Opinion: Self-Reliance is What Makes Idaho Great

Maybe it’s due to a depressing football weekend for some.  My usually verbose Facebook connections didn’t have much to say when I asked a question.  What makes Idaho great?  More people clicked “like” than actually offered a response.  Hey, it’s possible they couldn’t come up with a serious answer.  It certainly wasn’t Boise State football. 

The responses I did get, though, were quite positive.

"Because being respectful of others is a code of honor here, and political correctness is a non-issue,” wrote one woman.

“I have an ability to have a voice in my life,” said one man.  He’s a California transplant and happy he’s no longer a subject of Left Coast values.

Another California transplant explains he spent 67 years there, then convinced his wife Idaho would be better.  They never looked back and are very pleased.  He also notes he doesn’t get harassed because he carries a sidearm.

Getting back to our first response.  Yes, you can respect others and still not be politically correct.  You can be nice and not walk on eggshells.  It’s more a libertarian vibe.  “Don’t tread on me,” isn’t a threat.  It simply states if you don’t mess with me we’ll be OK.

These are the things the coastal elites don’t quite understand.  A few days ago I read an essay about flyover country and its sense of pride.  The elites claim we vote against our own interests.  We vote against government handouts is what they really mean.  There is a notion among people in the center of the country that if we raise our kids to expect a constant government lifeline, then we’re doing them a disservice.

Over the weekend I was grocery shopping and had a 20-minute chat with a prominent local businessman.  His kids are all successful.  As he explained, they were assigned chores from the time they could walk.  It set expectations.  By the way, he’s also a California transplant.  It does appear we’re getting the Left Coast’s best.  We can pray it stays that way!