Late last week Carlos Acosta, the former long-time
leader of the old Latino Coalition in
McHenry County, Illinois, brought to
the attention of the community to that a notorious anti-immigrant group called Main Street Patriots, an amalgam of
old Tea Party types, Minutemen style
anti-immigrant activists, the new alt-right a/k/a Fascists Light, and Trumpistas was planning so-called Spirit of American Rallies targeting immigrants and refugees all across the country.
The only Illinois rally was scheduled this Saturday, March 4, on the Square
in Woodstock at Noon.
On their Facebook Events page local
organizers claim, “We’ll be gathered to support our country and President Trump. This is an event to
support one another; the community; our veterans; and our president. Instead of
hate, we are bringing together peace.”
Their claims to not promoting
hate are belied by the identities of local leaders and the featured speaker, former far right Congressman and current radio raver Joe Wash (not to be confused with the Joe Walsh
of The Eagles.) Walsh you may remember is best known for his
love, kindness, unicorn quotes including:
That the Mexican border should be “secured with moats and alligators.”
After shootings of Dallas police officers last summer, “This is now war. Watch out Obama. Watch out Black
Lives Matter punks. Real America is
coming after you.”
And before the last election when everyone assumed that Trump would lose, “On November 8th, I’m voting
for Trump. On November 9th, if Trump
loses, I’m grabbing my musket.
You in?”
Just
as bad, and maybe worse, are the
local actors involved. Teresa Kopec is listed as host of the event. He personal Facebook time lines reveals a
cafeteria of right-wing lunacies, cheering for the most fascist Trump initiatives, and even allegations that former President
George H.W. Bush ran a ring of pedophiliacs. Can’t make this shit up, folks.
Better know, or at least more notorious are Everet Everetson, the former leader of the anti-immigrant vigilante Minutemen Midwest and his wife Dianne who was a local Tea Party
leader, former County Board Member and
currently a Republican candidate for
the McHenry County College Board of
Trustees where she hopes to smash programs to aid immigrants and compel the College to cooperate with Homeland Security and ICE
agents in snatching undocumented
students, something almost all public Illinois colleges and universities have said they will refuse to do.
Organizers promise other speakers who are sure to be just as hair raising as this lineup of mopes and miscreants.
 |
| The right wing rally will center on the Woodstock Square Gazeebo. Counter-rally participants will peacefullt march around the Square's perimeter and will hopefully far out number those the hear their message of hate. |
In response, over the weekend members of the progressive community swung into action. Ideas were tossed around and eventually a course of action was planned. Folks are making sure that plenty of the popular Hate Has No Home Here placards will be available and Crystal Squires made up Hate Has No Home in Woodstock buttons.
So there is now a Hate Has No Home counter event which has been organized with the participation of Indivisible Illinois Congressional District 14, McHenry County Progressives, LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens), the Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation Social Justice Team and others. Folks will gather around the Square beginning at 11:30 Saturday to be in place by the time the hate rally gets in gear. The hope is to far outnumber those who attend that event and send them and the public an unmistakable message.
Hate Has No Home Facebook event page explains the plan.
This is a counter rally to the Spirit of America tea party rally happening on the square 12pm-3:00pm
We will focus on positive messages, primarily on the idea that Hate Has No Home in our community. If you plan on bringing a sign please ensure they are respectful and positive. No Anti-Trump signs. We want to spread love and peace, not animosity. Stick to signs that highlight your beliefs not signs that are against theirs.
Their rally is taking place in the park in the center of the square. We will be walking counter clockwise silently around the outer sidewalks of the square (note we have to walk, Woodstock has an ordinance that does not allow us to block the sidewalks but as long as we are walking we will be fine). We will not engage them or shout chants. When you first get to the Square go to the Old Courthouse on the north end of the square. Where handing where Hate Has No Home in Woodstock will be passed out.
Our goal is to peacefully show that these Tea Party people do not represent us. We need to show respect and peace. “When they go low, We go high” as Michelle Obama said.
Just a short month earlier on February 4 more than 200 folks gathered on just 36 hours notice to show support for the threatened and endangered LBGT community.
Allies—let’s defend immigrants the way we turned out for that event in Crystal Lake! Let us all—Women; Gays, Lesbians, Transgender folk and those who love them; those of all religions united to standing up for refugees and against a Muslim ban; believers that Black Lives Matter; those whose educations and healthcare are threatened—come together again. Their struggles are our struggle! We will sink or swim together.
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