Human Rights group condemns hateful symbol

Over the weekend we learned about the art piece on public property in Riverstone displaying the symbol of the hammer and the sickle.

We want to be clear that it has been our mission for 39 years to speak out and oppose all atrocities that have resulted in the deaths of millions of innocent victims, whether from the regimes of the far right or the far left. This would include for example our opposition to the ideologies of the Aryan Nations, the KKK and the Communist Party.

The hammer and the sickle and the swastika became the symbols of totalitarian regimes in the Soviet Union and Germany, which brought untold destruction and death worldwide. Both symbols represent genocide. We condemn both symbols and regimes in the strongest terms.

During the reign of Soviet leaders such as Joseph Stalin, there was a blood purge when the KGB, the secret police, were used to imprison millions of Russian citizens in concentration camps, resulting in the death of untold millions.

Likewise Nazi Germany, under the reign of Adolph Hitler, used the secret police such as the Storm Troopers to set up concentration camps that became killing places, resulting in the death of 6 million Jews plus other minorities.

It is equally horrible and evil regardless of whether the acts are carried out under the political philosophy of the far right or the far left.

Today we continue to witness the threat from Russia to democracy and our values.

We oppose the display on public property and the use of taxpayer dollars for symbols that represent or signify unconscionable acts of evil.

The swastika and the hammer and sickle bring back horrible memories to the victims of these totalitarian regimes.

Our local communities and the Pacific Northwest have an honorable wand long history of supporting the democratic principles of equality, freedom and justice for the dignity of our people.

We support Coeur d’Alene Mayor Steve Widmyer’s decision to remove the art display, as we would do if it were a display of the Swastika.

Finally, we wish to recognize and thank the Coeur d’Alene Arts Commission for their many years of promoting the arts in our city, the beautification their work has graced our city with and this is our first time to respectfully disagree with one of their decisions.

- • •

Christie Wood is president and Tony Stewart is secretary of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations.