazuke]

14. kinda like Shrubco.

Only the administration does it with a "mega" prefix.

[Cleita]

3. Maybe the torture scandal was too much for even the hardcore

Idaho conservatives. I believe this will change many minds in once solidly red territory.

[Selwynn]

5. Ok.. they don't supper him - they support him! :D

But I can't edit it now cause its too late...

[Enraged_Ape]

13. I was born and raised in Idaho, and I'm so glad I left >20 years ago

I'd like to say you offer encouraging news, but the fact is that EVERY SINGLE PERSON I KNEW THERE growing up was a white supremacist--that includes, sadly, friends and family. I would say it's the most pathetic state in the nation, but I haven't been to Alabama or Mississippi, so I really couldn't say for sure.

[Sugarbleus]

16. Wtg Idaho driver!

Idaho is extremely conservative. My mother's family lives there, my daughter used to live there. My grandchildren are being held hostage by their racist father there.

It's a beautiful state and some parts are better than others but ya gotta watch out if you come from outta state, especially from Calif. while driving through northern or eastern Idaho. Not friendly.

Women are treated as second class citizens,Blacks are not welcome, nor are mexicans. The natives "know their place"...there are good people living there, but it's really all sown up with that conservative attitude and wholly unhealthy for liberal ideas.

Brave bumper sticker sporting person....or maybe people are waking up in that state with regards to Bush.