Silver lining in recall storm

We're looking for a little light in the gloom.

Despite the joyful tidings expressed by some petition gatherers, we don't see the attempted recall of four Coeur d'Alene elected officials as anything but civil war. It pits not only competing political philosophies against one another, but neighbor against neighbor, too.

The recall effort might be legal, it might be democratic, and it might even be therapeutic to some, but there is no question the divide in this community has become clearer, sharper and wider. There is no telling how long it will take for wounds to heal, no matter how the recall bid turns out. It might even take years to fully tally the casualties, from economic impact to the rise or fall of the individuals involved.

Few North Idahoans have remained dispassionate about the recall. Even those who live in surrounding areas feel like they have a dog in the fight, so powerful is their connection to downtown Coeur d'Alene, McEuen Field, Tubbs Hill and the Third Street boat launch - and the parts these pieces play in the plotting of our region's future. Coeur d'Alene is the center of our local universe, and its heart is downtown and the precious lake.

Phase I of the recall effort is about to end. Tomorrow, petitions are expected to be turned in and supporters say they have more than enough signatures to cover the 4,311 required to take the issue to a public vote. City Clerk Susan Weathers will receive the petitions, scan copies and then have the originals delivered to County Clerk Cliff Hayes. By June 19, Hayes will have determined the validity of the signatures. On each page, he'll indicate how many signatures will count. The petitions will then go back to the city by 1 p.m. June 19, and Weathers will have three people adding up all the validated signatures. If that 4,311 target is hit, a recall election will take place unless the officials resign.

If this is a joyful occasion we fail to feel celebratory. But we're looking for a silver lining, and we believe we've found one.

A political conflict of this magnitude has drawn in citizens who otherwise might never have awakened from their civic naps. Because they're interested, perhaps they've spent less time being American Idoled into oblivious bliss and more digging into information on important local issues and decision makers. We know that passion exceeds wisdom with many combatants in this war, and objectivity has been a lamentable casualty. But if citizens become more interested and involved in what's happening around them, maybe the recall could actually be the start of something good.