Political Power

To further contradict the idea that People’s Rights is an “anti-government” network, gaining political and governmental power is part of the group’s program.  They engage political systems to alter them to fit their far-right vision. As People’s Rights Idaho Area 4 assistant, Mario Perea, declared during a meeting when encouraging people to come to a rally for a political candidate, “We claim, and we use, and we defend our rights. In order to defend our rights, we have to get people into these government positions. That is a form of defense because we’re being attacked politically. So we need to fight back and resist politically.”[122] At meetings and online, they’ve supported recall campaigns and candidates.

For instance, on October 1, activists in the People’s Rights Oregon Zone 3 group asked, “Who wants to help get out the vote and make some phone calls? We need to get people hyped up in this election and to VOTE.”[123]

Instead of eschewing government, some leading People’s Rights figures serve as functionaries of political parties. People’s Rights Idaho Area 2 assistant, Heather Rogers, also lists herself as the Legislative District 6 chair of the Idaho Republican Party.[124] Roger Roots is a leader in the Montana Libertarian Party.[125]

Other People’s Rights leaders have run to become the government. Montana leader, Nick Ramlow, is running as a Libertarian for the Montana House.[126] Debbie Westlake, a Montana area 5 assistant, is a Republican candidate in a Montana legislative race.[127] Mark French, a Montana area 4 assistant, lost a Montana state legislative primary earlier this year but is still running as a write-in candidate.[128] Holly Jo Beers, the Oregon 3 area assistant, ran for a Umatilla County Commissioner seat.[129] And Utah area 11 assistant Trevor Wilkerson recently announced plans to run on the Constitution Party ticket.[130]

NOTES

[122] “People’s Rights Meeting, July 30, 2020.” People’s Rights Facebook Group, https://www.facebook.com/111347783870417/videos/699848514197934/.

[123] Reed, Jill. People’s Rights Zone 3 Facebook. October 1, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1186167871747548/permalink/1249765548721113.

[124] Rogers, Heather. Facebook. September 23, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=644013059586849&set=a.109673026354191.

[125] Montana Libertarian Party. “Leadership.” Montana Libertarian Party website. Undated. Accessed October 1, 2020. https://www.mtlp.org/leadership.

[126] Ballotpedia. “Nicholas Ramlow.” Ballotpedia Website. Accessed October 1, 2020. https://ballotpedia.org/Nicholas_Ramlow.

[127] Ballotpedia. “Debbie Westlake.” Ballotpedia Website. Accessed October 1, 2020. https://ballotpedia.org/Debbie_Westlake.

[128] Ballotpedia. “Mark French.” Ballotpedia Website. Accessed October 1, 2020. https://ballotpedia.org/Mark_French.

[129] See Reed, Jill. Facebook. August 15, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3403685246364204&set=ecnf.100001682857927.

[130] Wilkerson, Trevor. Facebook. September 5, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10158637573639860&set=a.10151679761899860&.