Lt. Gov Janice McGeachin Accused Of Racism

DO NOT come after Lt. Gov Janice McGeachin and expect her to fade quietly into a corner somewhere.  After posting a picture making the "heart" sign for Todd Engel, showing her respect and support for a man with a 14-year prison sentence that came when standing up for his Second Amendment rights in connection to the Bundy Ranch standoff in Nevada... the fallout has been huge.

The picture was first posted on Janice McGeachin's Facebook page and quickly deleted when the backlash hit.  She's shown with two members of the Three Percenter group who are flashing signs that many now relate to groups associated with white power.  Idaho News released McGeachin's statement yesterday, March 1st...

I took a photo with two Second Amendment supporters who were here to support Todd Engel, an Idahoan who was treated unjustly by the court system for standing up for our fundamental rights as Americans. They were part of a larger group who had come to the Capitol to protest Engel's imprisonment.

I wholeheartedly reject bigotry and discrimination in all of its forms. Throughout my public service, business career, and my personal life, I've always treated everyone with respect and dignity. Once I discovered that a few people had begun erroneously assigning sinister motives which are contrary to my true character, I immediately deleted the post.

The photo was intended to show support for Engel and nothing more. No other messages were intended in this photo. To claim otherwise is ridiculous, and is part of a larger narrative to paint conservative leaders as embracing identity politics.

Since being elected as the lieutenant governor of Idaho I have worked diligently with the business community to help develop a path to increase government efficiencies while improving government customer service to citizens and to help provide more opportunities for our youth to pursue skills-based careers. I look forward to continuing to work for the people of Idaho on these issues and demonstrating how Idaho continues to be the best state to live, work, raise a family, and visit.

While the photo seems a little... uh... interesting, I wonder where we're headed as a society when you can't speak, take pictures, or say hardly anything anymore.  I often find myself in trouble for saying things on the radio that anyone else can say at just about any time but because we have so many listening at the same time, some are offended.  And I'm talking about very mild comments that anyone with a brain would know is NOT an offensive comment.

I rarely share my political opinion anywhere because, quite frankly, I've been told not to.  And I do want to keep my job so I keep my mouth shut but I'm going to share my opinion on this.  We live in America.  This is supposed to be the land of the FREE.  I know it's way more complicated than that but sometimes I think we all make it way more complicated.  Sometimes we need to remember what we're all fighting for.  Maybe, just maybe, we need to simplify and remember who we are and why we're so proud to be Americans.