Are Paramilitary Extremists Being Normalized? Look To Idaho For Answers

After a false rumor circulated that Antifa agitators were coming to Sandpoint and nearby Coeur d’Alene to riot and loot businesses, armed vigilantes and Second Amendment supporters gathered in downtown Coeur d’Alene. This alarmed some of the residents.

Kirk Siegler / NPR

At first glance, the picturesque resort town of Sandpoint, Idaho, on the banks of Lake Pend Orielle can feel like an escape from all the troubles of 2020.

That is, until you talk to frontline workers who deal with the public in this mostly rural, pristine region of forests and beauty near the Canadian border.

At Bonner General Health, Dr. Morgan Morton recounts a patient she had the other day who wanted to wait until after November to schedule a needed procedure.