GAETZ: Kootenai County is better than this

In February, the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee plans to host a Lincoln Day Dinner that is open to the public and feature former Congressman Matt Gaetz as a guest speaker. While privately organized, this is a public-facing event that reflects on our entire community.

Matt Gaetz did not leave Congress quietly or honorably. He resigned amid intense national controversy while under widely reported federal investigation and congressional ethics inquiries, including allegations involving sexual misconduct and the potential exploitation of minors. These facts are not partisan talking points — they are matters of public record that raised serious concerns across the political spectrum.

Communities are not courts of law, but they are guardians of standards. Due process does not require public honor. It does not require applause. And it does not require providing a platform of legitimacy to someone whose conduct has generated such profound and unresolved concern.

Choosing to elevate Mr. Gaetz at a public-facing event sends a message — whether intended or not — that character is secondary, accountability is optional, and notoriety outweighs responsibility. That message is unacceptable to many families in Kootenai County.

This is not about censorship. Mr. Gaetz is free to speak. But no organization is entitled to community respect for whom it chooses to promote, and no venue is insulated from scrutiny when it opens its doors to the public.

Leadership is shown not only by the voices we amplify, but by the lines we are willing to draw. Kootenai County should draw that line clearly.

We can demand better. And we should

Signed, a life-long Idaho resident.

TOM SANNER
Coeur d'Alene