It’s never a bad time to take a step back and look at the history that shapes, and in some ways, defines us. This week, we had the chance to do just that with the 40th anniversary of the Medina shootout. It’s been 40 years since Gordon Kahl and his ultra-conservative followers murdered two U.S. marshals and wrecked the lives of many others. Let’s not forget that these killers didn’t, and still don’t feel they need to live under the laws of our land.
That’s how the whole shootout came about. There was a group of right-wing zealots that didn’t want to follow the law, and held meetings across the country working to overthrow the government. They were almost always armed and looking for a fight. A fight lead by their leader that could say and do anything, and the followers obliged. Does that sound familiar to you? It should. We all saw an example of it in our nation’s capital on January 6, 2021.
On Monday, I had the opportunity to visit with four local journalists that covered this story 40 years ago from front to back. Jim Shaw, then a reporter for WDAY television, Jack Zaleski, then working for the Devils Lake Journal and later as an editor for the Fargo Forum, Darrell Dorgan, then News Director at KBMR and KQDY radio out of Bismarck, and Paul Jurgens, current News Director at Fargo’s KFGO radio, all joined me in the studio to recall the events 40 years ago. The experience in the room was truly amazing.
The memories of that day, and the weeks and months that followed, are still engrained in their minds, as well as mine. It’s worth your time to watch the video of our conversation on KFGO.com. I also want to encourage you to read the articles that Jim Shaw put together for the Fargo Forum. There’s something there for all of us that think we remember each detail, but quite frankly don’t. There’s also questions raised that still remain unanswered.
The one comment that stuck with me was something Jack Zaleski said in response to our question of why then, and why there. His answer was simply, that it was “inevitable.” It was going to happen somewhere and somehow, and he was right about that. There was bound to be a confrontation and it was more than likely going to be bloody. That’s what Kahl wanted, and in the end, it’s what he got.
The bigger question is, Does that movement still exist here in North Dakota? The answer is a pretty clear yes. It may not be called the Posse Comitatus, but it’s still here. It could be seen as the Proud Boys, or it may simply be a group of radical people that love red hats. They could be supported by a man selling pillows, or maybe a local conservative talk show host, but it’s still out there. For that reason alone, conversations like the one we had on Monday need to continue to take place.
Even if the shootout was 40 years ago.
Good riding with you,
Joel
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