New Group Forms to Combat What They Call Extremism and Political Violence
By Sarah Clendenon • April 26, 2023A new group is taking shape in Idaho to push back on what they call “extremism” and “political violence.” Idaho Leaders United refers to their business members as “messengers,” and calls on these messengers to help end political speech the group does not approve of. Their website explains,
“ILU messengers leverage their personal and professional networks to speak out against bigoted and violent appeals and remind fellow Idahoans that we are better off when we work together across divides without resorting to extremism.”
Leaders of the group include Tommy Ahlquist – CEO BVA Development, Doug Gross – Gross Farms, Odette Bolano – CEO St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, Bill Shawver – Retired Idaho Air National Guard, Gary Raney – Former Ada County Sheriff, and Cortney Liddiard – CEO Ball Ventures.
In the group’s ‘statement condemning political violence,’ they write,
“…violent political extremism is once again emerging across our state and threatening the safe, secure Idaho we know and love. Extremism poses a dangerous threat to our public safety and civil society.”
Idaho State Senator Scott Herndon (R-District 1) responded to the video saying,
“It is strange that the story featured video of a group of non-Idahoans being arrested in CDA, and then one of the group’s leading speakers issued Democratic Party talking points in which it is claimed that our abortion and minor genital mutilation legal policies are driving legitimate healthcare practitioners out of state. It is pretty hard to de-politicize the rhetoric when your group is all about political rhetoric and polarizing talking points, including opposing Idaho’s current abortion laws and exercising liberal use of the word ‘extremism.'”
ILU’s website invites people to take their pledge, which includes submitting personal information and company/business affiliation.
Tags: 1st Amendment, Bigotry, BVA Development, Extremism, Free Speech, Gary Raney, Hate Speech, Idaho Leaders United, Odette Bolano, Political Violence, Protests, St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, Tommy Ahlquist
44 thoughts on “New Group Forms to Combat What They Call Extremism and Political Violence”
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This is the new, same old, “Quack like a duck” socialist democrat party. They have always had a lock on grassroots organizing mainly because while Republicans are busy, you know, “doing stuff”, these duplicitous liars are busy seducing the gullible and young. That’s why the midterms were such a disaster, and we were fortunate to come away with the House. I live in Oregon and the incredible lack of any real leadership, and the overreaching, authoritarian edicts emanating from the gaping socialist maw of Salem’s Lot of socio-political vampires ought to be enough to warn Idaho’s citizenry to stand united, become active in civics and stay alert, this is only the beginning move of a civil war for your state.
Well said.
Yep…well said !
This group is fascist by nature! In my opinion
The same old people are rearing their ugly heads.
Thank you for your astute observations. No one should assume things are safe here in Idaho. The slow creep of Marxism has been underway for years. Just look at what’s been allowed to transpire during Covid (mandates of many types), the creep of CRT and gender confusion in public schools, vilifying of police (BSU), etc., etc. Patriots and Conservatives are called extremist and as a result discourse and dissent are extinguished. Everyone better look at how your life is being controlled. If you don’t approve, get informed and get active.
The extremism is mostly on the left/Democrats at the moment. It’s extreme to force people to use someone’s made-up language (pronouns, etc.) to deny basic biology (the lie that men can become women, etc), and lose our jobs and have our reputation trashed as bigots and racists if we don’t comply.
Thankfully, I am seeing more and more people waking up to this. Hopefully, not too many people will join what is obviously an extremist lefty group. Their demand for “tolerance” does not include themselves, just everyone else, and the tolerance they demand are extremist views and religious dogma (based on belief not fact). They want kids to be wards of the state, away from their parents, and women to be in constant danger of men in dresses getting access to our bathrooms, shelters, prisons and locker rooms.
They also attack traditional religion and want that done with, because it forms healthy communities of people who don’t buy into their crazy b.s.
Hopefully people can see that the parties/orgs who tell you that Dylan Mulvaney, a 28 year old actor, is really a 12 year old girl, are merely trying to see who will buy into their delusions. Sadly, lots do.
These are not IDAHO Leaders they are an insurgency. Speaking the truth is only branded as hate speech, by those offended by the truth.
To Anger an Honest person, lie to them.
To Anger a Narcissist Tell them the Truth they don’t want to hear.
And so it begins, 1984. The anti violent violence is mind bending. When moral truth spoken clearly becomes extremism, we are failing as a state and country.
