by Brenda Hammond

This year the Task Force would like to provide the opportunity for many members of the community to step up and show their support for human rights. You may have seen the guest opinion that was published in the Bonner Country Daily Bee in which we asked representatives of groups who share the ideals of the Task Force to march with us. (It is printed on page 3 of this newsletter.)

We are also urging as many of the Task Force members as possible to join us this year. Let us seize this opportunity to demonstrate the fact that our membership continues to grow, and is a significant movement within the community.

You may call 263-6893 and leave your name and number if you want to be a part of this powerful statement. We will then let you know where and when our group will meet prior to the parade.

by Gretchen Hellar

As of the date of this newsletter, the Aryan Nations is planning to march in Coeur d'Alene on July 10th.at 10 AM. This time, the march will not be through the center of town but rather on Ramsey Road.

The Kootenai County Human Rights Task Force is organizing a peace and human rights rally at the same time as the march. This year, however, it will be in Idaho rather than Spokane. This rally is designed to focus on the positive aspects of our area with the idea that a strong community committed to freedom and human rights does more to combat the negativity of racism and bigotry than any other activity people can undertake.

To date the plans are as follows. A rally will be held at 10 AM at North Idaho College consisting of speakers and musicians from throughout the five northern counties and Spokane-after all, the Aryan Nations is a regional problem, not one for just Kootenai County.

After the rally, school children will plant flowers in recognition that human rights must be nurtured and cared for. Following the children's contribution, people will be asked to go to downtown Coeur d'Alene and thank the businesses that are displaying posters celebrating human rights. The Coeur d'Alene and Spokane Chambers of Commerce have pledged to support and work for a successful day focusing on human rights.

The concept behind the rally and community-wide festivities is to provide the media with an alternative and more powerful story than the pathetic march of a few intolerant individuals. Numbers count. Therefore, a trip to Coeur d'Alene on July 10th would be a way of showing not only the media but ourselves that we are the defining force in our communities.

by Gretchen Hellar

At the recent public forum held by the Task Force, Lama Yonton Gonpo and Lama Inga Sandvoss presented the city of Sandpoint with an eight foot peace pole inscribed with the words "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in four different languages. Mayor David Sawyer accepted the Peace Pole on behalf of the citizens and promised to make sure that it was placed in a prominent location. The date and time of the ceremony has now been set.

At 5:30 PM on June 26th at City Beach a ceremony will be held in conjunction with a city reception of the Peace Runner Project. This project consists of runners who crisscross the world to call attention to the need to make peace a priority in our lives. These runners are the same group that came to Sandpoint last year. We are fortunate that again Sandpoint is on their itinerary.

The Task Force encourages all its members as well as other citizens to take one hour out of a summer Saturday to show their commitment to manifesting peace in their lives as well as their community. Can you commit just one hour to show your support?

The runners are a great group of people with a high level of dedication and energy, and they are willing to share their commitment with us. Please come and show them that Sandpoint is a community defined by a citizenry working hard for peace. One which is striving to live and act on its basic compassionate nature. Remember what the forum showed us. If we openly act on and endorse compassion as a way of life, bigotry will become an endangered if not extinct idea.

by Gretchen Hellar

On April 27th the Task Force sponsored a community forum entitled "How to Build a Compassionate Community. Panel members included Paul Graves-city councilman and Methodist minister, David Sawyer-mayor, Lama Yonton Gonpo-Tibetan Buddhist teacher, Roy Rummler-school superintendent, Ginny Jensen, executive director of POAC. Their words and ideas created an amazing environment in which each of us were encouraged to look into our hearts and recognize that we are innately compassionate and that it is only through not seeing clearly that we behave in uncompassionate ways. In addition, they all stressed that compassion is more than sympathy or empathy but that it was defined by action.

At the end of the session, the audience was asked to indicate an idea that they felt had the greatest impact on them. A few of those comments follow: "Compassion is inherent in our very nature. It can't be bought, learned or studied. It just is a part of each of us and we need to allow its expression in our daily lives." "What I push against just gets bigger." "To live in a diverse community includes living along side of those with vastly different ideas and opinions in peace if not acceptance." "Compassion is an ACT".

Ideas are great, but what about their impact on concrete events? There was strong evidence even at the meeting that focusing on compassion goes a long way towards reducing the harmful effects of bigotry. Richard Butler, Aryan Nations, attended the forum and made a comment during the public session. The audience had focused for 1 hours on active compassion. Consequently, when Richard Butler said that only the Adamic race was capable of compassion, his words were so foreign and out of context that they had no impact or effect on the atmosphere of the meeting. It was almost like he was arguing that the earth was flat not round.

