OPINION: Democrats disagree differently

Democrats and Republicans handle internal disagreement in decidedly different ways.

The March 14 opinion column by Art Macomber titled “Republicans are doing the splits” illustrated one excellent example of this.  

Macomber wrote about the strife that has divided his party locally and nationally. I do not envy how divided they are. 

In part, he wrote:

“As a KCRCC precinct committeeman, I can tell you that when I brought my pro-Israel Resolution to the February meeting, it took an hour and one-half, an executive session, and three to five members around the table walking out to get the Resolution passed.”

Macomber’s description is in stark contrast to how Idaho Democrats recently discussed the Israel/Gaza conflict.

At our State Central Committee Meeting March 9, the Idaho Young Democrats introduced a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Ours was approved without anger. And its debate brought us together.

Our conversation had tense and emotional moments. Central Committee members, some of them with tears in their eyes, debated it vigorously.

Israel has a right to defend its own security. However, most citizens of Gaza are innocent and deserve to live in safety as well. Moreover, they deserve a state of their own.

American dollars and weapons should not support what experts are now calling a genocidal war.

Russia and Iran caused this mayhem to disadvantage Joe Biden, and Prime Minister Netanyahu wants to perpetuate it to avoid his own legal problems.

These ideas and more found their way into the conversation. Our debate was emotional, but it was always respectful. 

There was no need for powerful players to retreat into an executive session. No one walked out of the room in a temper tantrum. 

And finding consensus took less than an hour and a half.

We recognized that the Israel Gaza situation is complex, that both sides of the argument can be true at the same time, and that it requires a nuanced diplomatic solution.

But the killing of civilians must stop — calling for a ceasefire is the right thing to do.

Our Resolution was approved overwhelmingly. We developed a greater understanding of different views. Importantly, the Young Democrats felt listened to. They felt energized because we treated them as equals, a vital part of our group.

I could not help but recall the decade-long Democratic division over the war in Vietnam. It drove me away from my party for several years.

From this perspective, our current debate was a beautiful thing to witness. It focused on what we have in common and it renewed unity. 

In contrast, the Republicans criticize dissent and demand absolute allegiance. They stripped the Idaho College Republicans and the Idaho Federation of Republican Women of their executive committee voting rights. 

Disagreement is a fact of life in politics. Often, these disagreements are over emotional things that we care deeply about. 

But you can’t just kick people out of the conversation when things get hard. Idaho Democrats know that success relies on disagreeing productively. 

Macomber and I might not agree on much, but I credit him for being right about one thing. The Idaho Republican Party is doing “the splits,” and they are about to tear a muscle. 

Meanwhile, Idaho Democrats open our arms wide to accept all. We harness the power of diversity to our advantage. 

Until Republicans find a way to constructively handle disagreement, they won’t be able to unite their caucus.

Meanwhile, Democrats are devoted to building A More Perfect Union.

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Evan Koch is chairman of Kootenai County Democrats.