Breaking News: Racist Propaganda Spreads to SHS
On November 30, 2017, I broke a story recounting a delivery of racist propaganda to my high school's parking lot. Racist fliers had been distributed throughout Sandpoint in sporadic batches since last April, but the CDs were the first solicitation directly aimed at the high school. The story unfolded quickly: the CDs were discovered on cars around 1:30 p.m. and I had my story posted approximately two hours later. Throughout those two hours, I interviewed Sandpoint High's School Resource Officer and Assistant Principal, both of whom were informed of the event when, if not later than I was. I examined the contents of the CDs and conducted online research regarding the alt-right website cited on the discs before editing by own copy and immediately publishing. The article was later cited in The Spokesman Review, The Daily Bee and The Sandpoint Reader, and featured on a KXLY Spokane evening newscast.
I never would think it would come here to Sandpoint High School, so it’s definitely a bit of a shock to realize that they’re trying to pass on their messages of hate to [our] students and using our school as an avenue to try to promote their inappropriate messages,” |
CDs stocked with white supremacist flyers, documents delivered in SHS parking lot
On Nov. 30, a batch of CDs loaded with racist propaganda was delivered to Sandpoint High School’s parking lot. According to School Resource Officer Spencer Smith, at least 20 percent of the vehicles in the parking lot had discs on their windshields. He speculated that the delivery occurred between 1st and 2nd lunch. The discs were apparently distributed by the same persons responsible for the recent circulation of hate fliers in Sandpoint. Some of their previous messages have targeted Mayor Shelby Rognstad and other local figures; others have featured racist caricatures of African American, Hispanic and Jewish people captioned “Keep Idaho White.” “I never would think it would come here to Sandpoint High School, so it’s definitely a bit of a shock to realize that they’re trying to pass on their messages of hate to [our] students and using our school as an avenue to try to promote their inappropriate messages,” Vice Principal Derek Dickinson said. The CDs, named “Spread the Truth”, contain a collection of anti-semitic documents bearing titles such as “The White Man’s Bible”, “Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews” and “White Power”. There are also folders marked for internet and print distribution full of hateful flyers including ones already distributed. A library of racist memes praises Hitler and slanders minority groups using scientific racism, such as graphs demonstrating the inferior IQ’s of nonwhite groups, and stereotypical caricatures. The discs nod to Red Ice TV, a website that “covers politics and social issues from a pro-European standpoint”. The site features news articles with a white supremacist angle. “I have not seen the racist propaganda at the school or even around the school, so this is a first time for that,” Dickinson said. He advised students to turn in any CDs or other solicitation to the office and to report any suspicious activity to Officer Smith. In order to solicit on school grounds, groups must obtain permission from the school. The CD solicitors were trespassing. “There could be some legal ramifications if there’s a future occurrence,” Smith said. Smith is reviewing parking lot security footage for more information about the solicitors. He said that he will be relaying any information to the detectives at the Sandpoint Police Department who are investigating potential suspects. “Our number one goal is to make sure the school is safe, and make sure that these people promoting racism don’t have a place here at Sandpoint High School,” Dickinson said. “[The people behind this] are free to have their opinion, but the high school is not the appropriate place for them to convey their message of hate.” Article posted here. |
Heritage or Hate?
At Sandpoint High, Confederate flag clothing and bumper stickers are commonplace. In light of some national discussion focusing on the symbol, I pursued a story exploring the culture surrounding the Confederate flag in the school and in the greater North Idaho area last year. My priority was including as many perspectives in the story as possible — especially those of students bearing the symbol and students of color. I interviewed administrators for a disciplinary perspective and history teachers for historical context. I reached out to local activists to illuminate the region's historic relationship with the Confederate symbol. I also conducted a poll of 271 students on the issue to reflect students' thoughts at a glance. I researched national precedents of free speech in schools and the local history of white supremacy. After numerous edits, the story was published.