That is what recognizing that we are a compassionate community and acting on that fact can do the rhetoric of hate and division. It makes it sound absurd and irrelevant. Richard Butler was speaking to thin air!!!

Other outcomes of the meeting? Read the articles in this newsletter on the Peace Pole Ceremony and the 4th of July Parade idea.

by Brenda Hammond

The Bonner County Human Rights Task Force has an idea for participation in the Fourth of July parade (to be held July 3 this year) that we feel will have a positive impact on the community. We want to create an opportunity for many citizens to take a stand and demonstrate their support for the ideals of fairness, justice and equality.

Building on the ideas and energy that were generated at the forum we sponsored in April on "Building a Compassionate Community," we recognize the need for networking with other groups and individuals.

Instead of representatives of the Task Force marching alone, we are asking other local organizations and groups to send one (or many) representatives to join us. We believe and, indeed, have witnessed that many others uphold the belief in the dignity and worth of each human being. We are not alone in opposing prejudice and discrimination.

The idea is that we would all march behind a banner stating, "Building a Better Community." Each of us would carry a placard identifying our group and a brief statement that describe our contribution. For example, our group sign could say: "The Human Rights Task Force supports liberty and justice for all!" A representative of the Arts Council could carry a sign stating: "POAC brings you're the world!" We plan to have members of different clubs at the high school represented; a member of the chorus could have a placard that states: "SHS Chorus promotes harmony!"

We also plan to carry drums, maracas and other percussion-type instruments to symbolize the concept that we can all be marching to different drummers - but come together and contribute our individual strengths toward building a community that is better for ourselves and our children.

Please let us know if you would be willing to send a representative to march with us. The "marching" can be symbolic - we will have a float on which people can ride as well. If you want to be represented without sending someone to be in the parade, one of our members would be glad to carry a placard for your group. Call 263-6893 if you are interested in joining us! We will then be in touch with you about a specific time and place to meet prior to the parade.

From the Bonner County Daily Bee, 6/12/99

The Task Force is pleased to announce that Emily Elsa, a senior at Sandpoint High School, is the recipient of a $2,000 scholarship offered by the Task Force.

The scholarship is awarded based on demonstrated respect for others' rights, sensitivity to human rights issues, independent thinking and commitment to making a positive contribution to society.

Elsa has been assistant editor of her school paper, the Cedar Post; has written articles on human rights issues - including school violence and the anti-Semitic views of a trespasser on campus who attempted to hand out materials denying existence of the Holocaust. She plans a career in journalism and to use this avenue to combat the ignorance that fosters prejudice and creates barriers between people.

"Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."

Dr. Martin Luther King

Today, Idaho's laws are recognized as some of the toughest in the nation in dealing with extremist behavior. In addition, Idaho has had a Human Rights Act since 1969.

Step 1: Idaho's Malicious Harassment Act

In Idaho it is a felony to maliciously harass any person because of race, color, national origin, religion or creed. This offense is punishable by up to five years in the Idaho State Correctional Institution and a $5,000 fine for each occurrence.

Step 2: Idaho's Civil Remedies Act

A victim of malicious harassment as defined above may sue the harasser for actual damages, unlimited punitive damages and attorney fees.

Step 3: Idaho's Domestic Control Act

If two or more individuals engage in paramilitary training in Idaho with intent to attack a group or subvert the government, they can be sentenced to up to ten years in the Idaho State Correctional Institution and fined up to $50,000.

Step 4: Idaho's Uniform Hate Crimes Reporting Act

Requires all law enforcement agencies in Idaho to specially report to the State Department of Law Enforcement all crimes apparently committed on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion or creed.

Step 5: Idaho's Explosive Devices Act

Prohibits possession of explosive devices with intent to commit a crime.

Step 6: Idaho's Common-Law Courts Act

Prohibits impersonating a public official or acting as a public official with intent to intimidate private citizens or lawfully appointed officials.

Step 7: Idaho's False Lien Act

Prohibits filing a false lien with intent to intimidate or harass a private citizen or public official.

Step 8: Idaho's Human Rights Act

Prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations and education based on race, sex, color, religion or national origin. In housing and employment, discrimination based on disability is banned. In employment only, age discrimination (40 and over) is banned.

Human rights violations can be reported to law enforcement, county prosecutor's offices, Idaho Human Rights Commission, the Task Force, or the Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment.