OPINION: Starving for competency

Over the last week, people around the world watched a diverse crew of three Americans and one Canadian travel deeper into space than any human has before. Together, we felt a collective moment of wonder and pride.

The mission put things into perspective for those of us who remained here on Earth. We were reminded that our hopes, fears, and dreams all inhabit the same fragile place.

After returning to Earth, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen said, “What you saw was a group of people who loved contributing, making meaningful contributions, and extracting joy out of that. And what we've been hearing is that it was something special for you to witness. I would suggest to you that when you look [at the Artemis II mission], you aren’t looking at us. We are a mirror reflecting you. And if you like what you see, just look a little deeper. This is you.”

In a few corners of the internet, the Artemis II mission was referred to as “competency candy” — something we are all craving in a world currently deprived of it.

We live in a world where American leadership has blundered everything from domestic peace to international diplomacy. Our president, who campaigned on America First values, spent U.S. taxpayer dollars having J.D. Vance campaign on behalf of Hungarian dictator Viktor Orban while alienating our closest historical allies, like Canada. Closer to home, our squabbling legislators are sinking Idaho into a $1 billion deficit while bickering over bathrooms and the rights of teachers to organize.

Meanwhile, in a cramped shuttle, a Black man, a woman, a foreigner, and a single dad were skillfully unraveling the mysteries of the universe. A room full of women engineers beamed with pride at their shared accomplishments. We watched men openly weep at the majesty of our universe while naming a crater on the moon after a colleague’s late wife.

They weren’t just completing a mission — they were modeling something the American government seems to have forgotten how to do: working professionally together for a common cause.

Americans are starving for competent leaders who inspire us with a love for humanity.

Donald Trump and his administration caught voters’ attention by promising to shake up the world order. But like a petulant child, breaking things without a plan for repair isn’t competency. The popularity of the Artemis II mission makes one thing clear: Trump’s endless temper tantrum has lost its appeal, and we are ready for adults to return to government. The American people want someone competent to tell them the truth from a place of informed authority.

But to permanently satisfy our hunger for competency, we all need to work together as one unified crew.

Mission Specialist Christina Koch said it eloquently: “A crew is a group that is in it all the time, no matter what; that is stroking together every minute with the same purpose; that is willing to sacrifice silently for each other; that gives grace; that holds each other accountable. A crew has the same cares and the same needs. And a crew is inescapably, beautifully, dutifully linked. When we saw tiny Earth, people asked our crew what impressions we had. Honestly, what struck me wasn’t just Earth — it was all the blackness around it. Earth was just this lifeboat hanging undisturbed in the universe. I know I haven’t learned everything this journey has yet to teach me. But there’s one new thing I know, and that is this: planet Earth, you are a crew.”

Kootenai County, we are a crew. We know what we want from our leadership, and this November, we are going to row together and achieve something remarkable.

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Sarah Martin is chairman of the Kootenai County Democrats.