'Love isn’t dividing our city'

COEUR d’ALENE — When Cindy Little saw the table of “North Idaho Rejects Hate” T-shirts at City Park, she stopped and handed over a cash donation.

Tere Porcarelli with the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations happily accepted the gift and in turn gave Little one of the popular shirts.

“We need to say it,” said Little, while holding her rescue dog, Bella. “We need to support it.”

The Hayden woman was one of many who received a shirt on Friday near the Human Rights Education Institute during Taste of Coeur d’Alene featuring food, beer, art and music.

The campaign to promote human rights has been gaining momentum since more than 1,000 shirts and posters were given away last month.

Another 600 shirts are expected to go before the weekend is over.

“It’s going really well,” said Mike Gridley, recently retired city of Coeur d’Alene attorney and task force supporter.

He said the campaign is an effort to make it clear what North Idaho stands for in light of the June 11 incident when 31 members of the white nationalist group Patriot Front were arrested in Coeur d’Alene on misdemeanor charges of conspiracy to riot.

The event garnered national attention.

Gridley said an element of North Idaho Rejects Hate is simply about being friendly and welcoming, which the area is, anyway.

“For some reason, that got derailed,” Gridley said Friday. “North Idahoans are really nice people.”

But not everyone is on board with the campaign.

One anonymous person recently sent letters critical of it to a few downtown Coeur d’Alene businesses.

Emily Boyd, executive director of the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association, said as far as she knew, The Art Spirit Gallery, The Crown and Thistle Pub, and Mountain Madness Soap Co. were the only businesses to receive the letter.

All three were among some downtown stores that display the “North Idaho Rejects Hate” poster.

“What an ugly sign,” the letter said. “Posting such a sentiment is a slippery slope.”

The letter went on to state, “Do you want to become Seattle? Do you want to become one of those businesses who cares more about politics than customers? Downtown Seattle has become a cesspool.”

The letter writer asked, “What is your end goal? Do you think more people will purchase things from your store because you claim to be ‘woke’? I reject businesses who want CDA to become Seattle.

“Please reconsider your position- it is only bringing a division to our beautiful city.”

Jennifer Drake, owner of Crown and Thistle, fired back.

She said they stand behind the sign in their window 100%.

In a Facebook post, she wrote, in part: “What is my end goal? It’s to show people like you and everyone else that is new to town that there are good, inclusive people here that will always stand up against hatred and the people who spew it. Love isn’t dividing our city, it’s people like you. I will do whatever I can to protect MY community from the divisiveness and bigotry that you ‘cultural refugees’ brought with you.”

Gridley said he was surprised and disappointed when he read the letter.

“I just don't get the people who wrote the letter,” he said. “Are you pro-hate? Is that your deal?”

He also isn’t wild about people from other cities moving to Coeur d’Alene and then telling residents what’s acceptable.

Gridley said nearly all North Idahoans, regardless of political affiliation, treat others with respect and support the messaging behind North Idaho Rejects Hate.

“It’s been amazing to me, the energy, people coming up and saying, 'Thank you for doing that,’" he said.

"I strongly believe we are the majority," Gridley added.