By DAN FAGAN

Those who view America as a vile racist and oppressive nation are not interested in hearing otherwise. Challenge them. Go ahead and try. You’ll see what I mean.

They demand you see it their way. If you don’t? You become the problem. You become racist and oppressor.

It’s an arrogant posture. Agree or you’re evil. But that’s how the cultural Marxists roll. They’re opinion tyrants. And if they gain power, they become more than opinion tyrants, they become full-blown tyrants.

Kimberly Waller’s an opinion tyrant. She works in the nonprofit sector and is currently director of Sultana, the Foraker Group’s fiscal sponsorship program. According to Waller’s LinkedIn page, she’s also the CEO of an organization, Women’s Power League of Alaska.

She posted a 1,752 worded open angry letter to me on her Facebook page on Wednesday. Waller didn’t like my recent Must Read Alaska column: “Saying America is systemically racist is a destructive lie.”

My column challenged the take of most speakers at the “March on Anchorage” Labor Day rally at Townsquare. One after another made the case that Alaska is a deeply racist state. I disagree.

“Your claim that racism fundamentally doesn’t exist in our state is an area in which I simply must enlighten you,” wrote Waller.

The most common denominator among social justice warriors is the confidence they hold in their beliefs. They own the truth. If you’re lucky, they’ll enlighten you. But don’t ask questions or challenge their ideas in any way. Just listen, accept their truth. Otherwise, you’re a racist.  

“Your piece was so over the top that I had to take the time out of my night to share a few truths with you. Yes, truth! I know you are one who believes in the concept,” wrote Waller.

I do believe in truth and it’s my contention the truth is America is not the deeply racist country Waller and her fellow social justice warriors claim it is.

“You attacked the speakers, who – in your words “complained repeatedly about America’s embedded systematic and structural racism”. Sharing = complaining for you?”  wrote Waller.

She then goes onto complain about the widespread racism in Alaska.

“Racism lives on running trails, on playgrounds, in schools, in downtown Anchorage, in the MatSu, online, in our damn private driveways, on the job – right here in the beautiful state I call home,” wrote Waller.  

Waller also challenged my belief the only way to reach true equality where all have the same is to redistribute wealth, take away freedom, reward bad decisions and punish good ones.

“You show your true face, writing ‘equality for all…is impossible without stripping us of our freedoms.’ Who is ‘us’? Are you speaking in code? You should know, “we” (aka “other”) can read code,” wrote Waller.

And there it is. The accusation you knew was coming. Challenging Marxist wealth redistribution is a racist act in and of itself. But it’s undeniable different decisions produce different results leading to inequality. Good decisions – good consequences. Bad decisions – bad consequences.

“Are you saying only wealthy (do you really want to say white??) people make “good choices” – and have rightly acquired their fortune through all of their “good choices”?” wrote Waller.

And there’s the “racist under every bush” prism in full display that typically drives social justice warriors like Waller.

Waller received glowing reviews from her followers praising her for having the courage to write such a thing. The bubble Waller lives in was secure as she enjoyed accolades from her like-minded Leftists.

But then I shared her open letter Facebook post on my page with the caption: Thoughts..  Some took issue with Waller. Social justice warriors don’t cope well with resistance.

“Dan you’re soliciting thoughts in regard to this? Do you have your own thoughts, formulated on your own?” posted  Waller.   

As the day rolled on Waller grew increasingly impatient with my lack of response to her open letter.

“Dan Fagan you’re a coward – hiding behind your computer, from a land far far away, sending random folks from your page to mine to post hate / conspiracies. You need backup? Do you need a lifeline? Aren’t you a writer, a journalist? You have your First Amendment rights but your words don’t come without a consequence. How does someone like You, residing in New Orleans,  as I’m told, come to have a platform where you’re marginalizing the very feelings experiences of ALASKANS?! How do you feel it’s in any way conducive to the art of your craft (using “craft” loosely) to “report” so negatively and with such ease on an event in which you were not present, and target the peaceful people who were there – but leave out the fact that those same people were subject to intimidation for gatherings peacefully. WITH THEIR CHILDREN. Is this world we’re supposed to just swallow and accept. How can you justify? You cannot! And neither can your employer. You’re sharing “news” which is inaccurate, hurtful and wildly biased – about a place you don’t even live. Do you have children? Do you care?  Enjoy your paycheck hope it’s worth it,” wrote Waller.

