Protests prompt racism conversation

SANDPOINT — U.S. Highway 95 Long Bridge no longer holds the throng of high schoolers who carried signs and called out in the streets for an end to police brutality and racism on Tuesday. But, their words echoed in the council chambers at the June 3 city council meeting.

Josh Vulkman is a business owner in Sandpoint. He was one of the many residents who were physically present at the meeting and voiced concern about the state of Bonner County during the public forum.

“I am originally from Minneapolis, my old neighborhood is burning down right now,” Vulkman said. “The conversation that I want to bring up is what we are doing to try and be that voice for the nation.”

Residents addressed a variety of issues related to the protests on law enforcement practice and racism, which has become a larger conversation following the murder of 46-year-old Minnesota father George Floyd. The public outrage following the death has led to both violent and peaceful protests that repel white privilege and unequal opportunities for a white man or woman and a black man and woman.

“I just wanted to remind everyone that the reason that all of this is happening is because of systemic racism and I look around and we are accomplishing that right now,” Vulkman said. “We are not trying to do that, but communities like ourselves have to have that conversation to see what we can do to be the better person. Saying you are not racist isn’t enough. What can we do as a community to open the door to someone coming through and show love and not hate?”

Other residents directed the conversation to the presence of an armed militia at Tuesday’s peaceful protest, questioning the right to bear arms in moments of solitary and assembly of the community.

Northside Elementary School Principal Perky Smith-Hagadone read her friend’s letter aloud to the council, which pointed to the armed individuals in attendance at the protest as “fear mongers.” She said she had complete confidence in Sandpoint Police abilities and said that the presence of weapons undermines the abilities of police officers.

Another resident argued that the presence of the militia provoked fear and this was the first time she felt unsafe in the community, calling forth the assistance of the city to provide a solution to the problem.

Mayor Shelby Rognstad agreed with similar sentiments from multiple residents in Bonner County that spoke at Wednesday’s meeting. He stated that police officers are ordered to handle a variety of situations and go through training that civilians wouldn’t otherwise be accustomed to.

“The difference is that our police officers are accountable to us. They are accountable to the city, to this elected body, to you as citizens,” Rognstad said. “If they mess up, we know who they are, what they did, what they did wrong, there is accountability there. There is a process we can improve so maybe there was something wrong with the protocol. Vigilantes are not accountable … The law doesn’t support them taking law into their own hands.”

Councilman Andy Groat talked to the armed individuals and the high school students at the protest. He defended the citizens, stating that they considered themselves “stewards of inheritance.”

“Some of the ones I talked to were there to protect what they felt was also their town,” Groat said.

And engineer Toby McNeal, who came to listen about the parks updates, felt compelled to speak as well. He advocated for a more logical approach moving forward.

We can understand people being uncomfortable with guns,” McNeal said. “At the same, I am a logical person, and on both sides I hear people seeing statements that are inflammatory and not factual.”

He specifically referenced Rognstad’s use of words such as “unnecessary” or that the people with guns “had not impact on society.”

“I am just saying, everybody, when you make statements that are inflammatory, it causes more dissension than bringing us together.”

Much of the conversation on the protests revolved around the issue of bearing guns in town. Vulkman asked that the council reconsider the priority at hand in future discussions on the violent and racist acts.

“What I am disappointed most about the conversations that are happening tonight is that it’s more focused on the demonstrators that had the rifles than what the message of the protest was,” Vulkman said. “I think that the conversation should be about what we can do as a community to be better, what we want to provide for our future and younger generation. That’s who was representing that last night. That was the voice of the high school kids and that’s so awesome to see, but I just want to bring it back to full circle.”

“I don’t want to give them the front page of the paper because they are not what this is about,” He said. “It’s about the countless others.”

Aly De Angelus can be reached by email at adeangelus@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @AlyDailyBee.