10-day cease fire on disagreements

You can’t escape toxic politics in the USA.

But you can temper the toxic part, which is the simple request today.

The North Idaho State Fair finally has arrived, its gates opening to all today through Aug. 29. Yes, that’s 10 days for the first time in the fair’s history, so let’s all do our best to make them as enjoyable for everyone as possible.

You want controversy? Then let’s argue about what’s better: A melt-in-your-mouth elephant ear or deep-fried Oreos. We can fuss about vaccines and presidents another time, another place.

Unless your pulse finds pleasure in rides that take you upside down at the speed of fright, these next 10 days are supposed to be pressure relievers. From large, odd-shaped vegetables to floppy-eared bunnies, there’s so much to embrace that takes us back to our agrarian roots — to simpler, more agreeable times.

Sure, there’s lots of top notch entertainment, but can we agree to enjoy what we like and leave others to simply enjoy what they like?

Can we use the excuse of having desperately missed this wonderful late-summer tradition a year ago to put our differences aside now, assuring a successful 10-day run with tens of thousands of satisfied customers? Can we express some gratitude to the Fair Board and to General Manager Alexcia Jordan, her amazing team including volunteers, rather than grumble or gripe about what we might perceive as too much of this or too little of that?

Yes, there will be political booths, but that doesn’t mean they should be lightning rods for angry folks from the other camp. Rather than engage in confrontation or insult slinging, how about we just smile as we pass the patrons of partisanship? Blue ribbons should be reserved for anybody from one side of the political fence who crosses the line to shake the hand of someone on the other side.

There’s nothing like a fair because it really does offer something for everyone. Let’s celebrate what’s good in our lives right now, and leave everything else out in the parking lot.