Emily Crighton
Editor-in-Chief
Growing up in Mountain Home, I heard a lot of my peers complain about growing up there. Sure, there wasn’t a ton to do, but I never really felt the disdain so many of my fellow classmates seemed to – until now.
Recently, students of Mountain Home High School had a fundraiser approved in which students paid $45 to paint one of the parking spots in the senior parking lot. One young artist painted a tribute to the black lives matter movement.
A photo of the painting quickly made the rounds in the small town, and soon the superintendent was saying none of the parking spots should have been painted in the first place, and that they would need to be removed with a power washer.
Several students of the high school decided to stage a protest in support of the painting by sitting in the parking lot around the painting, many of them leaving class to do so. It was later reported that the spots have all been painted over.
Now, I have plenty of feelings on that whole situation, but I’m going to leave those unspoken because that’s not what this editorial is about.
Soon, counter-protesters began cropping up across the street.
Every time I logged on Facebook, something more ridiculous seemed to have happened. Photos of shirtless white guys waving by confederate flags began filling my Facebook news feed. Then, it began to be reported that counter-protesters had brought the students fried chicken and watermelon as a “peace offering”. Seriously, Mountain Home?
A friend at home told me that confederate flags have been showing up (more prevalently than usual) all across town.
The most disturbing thing I read I was unable to confirm, but heard from several people in town. Some of the counter-protesters hung a black baby doll from their door.
I am shocked and saddened that such ignorance and hatred can still exist in the year 2016. I don’t want to believe that people from my little town are capable of such racism, and I find myself wanting to distance myself from a place I called home for more than a third of my life.
I know some lovely people in Mountain Home, and I hope that they will join me in making it known that this behavior is unacceptable.
I think that as a white person in the United States, it’s very easy to believe that racism isn’t an issue. I don’t see it happening in front of me, so it mustn’t be happening. People crying race are being oversensitive. Guess what? It does still happen, in small ways and in big ones. From time to time something like this will catch the public’s eye for a day or two, but racism happens every day. Racism happens in Mountain Home, it happens in Baltimore and it happens in Pocatello – we cannot continue to turn a blind eye.
I’ve closely followed news reports from outlets such as the Idaho Statesman and KTVB. I’ve read hate-filled facebook comments telling the media to “get out of our town” and assuring fellow citizens that they did NOT support Black Lives Matter.
But what can I do about it?
In my opinion, the first step of many is to simply acknowledge that it is happening, and make it clear that it is not okay. I’ve observed that people seem to think that treating people poorly because of the color of their skin or where they worship is acceptable again. Hatred, it seems, is being reintroduced into mainstream culture.
I for one will not stand meekly by keeping my mouth shut while this happens in a town I once loved. So, Mountain Home, this is me calling you out.
The actions of the counter-protesters are despicable.
I am disgusted by your hatred and the racism you have shown towards high school kids. You have the right to disagree with this movement, but you have crossed a line. It is unacceptable for you to act this way, and I do not stand with you.
