A Fear-Based Movement…

Dear Editor,

This is a response to Bill Harp’s article titled Why the Redoubt?, which is the final chapter of the Sandpoint Reader’s excellent American Redoubt Series.

Nowhere in Harp’s article was fear mentioned as a motivation for the Redoubt movement. I see fear as the primary motivation for those of the Redoubt.

Several places in the article fear as a motivation is alluded to, e.g., “…larger population densities, environmental concerns, calamitous events, chaos, social unrest, crime” but the word fear was never used.

No one wants to think they are motivated by fear, but the Redoubters clearly are and I see them as fear mongers.

Should there be a “calamitous event” as the Redoubters fear, it is my suspicion that they will not help those who don’t share their values or have not prepared for self-sufficiency as they have. Their reason will be their own first and there is no room for outsiders. They will circle the wagons and not embrace the Christian value of helping the less fortunate. Their mantra will be: “I prepared, why didn’t you?”

Switching gears, I agree with Ben Olson that “Dunkirk” is a great film. What was left out of the film is that the Germans had air superiority and could have easily slaughtered all those on the beach, so why didn’t they? What is known is that Hitler ordered his military not to attack but to let them go.

If you liked “Dunkirk” I highly recommend Kathryn Bigelow’s “Detroit.” Both films have a similar feel and the same matter of fact style. “Detroit” is about the 1967 riots and the murder and torture of three young black men by the Detroit police. I see “Detroit” as a far more important film than “Dunkirk” as it addresses issues that are happening to this day.

Lee Santa
Sandpoint