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But Sayler’s comments did little to change the tenor of the debate, and Harwood’s resolution 
affirming Idaho’s sovereignty won easy approval in the Republican-dominated House. Harwood’s effort left some people shaking their heads. Political scientists said Harwood’s description of the U.S. as a confederacy is dead wrong, and a longtime Kootenai County human rights activist criticized Harwood’s use of the term. “It’s a very offensive term for minority communities in our country, like African-Americans,” said Tony Stewart, a board member and co-founder of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations, and a retired political scientist at North Idaho College. “That whole term refers to the period of slavery”/Betsy Z. Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Do you agree with state Rep. Dick Harwood and some of Idaho legislators that the United States is a “confederacy”?
D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.
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Fishwife on March 24 at 8:40 a.m.
Is this the same idiot who made the “squaw” comment a couple of years ago? And to think this imbecile leaves near the CDA Indian reservation. Republicans should be condemning this moron-not embracing him.
Duffer on March 24 at 8:47 a.m.
Harwood and former Congressman Sali must have the same gene line! Both are an embarrassment to our State.
Joker on March 24 at 9:36 a.m.
I can’t believe the Idaho House bought what Harwood was selling. When does slavery make it’s comeback?
Cabbage Boy on March 24 at 9:42 a.m.
Get a grip people. The word means slavery no more than the phrase, “Frankly I don’t give a damn.” I think more properly, Harwood meant,
confederation: a union of political organizations.
If the Fed Gov wants to get radical in its power grab, they should expect many states to start pushing back. Obama and the Democract congress are becoming reckless in their disregard for the constitution whereas Bush and his bunch were merely brazen.
Aliasjax on March 24 at 9:50 a.m.
While this may be a slight misadventure on the part of Harwood, I agree with Cabbage…the states have to start drawing some lines in the sand and pushing back…the Fed Gvmnt is operating well beyond its supposedly limited powers. Read the Hayeks’ “Road to Serfdom” again…it’s prophetic.
Check out an easily understood illustration of the “Road” here:
http://mises.org/books/TRTS/
Arch_Druid on March 24 at 10:28 a.m.
Harwood doesn’t seem to learn much from history. “Confederacy,” the right of a state to secede from the union during a time preceding and up to the civil war on the basis of slave states wanting to keep laws permitting the ownership of slaves to remain intact. The civil war initiated by REPUBLICAN President Abraham Lincoln was to inform the rebellious states that we are in fact one nation.
Now I have a question for those who agree with Harwood, just how much of that “too much gvt” has been money in the pocket by way of earmarks and etc. for the state as a whole or various represented districts? If Harwood wants to cut Idaho off from membership in this U.S., then he is also going to have to figure out how he plans to pay for infrastructure repair and etc. on the backs of people who also can’t afford to even pay their taxes based on a lack of jobs. The man, excuse the French, is a fool.
OfCoffee on March 24 at 11:03 a.m.
Although I don’t go as far as Harwood in his view of federalism, I do think the federal government has swung too far in its powers. But to imply that his use of the term “confederacy” implies the Confederate States from the Civil War is ridiculous and overtly politically correct.
Arch_Druid on March 24 at 11:23 a.m.
OfCoffee, Harwood doesn’t have a “view of federalism.” And there has been only one time in the history of this nation when states were in rebellion—a confederacy—and it had to do states keeping rights to own slaves intact. It has nothing to do with P.C., rather historical fact.
Federalism as known historically, is to have a strong central gvt. Harwood’s “opposition to a strong central gvt” has nothing to do with federalism. And declaring states in this union to be a “confederacy,” is to make the demand that they can secede and become “independent,” for what ever reason, esp. the state of Idaho. But without recognizing that Idaho has often been the beneficiary of the same largess of that far too large fed. gvt. Which is why I say again, if Harwood doesn’t want Idaho to be part of the 50 states, he’d better figure out how Idaho (a sovereign state) survives without that federal largess. Given the fact that the jobless rate, and therefore the inability to pay taxes, is now on the increase.
Digger on March 24 at 12:45 p.m.
@Fishwife - Yes, Harwood is on record for using the term “squaw”. He also took heat a couple years back for saying during a committee meeting that the state needed to “Jew em’ down”.
Aliasjax on March 24 at 12:59 p.m.
Arch, relax. America has a long history of confederation, i.e. The Articles of Confederation. Confederation and confederacy are synonomous in context.
“Confederacy” can also specifically refer to the Civil War and the Confederate States/Army. It’s all about context.
I tend to agree with Cabbage, Harwood likely meant the former, not the latter; however, given the pejorative connotation that is so easily arrived at by the use of the word “confederacy” all in favor of this stupid proposal should use the word “confederation” or “republic” or “Federalism.”
The only possible value I see in this proposal is people looking into the expanded role of the Federal Govmnt into every aspect of our lives and asking, “Is this the way things should be?”
toadman on March 24 at 1:21 p.m.
“Obama and the Democract congress are becoming reckless in their disregard for the constitution whereas Bush and his bunch were merely brazen.”
Did you just imply an IMPROVEMENT over the last administration, Cabbage?
;-)
poke.. poke…
Also, nice usage of the new term “Democract” in a sentence.. TEN POINTS TO RAVENCLAW!!
GaryIngram on March 24 at 1:29 p.m.
Is this the same Sayler, whom our local bloggers voted as the most effective legislator? The Sayler that Betsy reports above nobody listened to during the debate?
cantyoureadthesigns on March 24 at 2:20 p.m.
The United States has not been a Confederation or a Confederacy since The Constitution was ratified which established a more centralized form of government, a Democratic Republic (“If you can keep it”).
Harwood likely knows this but he’s pandering to fringe elements, so called States rights activists, many of whom are racists and militia types.
That’s also why he uses terms like “squaw” and “Jew ‘em down”.
Fishwife on March 24 at 2:45 p.m.
Earth to Harwood..Earth to Harwood. Add to your important things to do list: 1. Read Preamble to U.S. Consitution. 2.Revive the Dred Scott decision. 3. Further alienate CDA Tribe. 4. Open confederate flag stand at next Paul Bunyan festival.
Dennis on March 24 at 2:54 p.m.
Gary Ingram on March 24 at 1:29 p.m.
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Yep Gary,,,, the very same guy. His (Saylers) problem was he wasn’t able to “Dumb Down” his rebuttal enough to get their attention.
northidahonative on March 25 at 10:44 a.m.
If the United State is a “Confederacy”, then Idaho must be a “confederacy” of Counties, does that mean that North Idaho can finally secede? That’s been a popular idea for natives for 100 years now, the last effort to do so I remember was back in the early 70’s when Boise sut down the “houses of ill repute” in Wallace, there were a lot of “North Idaho Secede” bumper stickers displayed back then. Now would be a good time to push for it again.