Fireworks Aplenty Before The Parade

So, who’s your favorite American hero?

George Washington? Abraham Lincoln? The Roosevelts? Ronald Reagan?

All achieved greatness and have many admirers. They also share one other trait: All were politicians.

In fact, you might see participants in Coeur d’Alene’s Fourth of July American Heroes Parade this year dressed as Washington, Lincoln or other statesmen who have left their mark on this country.

But you might not see their modern Kootenai County counterparts marching up Sherman Avenue July 4 - unless they have $300 to spare for the entry fee charged to politicians, six times the regular rate. Or they’re one of 10 lucky “local dignitaries” who had their fees waived.

In a well-intentioned but misguided try to spice up this year’s parade, the American Heroes Parade Committee overstepped by attempting to exclude politicians - possibly the most important category of entrants. The move shows the committee doesn’t understand Independence Day.

Of all holidays, the Fourth of July is a unique celebration of our freedom, civil rights, battlefield success and, above all, representative form of government. Our government, the most enlightened the world has ever known, is run by politicians. Some corrupt. Most not.

Don Donart, the Kootenai County Fire District chief and a parade co-chairman, is right that some residents are tired of seeing politicians use the parade to advertise themselves. But some people probably don’t like to see his department’s fire trucks on display either. Or the Shriners on mini-bikes. Or the DARE fleet.

Curiously, all politicians aren’t equally repugnant to Donart’s volunteer group. The committee waived the entry fee for elected officials it designated as “local dignitaries”: the Coeur d’Alene mayor, city council and Kootenai County commissioners, including Chairman Dick Compton, who’s facing a general election challenge.

Rollin Putzier, Compton’s Democratic opponent, said a politician would be nuts to waste his own $300 to enter the parade and irresponsible to spend his contributors’ money that way. Meanwhile, commissioner candidate Ron Rankin is boycotting the holiday parade.

Both are taking stands on principle, against unfairness.

If parade organizers review their history books, they’ll discover that’s the way this country won independence.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = D.F. Oliveria/For the editorial board