HATE IN IDAHO

 My letter to the Lewiston Tribune in response to the editorial, “This is who we are: Idaho is not too great for hate” (here) was published on Sunday, May 3, under the title, “Feeling Betrayed.” I’m sharing my letter below:

My issue with Idaho hate involves the corrections system. On December 10, 2023, my son Milo Warnock was murdered while incarcerated at the Idaho State Corrections Center, virtually kicked to death by his demented cellmate. I don’t hide the fact that Milo was a DUI offender who struggled with bi-polar depression and addiction. I do say that he received a harsh sentence and was subsequently harshly disciplined at the prison over an issue with his medication.

Life goes on. I’m used to the fact that Milo is gone, but every day I struggle to rationalize how prison staff (Idaho State employees) could look the other way while this middle-aged, non-violent individual was threatened, harassed, and finally murdered. Not that my family’s longevity in Idaho matters – I have the same rights (or lack thereof) as any other citizen – but as a native Idahoan whose grandparents chose Idaho as their home 130 years ago, I feel betrayed. No one apologizes. The lack of support for change is disheartening.

 What can we do to bring about a more enlightened society for the benefit of all? Basically, the only thing that matters in life is the way we treat others, but there’s little any individual or organization can do if our legislative, executive, and judicial branches don’t care. KW