An Old Issue Resurfaces

In light of the English-only controversy taking root in Kootenai County, I was amused by a piece of Portuguese history I found in cyberspace. In “Azoreans to California: A Passionate People’s Immigrant Song,” author Robert L. Santos points out that Joao Rodrigues Cabrilho, a Portuguese captain sailing under the Spanish flag, and his crew were the first Europeans to set foot in California. Cabrilho sighted San Diego Bay on Sept. 18, 1542. But that’s not the amusing part. The Spanish government that ruled afterward allowed foreigners to stay in California IF “they would convert to Catholicism, raise their children Catholic and, interestingly, (drum roll, please) not teach the English language.” The Spanish, you see, feared losing control of California, which they eventually did - to the Mexican government in the early 19th Century. As the writer of Ecclesiastes observed millennia ago: “There is nothing new under the sun.”

Edinger needs help protecting McEuen Field

Councilman Ron Edinger went too far recently when he made a motion to limit the Coeur d’Alene library board’s search for a new location to its present site. The library needs to keep its options open. Edinger’s heart, however, was in the right place. Basically, he was trying to protect popular McEuen Field from being carved up. Lake City hasn’t recovered from resort owner Duane Hagadone’s proposal to transform McEuen Field into a botanical garden with the library on the northeast corner, memorializing his late parents. I still wonder how the Coeur d’Alene council would have voted had that Hot Potato fallen in its lap and Hagadone not pulled his plan. The vote would have been close. Maybe the council should seek an advisory vote this November to decide if Lake City residents want McEuen Field protected, once and for all, as a public playfield.

Goodbye, good riddance to Aryan show

Well, there is a silver lining to Ice Storm ‘96, after all. Seems the Nov. 19 blast caused so much damage at Aryan Nations world headquarters, north of Hayden Lake, that Rev’rend Richard Butler had to cancel April’s annual skinhead birthday party for Adolf. Then, pressure from human-rights activists made potential participants uncomfortable. Complained Herr Butler: “There’s no free speech here. The so-called human rights council is going after every free, white Aryan.” But that’s not so. They’re going after every free, white Aryan who preaches the kind of hate that brought Nazi Germany to its knees.

, DataTimes MEMO: D.F. Oliveria’s “Hot Potatoes” runs Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can comment on the items by calling (800) 344-6718 or (208) 765-7125, or by sending e-mail to daveo@spokesman.com.