With Independence Day looming on the horizon, I’ve decided to fully exercise my freedom of political opinion today… No apologies to anyone.
A couple weeks ago I took my annual “Serenity Retreat” to Hailey, Idaho. My trip, planned months in advance, happened to land me smack dab in the epicenter of the political controversy over US Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s release from the Taliban-aligned Haqqani in Afghanistan.
In case you missed it, after five years in captivity, Sgt. Bergdahl was exchanged for five Taliban prisoners being held at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay on May 31.
And almost instantaneously, the heretofore peaceful ambience of Hailey, Idaho, was unalterably shattered. Broadcasting trucks representing CNN, CBS, FOX, and several other national and smaller news affiliates arrived overnight to set up camp outside Zaney’s Coffee House—one of my favorite hangouts in Hailey, which just happened to be where Bergdahl was employed prior to being shipped out.
Of course, I knew all about Bowe Bergdahl’s plight from my previous stays in Hailey. It’s a small town, and the community rallied around his cause. Yellow ribbons have been tied to the trees lining the main streets since 2009. Most businesses have had yellow “Bring Bowe Home” posters in their windows for all of the past five years.
But few of the townspeople could have imagined the negative fallout from Bergdahl’s release. The vast majority of protests came from outside the county, but that was a small consolation. Letters, emails, phone calls and texts started pouring in to the newspaper, the town hall, and the restaurant where Bergdahl worked.
Some were furious that the President had “negotiated with terrorists” without Congressional consent. (Presidential prisoner exchanges have been authorized since the time of George Washington.) Others said Bergdahl was not a hero, but a deserter. There were threats made against the Bergdahl family, claiming they were Taliban sympathizers. (One cited the long beard, which Bowe’s father refused to cut until his son was released, as “proof” of their disloyalty.)
The second and third weeks of June I read the Hailey newspaper accounts with rabid interest. At that point in time, we knew nothing—no real facts—yet everyone had their own pet theories about what had actually transpired, both in Afghanistan, and in Washington D.C.
It was the topic on everyone’s lips, in every coffee shop, in every grocery store checkout line, at the gas station, and even in the library (where apparently you don’t need to shush as much as in other town libraries). And while I usually feel peaceful and calm during my June visits to Blaine County, this time I felt an unsettling and deep-seated fear. Who knew what some zealous lunatic might do? The owner of Zaney’s felt the same way, and she closed her business for a few days.
Shortly before I headed home, after the dust had somewhat settled and the media trucks had all pulled out, I ventured into Zaney’s and got my usual cup of coffee, offering my sympathetic support and tipping heavily.
The owner softly shook her head. “I hated to close, but I got a threatening call here at the café from an angry man who said he’d ‘see me later,’ and I just couldn’t risk staying open.”
We chatted a few minutes more, and I commented that she’d probably been tapped for far more interviews than she’d ever imagined.
“Oh, they were just doing their jobs,” she said philosophically. Then her eyes narrowed slightly and her voice became less congenial. “The only one who’s no longer welcome here is Fox News.”
I already knew how “Faux News” had spun the story, and I didn’t need her to elaborate. Not wishing to take any more of her time, I wished her well and went on my way, glad I hadn’t let my fear keep me from supporting one of my favorite little coffee shops.
Maybe next year I’ll find peace and serenity has returned to the beautiful Wood River Valley. I sure hope so.