Our next stop was at the Coeur d'Alene police department for a talk with Chief Scates about Saturday morning and about the megaphone and other items. We wanted to make it absolutely clear that we had no intention of fighting with the police. Irv told Chief Scates that he wanted to try and stop Butler from ever arriving in Coeur d'Alene and that we planned to demonstrate on the following morning in front of the Aryan compound.

Irv then informed Chief Scates that we had learned of a press conference that Butler had called at his compound for the next morning at 11 a.m. Irv continued, telling Chief Scates that the two of us planned to silently demonstrate across from the entrance to his Aryan stronghold by holding up the JDL Never Again banner. The chief advised us that we would have to consult with the Sheriff's office about that and offered to arrange to have someone meet with us within the hour.

We asked if Idaho law allowed us to carry a firearm openly for personal protection (it was common knowledge that Butler's henchmen all carried AK-47s, AR-15s and shotguns around the Aryan compound.). Chief Scates advised us that, under the laws of the State of Idaho, we had the right to carry a firearm openly, in a holster, on our hip, or, for that matter, a shotgun or rifle, as long as it was not concealed and carried openly.

One of Chief Scates' officers used a device to measure the decibels of Irv's megaphone and we found that even at a whisper, it exceeded the authorized 65db level. However, Chief Scates interpreted the permit to mean that the 65db restriction should be measured at the nearest residential area which was a considerable distance and virtually removed the megaphone restriction.

Chief Scates then graciously led us to the Sheriff's office with his personal vehicle (it was after 5 p.m.) so that we wouldn't get lost. At the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office, we were met by Lt. Thomas. He invited us into a conference room where we were to talk with him and another officer.

We exchanged greetings, shook hands. The lieutenant asked me if I had a tape recorder and I assured him that I did not. Irv then advised him of our plans to walk down to the Aryan compound in the morning, just prior to Butler's press conference, and hold up the JDL banner (a 6' x 3' white and blue cloth which read Never Again and had the JDL logo and the words Jewish Defense League beneath the logo).

We also advised the Lieutenant that we planned on carrying openly displayed firearms for our own protection. He said nothing except to ask me what kind of firearm I would be carrying, and I advised him that it would be my duty weapon, a 9mm Beretta. We then informed him that we had rented a automobile and asked him to record the type, color, and license number so his deputies would know who would be driving toward Butler's compound for our own safety. We had knowledge of previous armed confrontations between Butler's armed nazis and law enforcement at the entrance to Butler's fortress and that we were not going to be there to provoke anything, only to show the press that we were opposed to racial hatred.

The following morning, Irv and I were up early. We strapped on our ballistic vests, our sidearms, took our 12-gauge shotgun, and drove toward the nazi stronghold so we would be in place before the news media began arriving at 9 a.m. for Butler's press conference. As we approached within about a half mile of the entrance to the compound, we were stopped at a Sheriff's department roadblock. That roadblock consisted of eight Sheriff's patrol vehicles (one was a K-9 unit), and ten or more deputies.

Because we had met with a Sheriff's department lieutenant the previous afternoon and had provided him with the information on our vehicle, what weapons we would be carrying for our own protection, we anticipated no problems whatsoever. The deputies knew that it was our intention to only silently demonstrate across from Butler's compound so the members of the press and the electronic media would see that we were standing up for Jews and minorities everywhere, to show the racists that we would not be intimidated. What happened next was startling.

We approached the roadblock and stopped. We were immediately approached by a half dozen uniformed officers with their hands on their weapons. They knew who we were because they addressed us by our names. One of the deputies approached Irv on the passenger side and Irv informed him that we had cleared it with his lieutenant to walk down to the Butler compound and stand outside for the press conference. The deputy said that the plans had changed. As he neared the door, he shouted, "They've got guns!" (Of course we did; we told them that we would). Next, we each had three officers on each door. I told the deputy on my side that I'm an officer from an adjacent state and that my duty weapon was on my right side. He was kind enough to allow me to reach for my wallet to show him my identification. He took my driver's license, which was normal procedure, and a deputy took Irv's driver's license in much the same way, and we were told to keep our hands where they could see them (while they checked for wants, warrants, and the validity of our driver's licenses).

