On January 6th, 2021, I finally overcame my personal resistance to using the term “fascist” versus just plain old authoritarian when describing local MAGA extremists. Fascism is generally regarded as a political movement promoting extreme nationalism and the supremacy of a single cultish leader, Donald Trump for example, over the individual.

Trump doesn’t wear a uniform which may explain why he seems more authoritarian than his fascist role models, a la Hitler, Mussolini, or Franco. While authoritarians prefer a passive, compliant and obedient electorate, the riot attempting to overturn an election using fake electors was a decidedly fascistic, mobilized, and militaristic action. (Admittedly it was a poorly executed military action, even comical if it weren’t so sad, but a militaristic fascist coup attempt, nonetheless).

Bearing all that in mind and in light of the fact Coos County elected, (by a very narrow margin), a January 6th insurrectionist to our county commission and the interminable attacks by local right-wing media on the houseless, LGBTQ+ and other made-up boogie men such as “furries”, fascist is the appropriate term to define groups like Citizens Restoring Liberty and media like Coos News and a local radio show.

Whereas a liberal democracy supports individual rights, open political dissent and competitive elections, extreme nationalism is undeniably anti-democratic. Fascists believe in the supremacy of certain communities of people defined by their race, religion, ethnicity or even their sexuality. The Holocaust didn’t just exterminate six million Jews, the Nazis eliminated five million gays, Roma itinerants and people with disabilities they considered inferior.

Local businesses have every right to support fascist media speckled with hate speech with their advertising dollars. At the same time, consumers, particularly those members of trans and gay communities have a right and a need to know where it is safe for them to shop.

Geddry revealed a list of businesses supporting the fascist Coos News. Four of those advertisers have since cancelled their association with the publication. At least three of those four were genuinely appalled by the content of the May issue, in particular its stance on book burning and its false portrayal of the North Bend School District.

According to a source, Diane Rich, the publisher of Coos News repeated her lies about litter boxes in school restrooms and sexually deviant children hissing and scratching at fellow students on a local radio program. The host openly associates with militant organizations like The Oath Keepers and Proud Boys and sympathizes with convicted traitors, including Enrique Tarrio.

Geddry, along with Oregon’s Bay Area will endeavor to develop and maintain a list of safe businesses and at the same time provide a caution list of businesses that may share the same values as the publisher and radio host mentioned.