Whitefish, Montana is a small ski-town on a lake near Glacier National Park. Emboldened by the election of Donald Trump which has signaled to many that racism, sexism, bullying, and antisemitism are now acceptable values, neo-Nazi white supremacists have targeted the town’s small Jewish population for some harassment. The Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi website, has called for an armed march through Whitefish to threaten both Jews and the business which they see as pro-Jewish.
In response to the neo-Nazi threats, local business owners hung paper menorahs in their windows. The town’s officials as well as the Montana’s top elected officials have made it clear that threats of intimidation will not be tolerated and that the neo-Nazi message of ignorance, hate, and intolerance is not welcome. The nearby Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes also condemned the threats.
Love Not Hate was a gathering on January 7 to celebrate diversity and take a stand against racism, bigotry, and other forms of oppression. The gathering included music and speakers. The event was sponsored by the local nonprofit Love Lives Here and the Montana Human Rights Network.
The morning started out with -6 temperatures and gradually warmed to above zero. This is, of course, Montana, and a ski town, so cold weather is rarely a deterrent to being outside. Someone said that people whose hearts are filled with hate really need to spend more time outside, more time in the woods and mountains.
All of the speakers talked about tolerance and diversity. While all were very good, the talk by Mennonite Pastor Jeryl Hollinger was particularly moving in that he addressed the racism in our society.
The music was also good. For some of us old folks, it was good to see the second generation getting involved: Halladay Quist, the daughter of musician Rob Quist and Mariah Gladstone, the daughter of Blackfoot singer Jack Gladstone.
It is interesting to note, that as Jack Gladstone sang, the tree next to the performance shelter suddenly filled with birds. It was as if they gathered to hear him sing. As usual, Jack got the audience to join in with him on his songs.
The pictures below don’t being to capture the spirit of the people.
The Crowd
Performers
Speakers