Kootenai County? Liberal?!

The nation is moving toward more liberal attitudes on almost every moral issue.

And on no moral issue is there a substantive swing to the right.

That’s the conclusion of a Gallup poll released May 11, a wide-ranging study that asked about thoughts on 19 issues ranging from gay and lesbian lifestyles to divorce — and even quizzed participants about cloning animals.

On almost every key matter of conscience except abortion, Americans said they are more likely to accept liberal values than they were just a generation ago.

But here’s a shock: There is compelling anecdotal evidence that Kootenai County is headed in that same direction, though perhaps more slowly.

Surprising as it might be, that was the opinion of three experts in human and societal behavior interviewed at length by The Press.

Each reacted without surprise to the nationwide results. They suggested that Coeur d’Alene and its immediate neighbors would fall into the same general pattern — but made a fairly clear distinction between Kootenai County and the rest of North Idaho.

The national polling, meanwhile, was crystal clear.

Since these same issues were initially addressed by Gallup in 2001, acceptance of gay/lesbian relations has jumped from 40 to 63 percent; having children outside marriage was up from 45 to 62 percent; unmarried sex, from 53 to 69 percent; divorce, from 59 to 73 percent; and even something as socially distasteful as pornography was found slightly more acceptable (30 to 36 percent).

Americans seem intractable on the subject of abortion, however, which was deemed permissible by 42 percent of the population at the turn of this century and has remained basically unchanged at 43 percent.

“I think those numbers are pretty much what you’d expect,” said Josh Misner, a communications professor at North Idaho College who has an educational background in theology.

“These issues are now considered the norm, rather than something outside the mainstream. Basically, the goalposts have been moved in terms of our overall attitudes.”

So what about locally?

Kootenai, Shoshone, Bonner and Boundary counties — the region generally considered as North Idaho — have Republicans in all 12 state legislative positions.

“I would consider Kootenai through a different lens than the other, more rural counties,” Misner said. “And I think you have to separate attitudes from actual voting.

“I really feel that if we had higher registration and turnout — say, 60 to 80 percent of eligible voters — this actually would be a fairly centrist county. But at the moment, younger and more progressive voters aren’t turning out, while older and more conservative voters will cast a ballot every time.”

Fr. Roger LaChance, pastor of St. Pius X Catholic Church in Coeur d’Alene, clearly approached the matter of society’s values from his faith’s generally conservative viewpoint — but LaChance conceded that even Catholics are more open-minded about things like birth control (accepted by 91 percent of the population in the national survey).

“We believe in respecting the sanctity of life, from conception to a natural death,” LaChance said. “Catholics, like a majority of the people in this area, are not going to change positions on abortion or assisted suicide.

“And while we may not approve of relationships outside the traditional union of man and woman, we’re taught to love all our brothers and sisters. It’s also just a fact that alternative lifestyles are now legal and accepted by many more people, so naturally we will see more of them — and they will be welcome.

“One thing we have to bear in mind, though, is that becoming more and more open to various issues can be a slippery slope.”

LaChance actually was the first of the three respondents to point out something that younger residents might not remember.

“This area used to be a bastion of liberalism,” he said. “It caused the church heartburn over some issues, believe me.”

Michelle Lippert, who teaches philosophy at NIC and has been active in Democratic politics for years, recalled the region’s liberal days with fondness.

Like Misner, she cautioned that she could only speak for herself and not the college — but said she sees hope on the horizon.

“Obviously, if you go way back to unions in mining and so forth, that’s one thing,” she said, “but as recently as the 1990s, we had Democrats representing us in the Legislature — as women, on top of it.

“Just a few months ago, I wouldn’t have said we’re seeing any major change back to something like that, but (President) Trump has changed all that, and really helped mobilize an amazing opposition.

“Maybe Kootenai County is actually finding a way back to its liberal roots.”

Lippert was quick to sound a note of caution, however.

“There’s no doubt that the Redoubt movement and other conservative groups have a strong presence here,” she said. “It’s especially true out in more rural areas, but remember that a lot of Californians moving here — even into Coeur d’Alene — are coming specifically because they’re looking for a conservative home.

“Plenty are from Orange County, which is a conservative area, so there is a trend pushing back against liberal views, as well.”

Misner summed up the discussion neatly.

“I feel like the attitude shift is there,” he said, “but the only real way to show true change is through voting.

“When the day comes that young people can vote in national and state elections as easily as they can vote on American Idol, I think maybe you’d see a different face of North Idaho.”

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To see the Gallup poll, go to: http://bit.ly/2qZeC8p