Readers Opinion on Lincoln Days

Posted on Feb 16, 2012 in IDLC Press

Readers Opinion from the Idaho House of Representatives Democratic Leadership

Contact: Representative John Rusche (208) 750-6048; February 16, 2012

As the 61st Idaho Legislature celebrates Lincoln’s birthday, we are reminded how times have changed in this great state. On March 4, 1864, Abraham Lincoln signed a declaration creating the Territory of Idaho. Idaho was created by leaders who on the following values, as stated in the 1860 Republican platform, campaigned:

• “All men are created equal and no person should be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law.”

• “We are in favor of giving a full and efficient protection to the rights of all classes of citizens, whether native or naturalized, both at home and abroad.”

• “Railroad [infrastructure] is imperatively demanded by the interests of the whole country.”

• “The recent startling developments of frauds and corruptions require a return to a focus on the economy and that accountability is indispensable.”

How could a party dedicated to the values described above change so much over the years?  If Abraham Lincoln were alive today, I wonder if he would recognize the Idaho Republican Party. It seems unlikely that he would be supportive of the actions taken by Legislative Republicans who claim to revere and remember him.

Were they remembering the “Great Emancipator” when they refused to even hear testimony on a bill that would have protected Idaho citizens from discrimination?

Were they invoking Lincoln as they voted in favor of legislation that would squelch peaceful protest and the exercise of First Amendment Rights?

Were they “channeling” the great leader when they voted to nullify federal law and set the Idaho Legislature above the US Congress and Constitution?

The irony is unmistakable. GOP leadership in the Idaho Legislature, perhaps rooted in the values of Lincoln at one time, has drifted far from many of the 16th president’s most important principles: the protection of an individual’s rights, support for the infrastructure that helps create prosperity, and the preservation of a unified America.

How times have changed.