Idaho Dispatch

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Boise City Council Member Says Open Carry is Racist, Ada County Republicans Respond

By • July 6, 2020

Another controversy has arisen from the recent Black Lives Matter – Boise protest that took place on June 30th.

First, controversy arose when the Boise police union and the local Fraternal Order of Police lodge disagreed with Mayor McLean’s assessment that all of the violence came from the counter-protesters. Law enforcement made it clear that people from both sides of the protest were being investigated.

Now, Council Member Lisa Sanchez has made a statement about the protest that has angered a number of individuals and groups.

In a comment on Facebook, Sanchez claims that open carry is a way for white supremacists to intimidate people of color.

You can see the comment for yourself here:

Sanchez is referring to the hundreds of gun owners who were counter-protesting the “Defund the Police” event and many of them were open carrying firearms. Some citizens carried rifles and others carried handguns.

The comment did not sit well with many gun owners, including members of the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance.

Seth Rosquist, the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance Chairman, told Idaho Dispatch,

Every person in America who is not prohibited, no matter their race, can openly carry firearms in Idaho. There are people of every race in Idaho who open carry firearms on a daily basis. Council Member Sanchez’s comments are absurd and the recent open carrying of firearms in Georgia should put to rest any notion that it is racist to do so. She should apologize to all Idahoans for her comment.

Rosquist is referring to a group of black Americans who were in Georgia and openly carried both rifles and sidearms.

The group calls itself a “black power militia” where no white people are allowed to join.

The Idaho Second Amendment Alliance weren’t the only ones who spoke out against Council Member Sanchez’s comment. Rep. Chad Christensen also condemned her statement.

Christensen, who sponsored a bill earlier this year that would have let school teachers carry a firearm to protect students told Idaho Dispatch,

Boise City Council Member Lisa Sanchez is undeniably a racist. I personally open carry a firearm, at times. She must claim to have telepathic skills to know my intent. I carry to protect every innocent person around me, this includes anyone of any ethnicity. The fact that she singles out “white people” is indeed racism and it is absolutely repugnant. I have good friends, who are not of Caucasian descent, who open carry. What is her ridiculous rationalization for those scenarios?

Finally, the Ada County Republicans also asked Sanchez to retract her comments. 

They said in a statement on Facebook,

Boise City Councilwoman Lisa Sanchez has inexplicably chosen to escalate racial rhetoric and tensions in the community she “serves” by suggesting: “Open Carry is a legal way for white supremacists to intimidate the rest of us.” The Ada County Republican Party denounces this type of language. It is a racially-charged statement attacking our Constitutional guarantees of the Second Amendment, and it is inconsistent with Idaho’s Constitutional Carry law that recently came into effect.

Additionally, councilwoman Sanchez recently signed a letter by saying: “Brown woman who chose not to have children for fear of their abuse and murder by white people.” This statement is divisive and sadly just ignorant, especially for a public officer. The Preamble of the Idaho Republican Party Platform states: “We believe in equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, creed, sex, age or disability.” Does Councilwoman Sanchez believe in this too? We call upon City Councilwoman Lisa Sanchez to immediately retract her statements and lead in a way that can unify our Capital City and justify the trust citizens of Boise placed in her. Her racist language is not welcome here.

Idahoans have just celebrated our Nation’s birthday and our shared love of Faith, Family and Freedom. Each year Republicans recommit to those historic and Divinely inspired 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.” We stand on those words and those of our Constitution. Boise’s City Council should as well.

We sent Council Member Sanchez a message on Facebook asking her if she wanted to respond to the Ada County Republican statement.

Sanchez has not yet responded to our inquiry. We will update the article if she does.

Let us know in the comments what you think about Sanchez’s comments on the open carry of firearms being a legal means for white people to intimidate people of color.

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Tags: Ada County Republicans, Chad Christensen, Idaho Second Amendment Alliance, Lisa Sanchez, Open Carry, Seth Rosquist

20 thoughts on “Boise City Council Member Says Open Carry is Racist, Ada County Republicans Respond

  1. Ive never met as violent and hateful and racist group in all my 51 years as BLM. Not welcome anymore. Blacks with integrity dont like it either. The protesters are no longer welcome without armed and non violent counter protesters because all you do is wait until everyone leaves and burn loot and riot. America is done.

