FREE SPEECH: Not with local GOP

A few days ago, I saw an article in Vice about the Kootenai County Republicans’ support for an Austrian White Nationalist. The article can be read here:

https://bit.ly/2X2ITQi

I went to their Instagram and Facebook pages to express my displeasure at this, and I linked to the above article in my comment. Additionally, I pointed out that they were also using memes from TPUSA, which has it’s own problems with racism and Nazism:

https://bit.ly/2VZShIc

On Wednesday, I went back to their Instagram and Facebook pages, as I had (unsurprisingly) gotten no response from my comments. You will notice that two of their recent posts are in support of “Freedom of Speech,” a concept I am also in favor of. They are apparently upset because their posts defending white supremacism were taken down:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxk2hpopWJU/

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxmz_hBJtoe/

Unfortunately, I cannot comment on these posts, because the freedom-loving Republicans of North Idaho have deleted my previous comments, and blocked/banned my accounts from voicing my opinions. It appears they are less concerned with actual free speech, or as they put it #opinionsaregood, and are more upset about their inability to spread white nationalist and neo-Nazi propaganda.

I don’t expect this to go anywhere, but I did want to make your paper aware of the North Idaho Republicans’ obvious bias and hypocrisy. As usual, these cowards wave a large flag not because they believe in its principles, but because they need something to hide behind.

PATRICK NORTON

Phoenix