Such is the life of an enlightened, joyless, angry leftist, full of rage, indignation, judgment, and utter contempt for anyone willing to challenge their view that America is a deeply racist nation.

The woke mob will settle for nothing less than silence, compliance, and obedience. It’s why they’re winning. People are afraid to stand up to them, challenge their rhetoric.

It’s time to stop being intimidated.

Dan Fagan hosts the number one rated morning drive radio show, weekdays between 5:30 to 8 am on Newsradio 650 KENI. He splits his time between Anchorage and New Orleans.   

By CRAIG CAMPBELL

Civil liberties and representative government are dying in Anchorage, being taken away by despotic elitists determined to ruin our city by instituting progressive laws destructive to a healthy and safe community.  

I submit as evidence Assembly member Meg Zaletel’s Ordinance #2020-80.  Her ordinance proposed a series of restrictions on the Anchorage Police Department (APD) to provide “restrictions and limitations on APD Officers use of force in response to resistance in the Anchorage Municipal Code”, blah…blah…blah.

As my grand-dad would have said “Suffer’n cats…What blather.”  

As a result of public outcry and a strong Back the Blue demonstration at the assembly chambers on Aug. 25^th, the ordinance was postponed indefinitely. 

Don’t for a minute think she has backed off on regulating our law enforcement officers from the political diose.  This is just a bait-and-switch approach by the Assembly to get the same results using a different method.  In fact, her next attack has an even more onerous objective.  

Word is, Zaletel is going to introduce a resolution that directs proposed changes to APD policies and procedures be reviewed by the Public Safety Advisory Commission (PSAC).  

Any PSAC recommendations would then go to the Assembly Public Safety Committee for adoption.  Take a guess. Yes, Zaletel is on the Assembly Public Safety Committee.  

Bingo, in fact it is a “committee of the whole.”  I guess this just makes it easier for the Assembly to erode any opposition by having drawn out day meetings by the “committee” and wear down any opposition, before bringing to the Assembly for approval.  I’ve seen this trick used before when I served on the Assembly. 

But you say, it’s just a resolution, not an ordinance, so no big deal. 

Hogwash!  Under the municipal code resolutions can be directive. This resolution is just a backdoor approach to reaching the same goal that was offered in AO 202-80 to set up a process for the Anchorage Assembly to control changes to the APD Policy and Procedures manual.  

And to rub salt in the wound, under municipal code, a resolution does not need a public hearing.  Our comrades on the Assembly can implement this process without hearing from you.

Anchorage has one of the finest police departments in the nation, with the least amount of corruption and fewest number of bad-actor officers.  It is one of the most transparent in existence, dedicated to protecting our community from bad stuff.  If you don’t believe me, go to the APD web site and check it out yourself.  Their Policy and Procedures Manual is available on-line.  

As I have previously asked…What problem are you trying to fix, Assembly member Zaletel?   

Zaletel has provided zero examples of excessive use of force by APD.  As a person who has never served in the military or in law enforcement, she wants to regulate a well-run department with imprudent restrictions after having “community conversations in recent months about law enforcement in Anchorage.”   

Let’s honestly discuss what she is trying to accomplish with her past ordinance and forthcoming resolution. She is dog-whistling to the progressive Left that Anchorage can be taken over by Marxists, starting with constraining law enforcement.  

Anchorage must never become Portland, Oregon north.  

If you don’t believe me, go back and look at the news from Aug. 25, 2020 where protesters against the police (wink, wink), in red shirts, with red flags (sort of reminds me of the Communist red of the Chinese and former USSR flags) demonstrated at the Loussac Library supporting her ordinance.  Her sinister actions are clear and must be defeated!

“Political power, properly so called, is merely the organized power of one class for oppressing another.” ― Karl Marx

This is no game, folks. The radical Left is trying to fundamentally change our government.  Hand-cuff the police, restrict the Second Amendment, curtail Freedom of Speech to only speech the Left approves, and finally establish a “one think” autocracy based solely on their values, not the collective values of the community.  

Local elections are as important as state and national elections.  Assembly members seriously interested in improving law enforcement should ride with the police during routine patrols (I did), listen to the officers on the street, and open a conversation with APD Chief Doll and the senior leadership of APD to learn ways they can positively contribute to improving our community by supporting our police officers.  

