Isn’t it ironic that a Republican candidate running on a freedom platform participated in a forum sponsored by Baker County Republicans with “rules” that violated basic rights?

I attended a local Republican Party event hosted for candidates for governor where “rules” were enforced: No recording audio/video, no livestreaming, and no voicing of support or clapping until the end. Penalty: eviction; no second chances. Rules were imposed with no consideration to out-of-towners, citizen journalists nor those with disabilities who might want to watch/listen to the event. Candidate McQuisten’s folks were allowed to record and video as “officials” of the event. This twist was not articulated in their “rules.”

To enforce their mandates against “nonofficial” attendees, Suzan Ellis Jones (Republican Party chair/candidate McQuisten’s campaign manager/candidate McQuisten’s mother) had a McQuisten campaign worker actively monitor the room for “violators.” When one was spotted, Mrs. Jones ordered the police called and hometown citizens were threatened with forceable ejection in handcuffs. There was no heckling or boisterous behavior before the police were called; the “violators” were seated on the side wall in the back of the room politely listening to the opening statements. The event became disruptive only after Mrs. Jones summoned the police on peaceful citizens exercising their Constitutional rights at an advertised gathering open to the public.

In an effort to spin this debacle, candidate McQuisten posted on Facebook about the event, further disparaging her hometown citizens and misrepresenting what really occurred that evening. She also claimed that the mandates were common practice, justifying the actions since a few other counties followed the same protocol at their own events.

I am an American. It’s not OK to impose mandates limiting lawful behavior because other counties think it’s okay to violate our legal rights. It’s not OK for a candidate to hide from constituents by imposing such mandates. It’s not OK to impose mandates because a candidate is afraid of differing opinions or her performance on stage with her peers.

No candidate should stoop to these measures to quell free speech. We should elect a real conservative Republican for governor, not an imposter.

Susan Bland

Baker City