Does Coeur d'Alene have a Skinhead/NeoNazi problem? (Hayden, Sandpoint: 2009, gated)

[derekc23]

I've been here a little over a week after relocating from WV (applied with the local PD last month) and haven't noticed any "skin heads" or "neo-nazi's" running about so I'd say it's a very laid back AND law-abiding community with a lot of very nice folks.

[carolinajack]

Originally Posted by fearnofish

The 'headquarters' for the skin heads USED to be in Hayden Lake but they went bankrupt and had to sell everything (to a human rights group..funny long story) and are now gone. I see more skin heads/racists in the Bay Area when we go down there than you will ever see in North Idaho.

Lots of the skinhead/neo nazis left Hayden Lake and moved to Pennsylvania an NJ where they said they find very fertile ground. many many regular folks here share their sentiment

[tindo80]

CDA will have to work for a while to shake off that stereotype. In my experience and from what Ive heard, there are tons more of the 'nazi' punks in Spokane and the Spokane Valley region than there are in North Idaho. And not just the vandalizing ones either, the drug addled violent felons.

Those types will target anyone they can get their hands on that does not have their wits about them. Being a minority (or woman, or muslim, or gay, or darker white) will just make a person stick out as a target more.

That Being Said, it would be foolish to think if you are a minority you wont get looks in many places. CDA is changing though, its growing more diverse by the year. There are still plenty of close minded folk in the more rural areas, where though totally friendly otherwise, folks like to get drunk at the pubs and go after outsiders (the horror stories from Potlatch come to mind).

There was a case a few years back where a young boy threw a young muslim girl into a fire pit up near Bonners Ferry, and made negative references to her being a muslim and jewish (yea, it does not make sense to me either...but does it ever with those types). The kid got off light because the victims lawyer was also a client of the offenders dad, and family friends of the judge.

That is the exception, not the rule though.

[glass_of_merlot]

Originally Posted by carolinajack

many many regular folks here share their sentiment

Where is here?

[Sage of Sagle]

Originally Posted by tindo80

There was a case a few years back where a young boy threw a young muslim girl into a fire pit up near Bonners Ferry, and made negative references to her being a muslim and jewish (yea, it does not make sense to me either...but does it ever with those types). The kid got off light because the victims lawyer was also a client of the offenders dad, and family friends of the judge.

That is the exception, not the rule though.

Bonners Ferry Herald

The victim herself thought it was a joke until the guy dropped her at the edge of a bonfire (not a "fire pit" according to court documents from what I can see), was helped out of the fire by the guy who stumbled while holding her over the fire, and she stayed at the party WITH everyone and only later sought medical attention. She was from muslim/catholic parents (not Jewish) but the guy made a racist comments about jews.

So this was indeed ONE racist comment but weird enough, the crime was really low-grade once all eyewitness accounts were taken into consideration. And alcohol was the key common underlaying thing at this underage-drinking party....

A single racist comment? Absolutely. Criminal negligence resulting in felony assault? Sure. What a moron. I think we all can agree. A hate crime? No. Not according to the publicly released information.

[tindo80]

Originally Posted by Sage of Sagle

Bonners Ferry Herald

The victim herself thought it was a joke until the guy dropped her at the edge of a bonfire (not a "fire pit" according to court documents from what I can see), was helped out of the fire by the guy who stumbled while holding her over the fire, and she stayed at the party WITH everyone and only later sought medical attention. She was from muslim/catholic parents (not Jewish) but the guy made a racist comments about jews.

So this was indeed ONE racist comment but weird enough, the crime was really low-grade once all eyewitness accounts were taken into consideration. And alcohol was the key common underlaying thing at this underage-drinking party....

A single racist comment? Absolutely. Criminal negligence resulting in felony assault? Sure. What a moron. I think we all can agree. A hate crime? No. Not according to the publicly released information.

Apologies about the fire pit. I was speaking from memory, and the parts that stuck out were 'fire' and 'girl pushed in' and 'muslim/jewish'.

I am sure the friends of the offender claimed it was low grade, but being pushed into a fire because of your religion is serious business. If you ask me, the kid got off light.

Though it was not racist since it had to do with religion, legally I would imagine it would qualify as a religious hate crime, but the judge ruled that because she was not jewish it was not. I do not know Idaho hate crime laws, or if the state even has them, but I do know when similar incidents happen in other states, it gets classified as hate based. Imagine a nazi attacking a Puerto Rican, shouting slurs aimed at Mexicans. He isnt hitting the mark exactly, but the act and aim are on point.

The shady connections between the judge, the defendants dad, and the victims lawyer puts the whole situation in a bad bad light IMO. The judge probably did not want the case to become a national incident to avoid re-fueling the North Idaho stereotype fires. That being said, it was really screwed up.

[Sage of Sagle]

I follow what you're saying. As a retired cop, I can tell you that what you're talking about is called "transferred intent", where you shoot at one person but hit another, the crime is still just as serious. But in this case you can say "I hate XYZ people" but then if you do some injury to a person unrelated to the prior statement, it's considered a lesser crime.

So let's say you're white, and you stand up while drunk at a party and loudly proclaim "I hate black people", and then you drop a mexican person into the fire, it's hard to link the statement with any intent to harm. However, you can go with "specific intent" wherein intent can be assumed simply on the fact that the crime was committed period.

But there is a lot more to the case than just a racist comment as you can see from the link. Do I think he got off light? Sure. I don't like when alcohol is ever an excuse for even criminally negligent behavior.

[fearnofish]

Originally Posted by carolinajack

Lots of the skinhead/neo nazis left Hayden Lake and moved to Pennsylvania an NJ where they said they find very fertile ground. many many regular folks here share their sentiment

I would say this post is wrong.. I have lived in the CDA are almost all my life and have not met "many many" people who share there sentiment. CDA may not be like San Francisco where everyone loves everyone but there is defiantly not a big racial problem. The biggest problem is the "wanna be's" in the area.

[sarahkate_m]

Originally Posted by FloridaMD

That's kind of what I figured. EVERY town in America has these types. I have heard about northern Idaho at least twice now in regards to this element, so when you hear it from somewhere else, you star to take notice a bit more. I am still very interested in checking out the area, as well as some other points west (Oregon as well). I am a primary care doctor looking to relocate out west probably next year, and just trying to find an area that I like, where I'm needed and will feel comfortable with the other folks around me.

Hey Doc,

I was wondering where you were! I posted some job links on your Oregon thread for you!

Check out the conceal carry laws in Idaho: your second amendment rights may be very useful there.

I lived in Hayden lake in the '80's. If I could go back, I would. It was so beautiful! Coer d'lane was cute. I didn't enjoy their version of Mexican food at the time (I'm from CA) but maybe that's improved!

I know it's probably more developed now, but the weather was really nice, for snowy weather.

They have a wind they call the "chinook" & it keeps the snow from getting deep for very long.

I had a better time driving in that snow than I do here in Eugene. At least in Idaho, people know how to drive in the snow!

I think you'd probably enjoy it there!

Kate

[Trace_Rinaldi]

Originally Posted by RUBIES77

You will find them in Fallbrook, California, where the Head of the Aryan Nations have lived for decades. This is a very racist town.............. even though it has lots of Latinos, but myriad Whites.

Absolutely correct.. I always gotta laugh when people from here talk about Nazi/Skinheads in Idaho... They busted one fellow out here for trying to have his wife induced into labor to give birth on Hitlers B-day.. Yeah the skinheads in IDAHO are really bad..HA!!!