(LifeSiteNews) — The left-wing city council of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho passed an aggressive new “anti-hate crime” ordinance that some residents worry could make it illegal to publicly defend Christian moral teachings.
Here is Coeur d’Alene’s DRACONIAN new “Hate Crimes” ordinance, that will basically make it illegal to think the wrong way.
If found guilty, you’ll be sentenced to “[re]education.”
Dear North Idaho, you just lost your 1st Amendment right to Free Speech.#idleg #idpol pic.twitter.com/fl45eakOPp
— Idaho Tribune (@IdahoTribune) July 3, 2024
On Tuesday night, the six-member committee unanimously approved a measure that punishes anyone who intimidates, injures, harasses, threatens, or is a “public nuisance” and engages in “disorderly conduct” toward another person for their “sexual orientation and gender identity,” among other civil rights classifications.
Those who violate the policy will be given a misdemeanor. They may also be slapped with a fine and a court may require them to attend a re-education program.
CBS affiliate KREM-2 further reported that “anyone who violates the code shall be ineligible for any City license, permit or activity for up to a period of three years.”
Coeur d’Alene is one of the most idyllic towns in the Republican-dominated state. Many Traditional Catholics have moved to the area in recent decades given the presence of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X and the Fraternal Society of St. Peter. One such person is former Indiana resident Dave Reilly.
Reilly, who has been engaged in grassroots activism since his move several years ago, told LifeSite today that the council members are “some of the most vulgar, disgusting, communist, Southern Poverty Law Center-affiliated, corrupt people who ever lived in Coeur d’Alene.”
“These are the exact same people who imposed mask mandates and shut down businesses during the plandemic,” he remarked. “They’ve decided to pass this ordinance to stifle the speech of their political opposition.”
Reilly encouraged fellow citizens to “liberate themselves of their occupied government and kick out the special interests and corrupt politicians that are holding our community hostage.”
Commissioners argued that previous instances of “hate” in the area is why the ordinance was needed. They said that racist terms shouted at members of the University of Utah women’s basketball team earlier this year while they were in town for the NCAA’s March Madness tournament was one such moment.
But the Idaho Tribune disputed that the incident occurred. Reporter Johnston Meadows has argued that what actually transpired is not entirely clear, despite the media pushing the dubious claim as if it were an irrefutable fact.
The Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber of Commerce announced Monday that it reversed a previous policy that banned religious items from the Fourth of July parade.
Banning Crosses didn’t work out well for the @cdachamber.
We the People have had enough of the anti-Christ tyrants that are in control of Coeur d’Alene.
CHRIST IS KING! pic.twitter.com/KQLPXCOtTJ
— Idaho Tribune (@IdahoTribune) July 4, 2024
Social media was abuzz earlier this week as videos showed marchers at the parade carrying crosses.
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