UNITED AGAINST HATE: ‘Gross overreach’

My takeaway from the “United Against Hate” event at the Coeur d’Alene Casino on Nov. 17 was that under the claim of protecting vulnerable and/or traditionally oppressed groups, which surely must be done, the feds (U.S. Attorney, DOJ and FBI) are encouraging everyone to report any perception of a “hate crime or event.” All reporting is encouraged and the feds will sort out the details.

The problem is that the feds are then going to use names to build national database profiles on individuals (rightly or wrongly) and look for bias and trends to store in that national database.

Anyone could be accused of “hating,” whether or not they did commit an actual crime, and will forevermore be a lifetime target of the federal government.

In the current culture of “victimhood” and “lived experiences,” too many people have been made suggestable to the notion that they are victims in any number of ways. Not agreeing with a “victimized” person could now get you labeled as, reported on, and investigated as a “hater” by our federal government.

This has the strong potential to destroy innocent reputations and lives, as well as shut down free speech and normal public discourse.

I suggest this gross overreach is the latest in the federal government’s direct assault on our constitutional freedoms and must be rejected.

LAURA VAN VOORHEES

Hayden