    1. Good for you and you’re correct…That is a racist statement BLM-alone is so racist that skin color dictates your attitude. You don’t achieve happiness-freedom, to work hard for that good life with your hand out. Free education for lack of wanting only other people to pay for your life…That is your or your parent’s responsibility…not mine… I scrubbed floors, washed dishes worked 2 jobs and 3 children went to college, and helped pay student loans…get a life…

  2. I never thought Boise would ever elect a public official with these distorted views. Does she now understand the state’s firearm laws do not exclude anyone because of race?

  3. More to this story…she actually ended a letter to the parents of the young man who discharged his weapon (dunce, needs more training!) at a previous rally, with this…”Brown woman who chose not to have children for fear of their abuse and murder by white people.” Read the full, bizarre, letter here: https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/208/boise-city-council-woman-lisa-sanchez-facebook-letter-michael-wallace-gun-protest/277-c88b6387-dbc8-4cbf-b93e-2d9e6158a7fc

    1. The Mayor was Johnny on the spot when she spoke up against counter protesters but has not made a comment that the views of Council woman Lisa Sanchez are not supported by the City. This Council and Mayor need to go.

  4. I find Lusa Sanchez’s comments regarding open carry abhorrent and divisive. As a public servant and elected official i expect more from her. Considering the events that have transpired in the past several months i think it’s appropriate to remove Sanchez from office effective immediately. The gun isn’t racist and neither are many who carry one. Lisa Sanchez obviously has some serious issues with the white folks in Ada County. I hope officials who are in the position to remove her do so without delay.

  5. I would like to know how many of her relatives carry only not openly, they do not want people to know they are armed!
    She is a very self serving person as only minorities can be as everything is against them.
    She also needs to be recalled!

  6. This person is a blight on Idaho. Her attitude is not only self serving but racist and ignorant. People of Boise need to get a set and Recall Sanchez now. We don’t need a racist in power just because we have a commie Mayor.

  7. She’s an embarrassment to the city of Boise. She’s extremely racist and is doing nothing to foster a culture of community, but rather, doing everything she can to divide our community. The people who elected her have no interest in caring for one another in Boise. They’ve decided to work at dividing us by putting her in office. What a shame.

  8. Councilwoman Sanchez has every right to her own opinions, including voicing those same opinions. We’re actually very fortunate that she does as that exposes her for exactly what she represents, racism. There is a very strong undercurrent of opinion throughout the folks here in Idaho, mostly those with little or absolutely no political involvement other than to threaten on Facebook, that those elected to public office are obligated to give up their personal opinions. There are a few that laugh in the face of this thought, unfortunately, very few. Most just listen to what the wind blows in, not expressing anything but approval, this in order to “guarantee” re-election. If you folks in Boise don’t like these opinions expressed out of Boise’s leadership, then do something about it. Next year is an election year for the Council. Nuff said.

  9. I hope Lisa Sanchez is voted out or recalled. Her comments have done nothing to help any commuting and we certainly don’t need people like her stirring the pot. She is the racist here!

  10. Look at that big plate-sized face.

    Just dumb as a rock and responding to incentives. This person should be no where near an official position in a government, or any decision making board that impacts people.

  11. This one is Simple Who voted for this Wack Job? 2 ….Vote her out..this is something to protest..protest to have her resign..who is is wack job to tell us if we can have guns. People wake up..do NOT allow her to make this california….take up a fund to MOVE her to California.. she can lick on pelosi’s ice cream freezer. Get her OUT of Idaho

  12. Hey, Lisa, you’re a PIG! Get out of Idaho and take all your fellow travelers, regardless of race, with you.

  13. I have watchEd the city of Boise deteriorate. It was the safest, most beautiful and quaint city ever in 1995. Now it’s filled with crime, vagrants, empty trashy looking, vacant store fronts, graffiti and people displaying vulgar signs, trash on the streets and people that look like and act like they belong in Portland, San Francisco or Denver. They are trying their damndest to legalize pot and destroy this city. We must not stand by and let it happen. Act now! Get out and tell people you want law and order. Don’t be silenced.

  14. I do not know Ms Sanchez but she obviously does not know the law and speaks on emotions. The law does not exist on emotions. I would challenge this woman to produce a law wherein displaying a firearm constitutes racism. If she has enough intelligence to read and understand the written word she will see racism is absent in this discussion. I suggest she starts with a dictionary to familiarize herself with meanings then a law course to understand common sense.

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