An uproar took place in the Idaho town of Coeur d’Alene prior to July 4th this year when the town’s regional chamber issued regulations on what was allowed to be displayed by individuals during its July 4th holiday parade.

Under parade regulations adopted by the chamber board this year, “Symbols associated with specific political movements, religions, or ideologies” were unacceptable. [Linda Coppess, chamber president and CEO,] wrote that in the past, the chamber received numerous complaints about displays that people found offensive, including “Confederate flags, derogatory illustrations, harsh politically-based language, and graphic photographs.” Coppess wrote that last year alone, she received over 50 complaints about different signage and symbols that were deemed offensive.

To address those concerns, the chamber consulted national organizations to ensure its guidelines were transparent and fair, she wrote. “Our intention with this policy was simple: to create an environment where everyone feels welcome and respected,” Coppess wrote.

The chamber listed several other things as unacceptable for the parade, including signs promoting controversial political issues, displays containing divisive or inflammatory language related to political debates and signs displaying slogans or messages that incite political division or unrest. [emphasis mine]

Within days the chamber was overwhelmed with thousands of complaints from local citizens, most of whom appeared to be especially offended by the ban of religious symbols. As a result, the chamber backed down partly, rescinding that particular restriction. Below is a short clip from the July 4th Coeur d’Alene parade. As you can see, a lot of people came carrying crosses. I suspect they would have been there whether or not the religious ban was rescinded, expressing defiance.

INCREDIBLE: Coeur d'Alene Idaho banned crosses for the 4th of July parade and look what happened 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/1nsgrYN4JZ

— Katie Daviscourt 📸 (@KatieDaviscourt) July 4, 2024

It’s nice that people stood up to defend their freedom of religion and the chamber backed down on this point, but the problem is the entire set of regulations and the very attitude of Coppess and the regional chamber. The most fundamental point of the Declaration of Independence, the signing of which July 4th is a celebration, was to establish a government that would protect the rights of every citizen to express his or her opinions freely, whenever they want, not regulate those expressions. To quote Thomas Jefferson’s words:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed — that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

It is not the place of any government, whether it be a president, congress, legislature, town council, or tinpot regional council, to forbid any expression, merely because someone had complained about it.

Moreover, the very policy is wrong-headed. The chamber and Coppess were focused on making sure “everyone feels welcome and respected” but in the process they were endorsing the heckler’s veto. Under this framework, if instituted year round all someone has to do to could get an opinion banned would be to simply complain about it.

This concept of making “everyone feel welcome and respected” is right out of the Marxist DEI handbook, a basic tactic of that oppressive philosophy. If you claim to be one of a certain group of oppressed minorities, you are then forever given the power to control the speech and actions of everyone else, so that you never feel unwelcome or disrespected. What others feel is of no consequence. Their humanity can be squelched and crushed with impunity.

It is not surprising however that the Coeur d’Alene regional chamber bought into this crap. A look at its legislative priorities and the issues it wishes to push politically reveals the chamber to be quite left leaning.

This incident should therefore be a wake-up call for the citizens of Coeur d’Alene. Maybe they don’t want this regional chamber representing them or enforcing any policies on them. Maybe it is time that different people joined it and insisted it push a different, more freedom-loving American approach to government. Or maybe its membership should simply dry up, replaced with a new organization that really does believe in America and freedom of speech.