I've had a month to attempt being fearless and I have not, in fact, been…
One Little Word: Fearless, February 2025
What a time to consider being fearless, am I right?
I’ve been thinking about it a lot and particularly over the last few days when I learned about Teresa Borrenpohl being removed from a Town Hall in Idaho. She yelled out several times, maybe to the point of heckling, finally asking, “Is this a lecture of a Town Hall.” She was then told by the Sherriff that she had to leave. When she refused, she was forcibly removed by 3 unidentified security personnel. She was dragged from her seat, pushed to the floor, her wrists were zip tied, and she was mocked from the stage. As she was forced from the room she was mocked and called a “little girl” by the emcee of the event, Ed Bejarana, when he said “This little girl does not want to leave. She spoke up and now does not want to suffer the consequences.”
I am pretty certain that Teresa Borrenpohl was full of fear in those moments. And yet she appeared fearless. She did not back down.
I find myself wondering about the other people who were there. Some reports suggest that no one helped her. Others claim that people came to her assistance, including one man who was also zip tied and removed from the event. Were they fearless? Or fearful?
And what would I have done?
I like to think I would have been fearless and stood up for her. I like to think that I would have rallied others to also rise up and defend this blatant disregard for free speech. I like to think that they couldn’t have stopped all of us. That they couldn’t have removed all of us.
I hope I’ll never have to find out what I would have done in a situation like that. But it’s certainly shed a whole new light on being fearless.
Joining with Kat today to share my progress with my OLW.
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I’m afraid to say that my immediate response might be to put my head down and not say anything. Shameful, yes, but I hope I don’t have to find out. At the school board meeting years ago where they were hearing public comments about eliminating my job (library assistant) I heard so many comments about low-hanging fruit and just reading stories to students (none of which I felt were true) that I went to the microphone and spoke for 10 minutes. I also cried for eight of them because I was so angry, so maybe there’s hope for me at a Town Hall. But I think of you as fearless (even if you’re afraid on the inside)!
The good news about Dr. Teresa Borrenpohl is people have rallied around her after they found out. Last I saw, she has a GoFund Me legal defense fund exceeding $180,000. The better news is the charges were dropped and she can use that money to sue the pants off those men. The security company they worked for was fired and banned from further work for the city for their actions and violating their contract. No word on the gentleman you highlighted, but given how easily you located him and his line of work, I suspect he will also experience repercussions.
Fear comes in many forms and humans experience those differently. You might fearlessly pen an op-ed on a subject you feel passionately about. Someone else, perhaps a former NPS ranger might jump fearlessly into a river to rescue a swimmer in trouble. A sibling or good friend might fearlessly stand between you and a bully. We don’t always know when we’re up to the task, but listening to our inner voice helps.
Wow! I had not heard of this incident. Scary times indeed. We all need to step up to the plate and be fearless!
I think I would have stood up for her. I would have been enraged at the way she was treated. However, I will say that it would have been to her advantage to control her emotions. I think I might have waited until the “emcee”, who was obviously an attention seeking bully, finished with his lecture and then spoken up. Some of my biggest mistakes in life have been made as a result of taking the bait when a bully has the floor. It’s hard to control our emotions in this kind of infuriating situation, but I think it is necessary. I hope she sues the pants off the grown men who manhandled her for speaking her mind. The atmosphere is ripe for obvious misogynistic behavior these days. Thanks for posting about this, Carole. I think it is fearless to do so.
I know you would have come to her defense … you might not be certain, but I am. I truly do see you as fearless. What would I have done? I honestly don’t know. For much of my life, I’ve been a ‘pleaser’ who hates making waves and tries to make everyone happy. In the last few-ish years (maybe since I’ve met you) I’ve been less of a pleaser and more of a ‘do the right thing’ person, but still hate confrontation. I would like to think in that situation I would have come to her aid, spoken out about her treatment, but if I’m honest with myself (and apparently all of your blog readers) I’m not sure. The world is a very scary place right now, and for someone to come to the aid of a stranger, even while agreeing with them 100%, is terrifying. I know for a fact that if it were one of my children who were being dragged out, I’d go down with the ship trying to protect them and their rights. For my children, I will be fearless, even while being full of fear for them.
I hadn’t heard of this incident, either, and I’m ashamed to say that I probably wouldn’t have done anything because I’m a bit of a weenie — but I need to get better at standing up for people and principles I believe in. We should all try to be fearless!
I’d like to knock the man who allowed the security men access to her by vacating his seat into next week! She showed up at a moment when I thought, there will be no stopping all of this… but she gave me hope! I saw a report that the actual sheriff of the county has risen up for Teresa… he listed off a plethora of violations those brutes committed in what they did to her and he would be following up with the district attorney… so maybe justice is coming!
(and what a fantastic fearless example!!)
I tend to think of being “fearless” as . . . not being FREE of fear, but of feeling fear and doing something anyway. And I hope I would feel the fear, but do it anyway in that situation. Because holy moly . . . that is just SO NOT RIGHT.