Amen and amen!
Exactly! Wolves in sheeps clothing. All about a play on words with the left.
They have a video up on Youtube. It would be beneficial for their comments to be flooded, and their lies exposed…..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUfrKyuDma4
Awful!
Meanwhile, these people no doubt support Antifa, who has been beating up on people all over the country, especially women.
Not Idaho “style” leaders but the ARE Idahoans. Little is lock step with them as are many other long term Idaho natives. IACI has them right where they want them.
I am trying to start a small business and even if I agreed with them I would be squashed to make room for more large business board room companies.
Agree. These people want to censor those who disagree with them. They pretend that they “know better” than the rest of us slouches. They are all bought and paid for by the master propagandists. Which one has ever stood up for the Common Person? This is the classic case of the Masterminds loading over the rest of us. So they think.
Herndon is correct. These are wolves in sheeps’ clothing. They will lie to you with angelic smiles on their faces, to paraphrase Yuri Bezhmenov.
Which “extremism”? I wonder if they’ll be dropping by the Idaho Reddit sub, where “kill all Republicans” and threats of violence are made almost daily on anyone right of center?
Or will it only be what they mention on their website (note no mention of antifa or similar groups):
“Disavow leaders and groups who actively support violent political extremism or known extremists, militia members, white nationalists, and those who condone violent lawlessness.”
The only thing missing in their mission statement is we are Antifa and we aim to silence all that oppose our ideology. Now sit down and shut up as we want to be in charge.
There is the timeline of how we got here
https://inthebible.life/
Psalm 25:14
The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.
Finally, People are stepping up against the ignorant extremism that is the Idaho Legislature, AKA morality police. Sign me up.
Id love for you to step up , sign up, and come try preaching at my front door. Loser.
Or better yet, call your dogs Antifa, so I can show them who’s Boss !
Look I found a member.
HAHA this cracks me up. How cute, alittle group of lefty cowards 🙂
Idaho Losers United formed to tell you what you should say and think…Unapproved speech and thoughts will be judged extremism.
I watched the interview and wonder if the founding members have a severe anxiety disorder. This is nothing more than a strong phobia of fabricated danger. PRN is a network to connect neighbors when there is a neighbor in need. There was, in fact, a terrible error made by a hospital, law enforcement, and government agencies when they mistakenly misdiagnosed and removed a baby from his mother. This is exactly the situation where neighbors should speak up and stand for their fellow man. The people protesting were peacefully standing out on public sidewalks and no laws were broken. No arrests made; baby was returned to his family in record time and all charges dropped because the hospital and agencies were proven wrong. But, St Luke’s enjoyed the pleasure of using local law enforcement to patrol their downtown hospital without a single incident justifying the request. The phobia of PRN and protestors standing on public sidewalks was all it took. This is corporate privilege. St Luke’s used our local government resources for their unfounded fear despite having a large internal security team. If any citizen asked for police to come to their home for fear of protestors arriving at the public sidewalk beside their house, what do you think the response will be? Perhaps the PD wrote it off as philanthropic patrol.
Also, let’s consider Mr Ahlquist’s past reputation of sound judgement. He fired employees for not taking the covid shot because he believed he had the right to do so. He and his HR team applied tremendous pressure on unvaxed employees and harassed them with orders to get vaccinated or be fired. Then, when we look at St Al’s handling of covid and the mass firing of healthcare workers, we again see fear based care. The president of St Al’s cannot honestly believe their discriminatory vaccine policy is not to blame for this healthcare worker shortage. She is going so far as to believe her phobia of a neighborhood networking group is the cause of the worker shortage. Wow. That’s some mental gymnastics.
Alquist’s name on the roster was all I needed to see to know that this group is bad news. He has a long and sordid history.
Exactly. The reason no one wants to work there has nothing to do with citizens petitioning their government and “leaders”. It has more to do with the facade that Healthcare had become under these Fascists.
