MY TURN: Social contract fails
Are you troubled by the political climate in our community? If so, you are not alone.
What happens when our social contract with each other fails and civility is replaced by anarchy? We may soon find out since this appears to be the path we are on, most notably on a local level.
Many people moving to our area seem to not respect the work ethic and selfless acts of those who have built a livable community for us all. Disappointingly, the low voter turnout continues to elect theocratic authoritarians into public office. The code word for this bizarre phenomenon is anarchy, where helplessness for the populace is the outcome as law and order are disturbed.
This movement is being driven by ailing egos where the world is seen from only a very narrow black and white point of view. The far-right conspiracy theories propagated by groups like QAnon, far-right darling Marjorie Taylor Green and Nick Fuentes’s America First, has turned politics into domestic warfare where the radicalized prefer to “crush” or eliminate their perceived political “enemies” rather than to work with anyone of a different viewpoint.
If we shut our eyes to the reality before us in the battle between constructive and destructive forces, we will bring forth our own demise. The vicious and dishonest nature of recent candidate campaigns has given us examples and results that are unsettling.
Thinking takes work, which is why many people readily repeat gossip, rumors and disinformation during political campaigns causing unwarranted harm to the reputations of honorable people. It is much easier to wrongly judge another than to search for facts and hard evidence that will discredit lies.
The Devil is a deceiver. When those who are doing good works are presented as evil by those who are unwilling to relate to good-will, the Devil wins and discernment is absent.
Locally, we have come to see how the power-crazed in control at the state party and local levels have sought to transform what it means to be a Republican. The absence of longstanding, conservative key party tenets from Idaho’s current GOP platform sends a concerning message about what the GOP stands for today under their leadership.
When radical actors step in and transform the political process, harm can become the result. KCRCC’s recommended candidates have brought harm once they take office. Republican voters need to re-evaluate their trust in KCRCC’s candidate recommendations in order to support a well functioning society and to encourage basic civility in our community.
Smart people know a mere accusation does not mean the allegation is legitimate. Yet, a lie spreads faster than the truth because it is easier to believe the lie than it is to put in the effort to search for the truth. There is victory, however, through wisdom and critical thinking when discernment is employed. We serve ourselves and our community well when we refuse to embrace a lie as truth without hard evidence to validate the claim. Especially using social media, a lot of lying is coming from the far-right.
A longstanding key tenet of the Republican Party is smaller government. Instead what we see coming from KCRCC recommended and elected officials is a greater imposition of government into our lives. The hypocrisy is blatant. The theocratic authoritarian energy exhibited is encouraged as they gain more control over our lives through increased spending and freedom-depriving legislation.
To preserve the livability of our community, it is imperative the citizens of Kootenai County rise up and come together to adamantly push back at the momentum Brent Regan and his cult-like following has developed. This group employs an emotional appeal in order to elicit your support but then exerts their power over you. They lack a logic-based argument. Their approach incites anger, fear and paranoia in those they seek to exploit through elections. Anyone even partially engaged in local happenings can see this occurring at North Idaho College and through county business affairs.
Our community has been infested by a pathology. Watching this phenomenon occur resembles an invasion of leeches seeking to suck the life blood from their hosts. That life blood is the livability built into Kootenai County by the builders and creators that the destroyers seek to eliminate.
Excluding any reference to political parties, the creators are those who create jobs, meet our survival needs in a broad spectrum of ways and they donate their time and money in meeting numerous community service projects and needs. They willingly work side by side with people from various backgrounds and beliefs to create a safe, economically sound and welcoming place to live.
Unfortunately, the creators are the ones who have become targets for smear campaigns driven by the destroyers. These people seek to take advantage of the livability of our community while at the same time refusing any responsibility for being a valued contributor.
Those of you who obediently vote as the KCRCC recommends are essentially contributing to the loss of livability and civility in our community. In the name of true common sense, I would ask you to seriously consider a paradigm shift in your thinking to help preserve the social contract that makes Kootenai County a great place to live.
Deborah Rose
founding member of North Idaho Republicans
Kootenai County resident
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Deborah Rose is a resident of Kootenai County.