The documentary “The Fire Next Time,” a chronicle of two years of conflict in the Flathead Valley, will be seen by audiences nationwide July 12 and 17. …
Patrice O’Neill said her initial interest in the Flathead Valley was piqued by the Project 7 revelations, when the arrest of Project 7 leader David Burgert in February 2002 led to the exposure of an alleged plot to kill local government leaders.
Over the two-year course of the filming, the filmmakers were drawn to KGEZ radio owner and “The Edge” talk-show host John Stokes, who said at one point in the film that environmentalists were “destroying America.”
I saw this documentary. Talk Radio “host” John Stokes is a vile human being. He spews hate; he foments hate; his is the face of hate. At one point, he says he supports a recall of local government officials only because “we don’t allow assassination in this country.” The look on his face, his tone, said clearly that he disdains that fact — that the country would clearly be a better place if he could just kill the problem-makers. Horrifying.
It is very important to recognize that this guy and his followers call themselves “conservatives” and “patriots” and all of their many enemies “liberals”. I’m not saying he represents conservatives. I’m just looking for conservatives to repudiate the evil in their midst with half the condemnation they direct at liberals. Guys like this will happily split this country into warring factions. What are you going to do about it? mjh
P.O.V. – The Fire Next Time | PBS
With beautiful Flathead Lake at its center and Glacier National Park 30 miles to the north, the valley’s 80,000 residents host over two million visitors a year…. [It is also a] flashpoint in the country’s running battle between the forces of economic development, environmental activism, and anti-government extremism. …
A radio talk show host regularly called for the “eradication” of “green slime” while broadcasting the addresses of local environmental activists. …
[A] shadowy terror group called Project 7 was discovered with a cache of arms and a hit list of local government officials, police officers and their families. …
Everyone agrees things took a sharp turn when failed political aspirant John Stokes came to town, bought local radio station KGEZ, and began hosting a daily talk show that was, for some, a breath of fresh air ? and for others, a hateful and threatening voice. It’s the unapologetic Stokes who sponsors burnings of green swastikas, and who blandly disavows any hateful intent while broadcasting the home addresses of environmentalists, calling them “the enemy.” …
“We knew going in that what was disturbing the Flathead Valley involved some of the most critical issues facing the country today,” says director/producer Patrice O’Neill. “What we also discovered was a striking example of modern talk radio polarizing the political atmosphere, and just how high the stakes are ? for our whole political system when conflicts like this erupt in growing communities.”