I lit a cigarette and was smoking while we were waiting. I allowed the ash from my cigarette to fall outside of the window (two thirds of the cigarette remained and I was still smoking). I was then immediately confronted by a deputy who said "one more ash out of the window and you are under arrest! Do you understand what I'm telling you?" (Well, so much for professional courtesy.) After their dispatcher informed them that we were not wanted criminals and that our driver's licenses were both valid, they removed us from the vehicle.

We were then told to keep our hands up and both of us were then given a complete body search for additional weapons. The weapons that we had (that were in compliance with all Idaho state laws for being carried openly) were taken from us and were placed in the trunk of our vehicle. One of the deputies removed all of the cartridges from the magazines of the pistols and threw them on the floor of the trunk. We were then told not to approach the trunk of the vehicle under any circumstances and were told that we could not leave our vehicle on the roadway and that we were not to be allowed to walk past the roadblock, which was protecting the nazi compound.

I saw a patch of level ground and asked a deputy if it would be legal if we parked off of the roadway and stayed at the roadblock and held up our banner. The deputy conferred with a sergeant who was behind one of the vehicles and we were then told that we would be allowed to remain at the roadblock.

Irv Rubin and I then stood at the roadblock and proudly displayed our banner. Many of the local residents were turned back at the roadblock and were visibly angry. One young man shouted at the deputies,"Don't you think this is overkill?" Many of the local residents smiled and waived to Irv and me as they passed by. As the press vehicles left the nazi press conference and exited through the roadblock, they each found a parking area, some a quarter of a mile away, and walked back to interview us, to get our impression not only of the press conference, but of the police protection afforded the nazis and the massive cost to the taxpayers of Kootenai County, just to keep two Jews from holding up a protest banner across from the Kootenai County's version of Berchasgarten. Worth the expense in equipment and overtime? It is very doubtful. We were also told by members of the press that there was a similar roadblock on the opposite end of the highway. I guess it was a good expenditure of the taxpayer's money to protect the Aryan Nations and the KKK from two 50+ year-old Jews.

Where was the equality guaranteed by the United States Constitution under the First Amendment? The nazis and their racist and terrorist supporters and companions could parade down the main streets of the city of Coeur d'Alene to spread their message of ethnic hatred, but two old Jews could not hold up a banner on the shoulder of a county highway. Equality under the law? Yes! Under the letter of the law? NO! -- in the application of the Constitution and the guarantee of the rights of the people in Kootenai County!!! THE NAZIS HAVE CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTION IN NORTHERN IDAHO; JEWS HAVE NONE. (Was it only coincidental that the deputies were wearing brown shirts, or was it not?)

We stayed in the hot sun, on the boiling blacktop, while law enforcement watched from the shade of the trees that lined their side of the roadway. Around lunchtime, Lt. Thomas, a fine gentleman, ordered one of the deputies to provide Irv and me with some cold punch. It was wonderfully delicious and deeply appreciated. We remained until the last of the media had left naziville and had stopped to talk with us. Oh, by the way, many of the reporters that stopped to talk with us told us that Butler had nailed down an Israeli flag in front of the entrance to where Butler held his press conference. We were told that the flag had been obviously spat upon, and that in order to enter into the press room, the Israeli flag had to be walked upon. However, most of the journalists that spoke with us, told us that they did their best to avoid trampling upon the flag of America's allies.

Irv and I left the roadblock and drove back to town, still in awe of the deprivation of our first amendment rights. We were afforded no right to peacefully assemble in front of Butler's nazi stronghold. We were denied our right of free speech and expression by displaying our banner in front of the nazi sanctuary. We were harassed because each time a reporter wanted to look into the trunk of the vehicle to see that our right to bear arms had been usurped, a deputy was directed to open the trunk; we could not. Why, even my pocket knife with a bottle opener and screwdriver had been taken from me and thrown into the trunk. Were we in America? Perhaps not, but I know that we were in Kootenai County, Idaho!