REJECT HATE: Affirmative message needed

This letter is in response to statements in The Press on Aug. 7, and the editorial on Aug. 12.

The comments on both dates were in response to a letter apparently written by an anonymous writer to several businesses in Coeur d’Alene regarding their display of “North Idaho Rejects Hate” T-shirts. Whether we agree or disagree with the writer and the letter is not the focus of our comments here.

In our opinion, the message of the T-shirt itself is a negative message. Affirmations can be powerful statements, however brief, and say concisely in a few short words the thoughts, feelings and beliefs the writer wishes to convey. If the intent of the message was that North Idaho is a place that values community, honors all, loves peace, etc., then an affirmative message stating any of those beliefs would have been preferable. Let me state again, that is our opinion.

We realize others in the community will not agree with what is written here. No worries.

We expect that.

What we do not expect is that we will be chastised and accused of not understanding the reason for the campaign and T-shirts. We do not expect to be accused of being divisive and bigoted. And since we have signed our names, we do not expect to be called cowards and likened to neo-Nazis and other white supremacists.

Respectfully submitted,

CHRISTY FRANCIS, Rathdrum

LAGONDA McDONALD, Coeur d’Alene

PAULINE JENSEN, Rathdrum

CAROL PARR, Coeur d’Alene

KATHLEEN RODRIGUES, Post Falls