A Ramble but not a Rant: Some "Identity" tags -- and a message

In the Old Days, Idaho had some significant Debs socialist strains -- and, for long after that, left/liberal populist traditions. Democratic U.S. Senator Frank Church, neither a socialist nor a populist, had some good positions very close to the latter.  He went down in the Reagan sweep of 1980.  The state's Democratic party began, in time, to recover -- but then the Clinton anti-gun witch-hunt cut a lot of ground from under it.  There were signs in 2008 that the Obama victory might help rejuvenate the Demos -- but now the Obama et al. anti-gun campaign has struck another blow at Demos in Idaho -- and Demos in many other settings.

Lin Whitworth, the grandfather of my son-in-law Cameron (with Josie), remains a crusty Idaho populist -- and, for years, as a state senator, was the key Labor man in the increasingly Republican state legislature.  And some years ago, on a genuinely populist position, he ran as a Demo against Republican long time incumbent Dick Simpson in the 2nd Congressional District.  One of Lin's bumper stickers was, "I'm a Gun Toting Idaho Democrat."  Of course we supported Lin strongly and I put that sticker on the back of my Jeep Cherokee.  Lin's campaign had far less money than his opponent but, even though Simpson won, Lin took a whole lot of votes in the towns and rural areas of Eastern Idaho.  And a great many of the folks who turned out to hear and support him wore Stetsons and boots.

I like that bumper sticker and, albeit a bit faded, it remains faithfully on my Jeep -- along with a UAW/NWU union decal and a big sticker, "Organize."  I also have my NRA Life membership sticker thereon -- as I always have on all my vehicles over the decades.

When we arrived in Pocatello in the summer of '97, we found that my activist reputation had preceded me.  Lots of harassment began immediately -- and continued in various ways for years,  (Neighbors were and are almost all just fine.) Sending a warning out yonder, I put NRA decals on the little window by our front door and also on our back screen door.  A couple of my loaded firearms were handy. In time, the bad stuff waned though not completely.  Eventually, I removed those decals but the loaded firearms have always remained right close.

The other day, and this has nothing to do with the current but happily fading national anti-gun campaign, I put the NRA Life decals back on again.  And the guns, as I say, always remain.

H.

HUNTER GRAY [HUNTER BEAR/JOHN R SALTER JR] Mi'kmaq / 
St. Francis Abenaki / St. Regis Mohawk 
Protected by Na´shdo´i´ba´i´ 
and Ohkwari' 
Member, National Writers Union AFL-CIO
www.hunterbear.org 
(much social justice material)
 
See the Stormy Adoption of an Indian Child [My Father]:
http://hunterbear.org/James%20and%20Salter%20and%20Dad.htm
(Expanded and with many photos.)
 
For the new and expanded/updated "Organizer's Book," 
JACKSON MISSISSIPPI -- with a new and substantial 
introduction by me.  We are now at the 50th Anniversary
 of the massive Jackson Movement of 1962-63. 
http://hunterbear.org/jackson.htm   And see the related
http://crmvet.org/comm/hunter1.htm

See my Community Organizing "Mini-Course" -- with 
much down to earth how-to material and updated:
http://hunterbear.org/my_combined_community_organizing.htm