Great article Sarah. Thank you guys for the information. Maybe I am in a bad mood, or having a rather “extremist” moment, so disregard if it is but what perplexes me , isn’t that groups like this are being created but when I see stories like this and typical of Social media, people comment (mostly without reading the articles) but make statements that really do nothing for the advancement of liberty. Everyone has an opinion but what it seems many of these people don’t seem to realize is that this is a WAR and the goal is to EXTERMINATE you. All one would need to know is a bit of history to understand this but yet, I feel that people still think either “it won’t happen here (even though it is) or that “it is written” or that “well, The rapture will take us out of here?” I would just like to leave a comment for anyone that reads, is not only make sure you are awake but make sure you understand the gravity of the situation and vow like you never have before to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT and not just one thing, make it a continual and growing thing because if you don’t, they will be eating your children. If that isn’t graphic enough, and you are still in your chair, you really are part of the problem to even allow this to happen without being met with the resistance enough to show that we care. In other words “well said” or “”amen” although praiseworthy is no longer enough. Can I gat an “well said” or an “amen?”
Tom, you can. When we moved here we rapidly found out that political groups not based here were moving and financially supporting people here to do what we have been seeing. The Republican Party is trying to push back but I fear that’s not enough. Those who see what’s happening need to overcome politics, get their groups together and just do more, and that includes me. I just read a national article about Old Joe and Millenial’s/GenZ’s organizing to get him re elected. Where’s the Millenials/GenZs here and what are they doing?
Amen
I’m guessing that Ahlquist is trying to beef up his ESG score so he can score some cheaper financing. Funny how they don’t seem to condemn BLM or Antifa’s violence.
Leftists label other points of view “extremist” so they don’t have to have a rational debate. It reflects their own totalitarian mindset.
Once again the leftist Dems smear everyone else, accusing others of what they themselves are doing.
This is nothing more than a Problem-Reaction-Solution team that is charged with launching a Soros style Purple Revolution to convert Idaho into a West Coast Failed State, using the smearing tactics of identitarian oppression politics to scold and bully Idahoans into shutting up when they challenge authoritarian moves like Covid lockdowns and Transmorphing agendas on kids. They will recruit sellout chumps like Tommy Alquist to use their big $$$ to influence our community and play Big Daddy at the table of political discourse. Same Marxist tripe that has been practiced for 100 years!
Look up who they are and BOYCOTT their companies, hit up where it hurts.
THIS IS TOTAL B.S. REMEMBER THESE NAMES AND WATCH. DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND VOTE ACCORDINGLY.
Reread the names of this group of anti liberty, proven freaks…..Mitt Romney would be so proud.
So the most powerful rich people in Idaho are being bullied? That’s not how bulling goes. The biggest guys in the room do not get bullied by the little guy. Notice almost all of the leaders of this group are hospitals CEO and owner? This is just cover for what St. Lukes CEO Chris Roth is doing by suing Diego Rodriguez & Ammon Bundy.
Isn’t Tommy Alquist’s cabal the ones who supported ultra left-wing Arkoosh for AG? Tommy Alquist has had many nefarious goings on to weaken Idaho and the GOP.
They got Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, Utah, now its time to destroy Idaho the push is on.
What I’ve realized about people that use the term bigot. If you use this term often there is a good chance you are probably are bigot, or influenced by one. I use the term only to try and point this out to people. This might be tough for some people to read. I try and say this gently so that people that use it can realize they are actually using hateful words. Those that use it you are doing the very thing they are accusing the word describes. Its incredibly ironic. If you are one of these people I’m willing to give you a benefit of that doubt that you didn’t realize this. If you realize it now great you are amazing.
There are other words that are now used for counterfeit compassion words like equity. Equity is counterfeit compassion that is actually unfair. Social theft by the majority is still theft. Equity is being marketed as a good thing but its manipulating human compassion with counterfeits.
If you use equity or bigot or many of words in the new terminology. Hope people can see through manipulation. Using hateful speech like bigot is polarizing and its demeaning of people.
Give people more benefit of the doubt, have real compassion for people and realize even if some position is wrong they may change their mind in the future. You might also change your mind in the future on something important.
For those trying to help people see through today’s prevalent manipulation and lies. We need to use kindness, patience, and persuasion and help people see through the manipulation and lies. Peace in the future is dependent on many peacemakers with a ton of patience.
This group needs to be stopped dead in it’s tracks, defunded and prosecuted.
Good ol’ boy Tommy with his solutions which include???
But what is the CEO of St Alphonsus doing adding her name to this dumpster? Aren’t they in the “red” financially? Seems inappropriate when St. Al’s had record profit from covid funds.
Looks to me that the “money grubbing” crowd is at it again.