Letter to the Editor
by James Johnson of Sioux Falls
The Coeur d’Alene Press editorial board’s sudden concern for free speech and civil liberties is as selective as it is hypocritical. When 31 of us were arrested in June 2022 in Coeur d’Alene, there was no outcry from these same voices. There were no hand-wringing editorials about constitutional rights, no calls for law enforcement to exercise restraint. Instead, we were vilified and subjected to a prolonged legal ordeal that drained time, money, and reputations—all for merely assembling in public.
Now, in 2025, we see a stark contrast. Teresa Borrenpohl disrupted an event, was repeatedly warned, refused to comply, and physically resisted removal. Unlike our situation, she committed an assault captured on video, and her disruptive behavior was openly admitted by her to the press. Yet, instead of condemning her actions, we are told that she should have been accommodated, that public decorum no longer matters, and that Sheriff Norris failed in his duty by enforcing order.
Let’s be clear: neither Teresa nor anyone else has the right to disrupt an event at will. Just as we were expected to abide by the law, so too should she. If we were dragged through the legal system for far less, why is she being treated as a well-paid unaccountable martyr?
Chief White’s newfound reverence for the First Amendment would be refreshing—if it weren’t so glaringly inconsistent. Where was this staunch defense of our constitutional rights in 2022? The selective application of legal principles and media outrage exposes an undeniable double standard.
