THE PRESSURE WORKED!

On September 4th, Eagle Brook Country Club was presented with 1030 signers to the petition to withdraw Stewart Rhodes (founder of the Oath Keepers) event from their facilities.

Since Monday, Sept 1st, community members made it known by signing the petition, calling the Country Club and elected officials, picketing respectfully and telling friends and neighbors that they believe that Rhodes would contribute to division, harm, and the spread of extremist rhetoric. They believe that the Club risks aligning its reputation with ideas that undermine the safety and well-being of our community.

The Eagle Brook Country Club listened.

Here is our statement on our Facebook page:

We presented the petitions from our Stop Stewart Rhodes from Speaking at Eagle Brook Country Club in Geneva campaign to the general manager of the Club. He accepted them and informed us that the Rhodes event had been cancelled at their facilities and that the Three Headed Eagle Alliance will not be holding its meetings there in the future. The conversation was polite, respectful, and carried out with sincerity and graciousness.

We Can Lead Change, Fox Valley Activists, Indivisible Fox Valley Rising, and HIKE Indivisible Elgin joined forces—backed by the energy of their members, supporters at the rally, and online submissions. Together, through respectful picketing, phone calls, and community pressure, we made our voices heard.

Did we silence someone’s right to speak? No. Stewart Rhodes will still find a platform somewhere with the Three Headed Eagles, the extremist group that invited him. What we accomplished was ensuring that our local Country Club would not be the place where extremist rhetoric was legitimized. Our community spoke up—and the Country Club listened.

Are we part of “cancel culture”? No—we are part of a long tradition of people using peaceful pressure to protect communities and stand up for what’s right. For centuries, groups have pushed businesses and institutions to rethink harmful decisions. And it’s not just us—right-wing groups have pressured coffee shops, parades, Senators’ intelligence briefings, Kennedy Center events, and even academic research into shutting down. The MAGA people use "cancel culture" as a bullying tactic - but they have closed down an enormous amount of events.

Pressure works—and it has always been part of civic action.

A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who stood up, spoke out, and applied pressure peacefully, lawfully, and respectfully.

You made a difference. Together, we made a difference.

This is the text of the petition:
We, the undersigned, respectfully call on Eagle Brook Country Club to withdraw its invitation for Stewart Rhodes to speak at your facilities.
By offering a platform to an individual whose views and actions we believe contribute to division, harm, and the spread of extremist rhetoric, the Club risks aligning its reputation with ideas that undermine the safety and well-being of our community.
It is important to note that Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, was convicted of seditious conspiracy for his leadership role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and was sentenced to 18 years in prison—the longest sentence handed down in connection with the insurrection. Although his sentence was later commuted, his conviction stands as a stark reminder of the danger he poses.
As a valued community institution, Eagle Brook Country Club has the responsibility to foster an environment that promotes respect, safety, and inclusivity. We urge you to reconsider this decision and stand with the broader community in rejecting extremism in all its forms.