To have productive civil discourse we need to have conversations with people we may not agree with.” |
Confederate Flag sparks controversy and debate in community
Senior Jeremiah Voelz proudly sports the Confederate Flag as a symbol of states’ rights and rebellion. Voelz has a sticker on his truck, a hat bearing the symbol, and a flag that he keeps at home. “Employees that I work with freak out about my sticker on my truck, but that’s just because people don’t understand it,” Voelz said. “If people actually just sit down and think about it, I think they would realize that it isn’t about racism at all.” For others, the Confederate Flag is a symbol of racism and repression of non-white people. Regardless of one’s personal interpretation of the flag, it students’ first amendment right to bear it. Free Expression in Public Schools A parent recently approached the administration with concerns regarding the presence of the Confederate Flag in the school. “We’re trying to be sensitive to those concerns, but at the same time, recognize students’ right for free speech,” Assistant Principal Derek Dickinson said. Dickinson said that he and Principal Tom Albertson sought the advice of the Lake Pend Oreille School District Attorney and Superintendent Shawn Woodward on how to properly address the complaint. As ruled in Tinker v. Des Moines Indep. School. Dist. (1969), a case in which students were sent home for wearing armbands protesting the Vietnam War, school officials must be able to justify that the conduct in question would “materially and substantially interfere” with the operation of the school in order to suppress students’ speech. “We need to balance between...the students’ right to free speech, but also we have to make sure we protect the learning environment and prevent disruptions,” Dickinson said. “Then we have to look at whether the display discriminates against anyone or causes harm to them.” Though some individuals have been approached and asked to remove clothing that features the flag, no official disciplinary action has been taken. Confederate Flag items are weighed on a case-by-case basis in regard of their potential for impact on the learning environment. Dickinson said that stickers in the parking lot are considered differently than garments featuring the emblem because clothing can more directly affect the learning environment. Confederate flags and North Idaho Debate at SHS regarding the meaning of the Confederate Flag runs deep: for some students, the flag represents heritage and states’ rights, but for others, it’s role in North Idaho’s long-withstanding history of racist groups associates it with hatred. Local white-supremacist groups such as the Aryan Nations have celebrated the Confederate Flag for decades. Founded by Richard Butler in the 70’s, the group worked from their compound north of Hayden Lake to promote anti-Semitism and fear through terror campaigns that included multiple bombings of downtown Coeur d’Alene buildings. They proudly flew the Confederate Flag at parades alongside the Aryan Nations and Nazi flags. Because of this history, many locals associate the flag with prejudice and hatred. A Difference in Meaning For Senior Wesley Holland, the Confederate Flag is a symbol of his family’s heritage. “I find it American,” he said. “My family is from the South, from Oklahoma. They flew it, and I just see it as a lifestyle.” Holland does not associate the flag with racism. US History teacher Damien Gooding interprets the flag differently than Voelz and Holland. “Historically, [it] is a symbol of the Confederate States of America, a failed, self-proclaimed nation founded on a belief in white supremacy and dedicated to the practice of slavery,” Gooding said. “[In] the Declarations of Secession, Southern leaders were quite clear on the slaveholding principles and rights they considered sacred. I think that most Americans today perceive that Confederate society and its battle flag as undemocratic and immoral.” Some students of color agree more with Gooding’s interpretation of the Confederate Flag’s meaning. For Tyrone Larson, junior, it’s a symbol of his ancestors’ enslavement. “People say that it means something different, but it does have to do with African-American slavery,” Larson said. “Everytime I see the Confederate Flag, I get a flashback of my [ancestors] getting whipped, and when I see them, I feel like those [bearing the flag] support that.” Lynn Bridges, President of the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force, believes that civil discourse, or the engagement in conversation intended to enhance understanding, is required for societal growth. “Much of free speech about religion or politics can and is controversial and can be offensive to those with a strong differing view,” Bridges said. “To have productive civil discourse we need to have conversations with people we may not agree with.” Article posted here. |
Making a Good First Impression
I wrote "Making a Good First Impression" during my last week as an intern at Keokee Media and Marketing, as I was putting together the First Day Edition. I set up an interview with the Press Director of Bonner General Hospital, and upon arriving, was greeted with a panel of the hospital's maternity ward managers and head pediatrician. After a lengthy interview, I was tasked with condensing the information into a brief article. The final product is one of my favorite news briefs because it gets to the point but still expresses the excitement behind the renovation.
Bonner General Hospital gets maternity ward makeover
For a newborn baby, first impressions are everything. Bonner General Hospital is proud to offer caring and quality care for expecting mothers, and now, beautiful facilities to make the perfect first impression for prospective families, as well as the babies they deliver. Thanks to the BGH Foundation’s 2017 Heart Ball, the maternity ward is getting a serious makeover. Typically, proceeds from the Heart Ball are delegated throughout the hospital, but this year, it was clear the OB unit was in need of a new look. “We thought [the ward] was a little outdated, and our facilities weren’t really reflecting the outstanding care that we’re giving here,” Chief Nurse Misty Robertson said. After the renovation, the ward’s 80’s-esque wallpaper will be a thing of the past: The plan will feature brand new flooring and paint with an updated, more therapeutic color scheme, as well as a new waiting room, nurse station, labor rooms, and postpartum unit, or the department for moms and babies to recover after birth. Robertson speculated that the last time the OB Unit saw a renovation of its physical space was in the 80’s. “I’m really proud to be able to say, ‘This is what we have to offer, and our facilities are as cozy as our care,’” OB Nurse Manager JoAnn Filce said. Dr. Kristin Algoe added, "As an obstetrics provider I am thrilled that the Foundation chose to provide funds to renovate our labor and delivery unit. I feel that our amazing group of skilled and compassionate doctors, nurses and support staff work diligently to provide our pregnant patients and their families with extremely high quality, natural and safe birthing experiences. Now the aesthetics of our unit can better reflect this level of care and improve the overall experience for the families in our community." Construction is expected to be completed this winter. “I’m so grateful that the Foundation Board saw the need,” Filce said. “It just tells me that the community cares about the hospital, and we would like to share that same caring with the community.” |