Please stop trying to fix something that ain’t broke.  This shameful attempt to over-regulate and micro-manage APD by the Assembly must be stopped and those Assembly members supporting it should be removed, either by recall or at their next election.  

Craig E. Campbell served on the Anchorage Assembly from 1986 to 1995 and as lieutenant governor in 2009-2010. He was chief executive officer of the Alaska Aerospace Corporation and achieved the rank of lieutenant general (Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs), major general (Air National Guard).

By DAN FAGAN

Too many believe our nation is fundamentally unfair, oppressive to minorities, and raging with racial injustice. That belief was on full display as hundreds gathered for a March on Alaska rally at Town Square in Anchorage on Monday. 

Speakers complained repeatedly about America’s embedded systematic and structural racism. Even race baiting and hard Leftist politician Mayor Ethan Berkowitz got in on the act. 

“In this community, as we seek to overcome structural racism, we are doing things to dismantle. We are putting forward an office of equity and justice so that every day there will be an opportunity for someone to get up and make right the wrongs that have for too long festered,” said Berkowitz. 

Based on those speaking at the rally, if this were your first day in Anchorage, you’d get the impression the city was rife with racial tension and full of backward bigots.  

“I see racism every day in Anchorage. It’s so real. It doesn’t look like how it looks in the Lower-48 but that doesn’t mean it’s any less not real. It’s here,” said community activist Jasmin Smith.  

It’s true we often find what we look for. If we look for a racist under every bush, we’ll eventually find one.  

What would an “Anchorage is a racist town” rally be without some old fashion leftist virtue signaling from race-baiting politicians? 

“For as long as I am chair of this Assembly, we will continue working together in solidarity to fight systemic racism, said Assemblyman Felix Rivera. 

But where is this systematic racism Berkowitz and Rivera want to change? Where, codified in any federal, state, or city law, is there preferential treatment based on race. It doesn’t exist. Systematic racism is a term the Left and their lapdogs in the media have repeated so often, it’s become accepted as reality.  

The woke Labor Day rally also featured Matt Schultz, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Anchorage. Shultz, who often writes columns for the Anchorage Daily News, is a man of the Left. He told the crowd those opposing their movement also oppose Jesus. 

“If you speak out against that struggle you speak out against the very gospel of our lord,” said Shultz. 

Who knew Jesus was a grievance minded, victim producing, wealth redistributive, socialist?  

I had Schultz on my show once and asked him about abortion. He refused to take a stand. Typical of Leftists. Even if they claim to be Christians, their Leftism trumps their religion.  

Kevin Magee, President of the local NAACP read a long speech full of Leftist talking points about voodoo economics and the other Democrat causes. Magee compared President Donald Trump to former segregationist and Democrat governor of Alabama, the late George Wallace. He also quoted former South African Bishop Desmond Tutu, a man with strong ties to Communism.   

Speaking of Communism, speakers at Monday’s rally often called for that old Marxist adage, equality for all. 

“We need equality for everyone,” said Alaska Black Caucus President Celeste Hodge Growden. 

But Hodge Growden should realize equality for all, while grandiose sounding, is impossible without stripping us of our freedoms. 

People make different choices resulting in varying consequences. Typically, bad choices bring poverty and good choices bring wealth. Unless you take the wealth produced by those making wise choices and give it to those making poor choices, equality for all is unattainable. 

Oh wait, that’s what Democrats are all about. Wealth redistribution. 

Equality of opportunity on the other hand is a laudable goal. The sense that everyone has a shot at the American dream. And they do if they work hard and smart and take risks. Equality of opportunity flourishes when government oversight diminishes, and the free market can do its thing. 

Many of those cheering on speakers spewing their distortions during the Leftist lollapalooza in the heart of downtown Anchorage Monday were most likely unaware most of it was spin and did not represent reality.  In fact, most of the speakers probably didn’t realize what they believe to be true and were promoting isn’t.  

It’s a shame so many believe America, Alaska, and Anchorage are deeply racist places. They are not. The opposite is true. 

And it’s a destructive lie. If people believe they can’t compete and succeed because of the color of their skin, it breeds hopelessness. The race-baiting leaders and politicians are breeding hopelessness, whether they realize it or not. 

Dan Fagan hosts a radio show weekday mornings on Newsradio 650 KENI.