OPINION: In parting, a plea for meaningful dialogue

It’s been a wild five years as chair. As I pass the torch to the next generation of leadership, there’s a lot I could say — so many issues I feel strongly about. 

In parting, I urge both parties to pursue a more perfect union. These are not hollow words, or the simple tagline for these columns. They carry weight.  

Until and unless we are forced to talk to one another respectfully and in good faith about the same subjects, we won’t move beyond the division that causes chaos in our county and our nation. 

Three years ago, the Coeur d’Alene Press began publishing weekly columns by the chairs of the Kootenai County Democratic and Republican Central Committees. Today, after some 150 columns, readers still see Democratic views every Wednesday. And every Friday, they still see views of the Republican chair.

I am assured that the new chair will still be given the opportunity to share the party’s perspective on these pages. 

Originally, I proposed a point-counterpoint format for these columns. My proposal was that each week, the Press editor would pose a new question, and each chair would answer from their own perspective. 

It was my hope that we would have a true dialogue that would inform readers and enable them to draw their own conclusions.

However, I came to understand that the KCRCC insisted on writing a separate column on topics of its own choosing. 

As a result, week after week Press readers see Democrats and Republicans talk right past one another.

Regan’s “Common Sense” and my “More Perfect Union” columns seem to exist in their own insulated worlds. 

In our column, we tell stories about civil rights, an economy that works for all of us, affordable health care, and the rule of law. Our take home message is always that we can become a “more perfect union” if we work together and adhere to American values. 

The Republicans’ columns are very different.

I often hear from both sides of the aisle that their tone is often autocratic, sneering, and paternalistic. 

They portray themselves as smart. But their arguments don’t stand up to reason. For example, Republicans boast about a candidate rating and vetting process that gave us incompetent trustees at North Idaho College, religious zealots on the library board, a blundering county assessor, and a biased and bullying sheriff.

They claim that Democrats, registered as Republicans, try to influence their closed primary election. That’s humbug. We always have, and always will, encourage voters to exercise their voice and vote for the candidate they think is best qualified. Our record is clear. 

The fact is, in 2022 the KCRCC youth chair was caught in recorded phone calls asking Republicans to re-register as Democrats and run for Democratic precinct committee positions — with the goal of eventually gutting the local party. 

These are just a few examples of how a failure to communicate has resulted in misunderstandings, or even outright deceitfulness. 

This failure to communicate damages our public education, libraries, and county administration.

What is worse, we have seen the failure to communicate foster the abuse of authority. In February, during their town hall, Republican elected officials did absolutely nothing to stop the sheriff from an unprovoked attack on one innocent Democratic woman. The entire fiasco could have been avoided by holding a good-faith conversation with a concerned constituent. 

Until and unless we are forced to talk to one another respectfully and in good faith about the same subject, we won’t move beyond the division that causes chaos in our county and our nation. 

We should not have to live with chaos or the fear of being zip tied and manhandled by sheriff’s goons unless we remain silent in the face of nonsense and bullying. That is not the type of society we want. At least I hope it isn’t.

Decades ago, President John F. Kennedy warned us against normalizing this failure to communicate. Just before he was assassinated, Kennedy left us with a hopeful message: “We cannot expect that everyone will ‘talk sense to the American people.’ But we can hope that fewer people will listen to nonsense.”

It is my sincere belief that if people and institutions demand meaningful dialogue, we can at least hope that fewer people will listen to nonsense.

That is how we build a more perfect union.

As I turn my attention to other pursuits, I wish to thank all those who helped me to compose these columns. And the many readers who tell me how much they appreciate my columns. I am in your debt.

I urge you all to go beyond reading. Take action. One day your children and grandchildren will ask what you did to save our democracy during this difficult era. Play an active role in saving our beloved country and our county from its unmistakable drift away from our shared American (and Kootenai County) values.

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Evan Koch is chairman of the Kootenai County Democrats.