Idaho senator from Illinois screams at Native American from Idaho: "go back where you came from"

A Republican Idaho state senator told a Native American candidate to "go back where you came from" during a bipartisan "meet your candidates" forum in the Kendrick yesterday.

When an audience member asked Senator Dan Foreman if discrimination existed in Idaho, Foreman said no, reports Boise State Public Radio.

Democratic candidate and member of the Nez Perce tribe, Trish Carter-Goodheart, was at the meeting and when it was her turn to speak she disagreed with Foreman. That's when Foreman reportedly lost his temper. Carter-Goodheart described her account of what happened in a statement:

Last night, I entered what should have been a respectful and constructive public candidate forum. Instead, I was met with hateful, racist remarks from State Senator Dan Foreman, who screamed at me to "go back where you came from."

The question on the floor was about a state bill addressing discrimination. One of the candidates responded, claiming that "discrimination doesn't exist in Idaho." When it was my turn to speak, I calmly pointed out that just because someone hasn't personally experienced discrimination doesn't mean it's not happening. Racism and discrimination are real issues here in Idaho, as anyone familiar with our state's history knows. I highlighted our weak hate crime laws and mentioned the presence of the Aryan Nations in northern Idaho as undeniable evidence of this reality.

That's when Sen. Foreman lost all control. His words to me: "I'm so sick and tired of this liberal b*llsh*t! Why don't you go back to where you came from?!"

I stayed. I stayed because I wanted to show our community that I can, and will, handle difficult, unpleasant situations. After the forum, several members of the crowd came up to me and offered their support, apologizing for Sen. Foreman's behavior. But it's not the people in the crowd who need to apologize.

I need to thank the women who stood with me against this hate: Representative Lori McCann, Kathy Dawes, and Moscow City Councilwoman Julia Parker. You had my back when it mattered, and I appreciate your strength and solidarity.

What happened last night was a reminder of why this election matters. I am a proud member of the Nez Perce tribe, fighting to represent the land my family has lived on for generations. People like Dan Foreman do not represent our diverse community, and I will continue to stand against the hatred and racism they spread. Our state deserves better. Our community deserves better. We deserve better.

According to reports Boise State Public Radio, "Foreman has a history of angrily confronting people in public, and shouting profanities."

As you might expect, Carter-Goodheart was born in Lapwai, a city in Nez Perce County, Idaho, while Foreman was born Lake Forest, Illinois, over 1700 miles away. No one told him to go back to where he came from, because they aren't hideously racist assholes like he is.

Previously:
Racist robocalls from an Idaho Neo-nazi group plague Floridians
Idaho law lets your boss sue you if you get a better job