Vote! It’s Your Civic Duty

Kootenai Journal’s October Special Edition has everything you need to know about NIC before voting in the 2024 general election.

Editorial 

Over the course of the last four years, I have watched myriad events unfold at North Idaho College. For those who watched it all closely, it has been a case study of injustice. Every manner in which a person or group can deal unjustly with another has been on full display. This includes behavior by faculty, staff, trustees, alumni, management, the accreditation agency, state education entities, attorneys, students, city council-members, local media, the courts, political activists, and community members.

Honestly, it’s exhausting. Who has time for so much drama? What happened to acting justly and dealing honestly with your fellow man? This is not how responsible citizens behave, and it certainly isn’t an example we want our children to emulate. Read Micah 6:8 if you need a refresher on what God requires of us.

To make matters worse, the community’s paper of record published misleading articles, opinions, and editorials about the circumstances and individuals at NIC. From my perspective, this lack of journalistic integrity and questionable editorial discretion caused further harm to our community.

Irresponsible reporting is a disservice to the public, and those who participate in disseminating false narratives should be ashamed of themselves. Such a fraud is a serious breach of public trust.

The October 1, 2024, Kootenai Journal Special Edition publication is meant to provide a comprehensive overview of the past four years at NIC. Voters who are well-informed will feel confident to cast their ballot in all three NIC Trustee races. The previously published three-part series on The Accreditation Saga at North Idaho College is included, as are several other articles highlighting important matters. Readers can find additional articles and opinion pieces about NIC at https://kootenaijournal.com/category/north-idaho-college/

This publication will not endorse any candidate for elected office, as that is not the proper role of a community newspaper’s editorial board. My job is to seek and report the truth, minimize harm in how the information is presented, and act independently. My passion is to provide an education in civics, which is the study of the theoretical, political, and practical aspects of citizenship, as well as its rights and duties.

A well-educated and informed citizenry engaged in local civics is what holds our Republic together.