Op-Ed: Civility in the North End

By Lynn Bradescu • June 13, 2025

The following Op-Ed was submitted by Lynn Bradescu. Op-Eds do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of those at the Idaho Dispatch.

The North End is one of Boise’s most beloved neighborhoods. It’s charming, walkable and historic, a community of people with diverse backgrounds, values and visions for the future of our city that preaches inclusion and respect for all.

Unfortunately, that respect was missing in a recent post by a North End Neighborhood Association board member, who described fellow residents as “Christo-fascist nationalist MAGA zealots” and warned of a plot to “replace the board.” This kind of language isn’t just inappropriate — it’s dangerous. It shuts down conversation, fuels division and puts a target on neighbors simply for holding different views on land use, property rights or governance.

Neighborhood associations should welcome all voices. When board members resort to name-calling and ideological hostility, they betray the purpose of public service and fracture the very community they’re meant to serve.

No one benefits from a culture of fear and slander — not progressives, not conservatives and certainly not our neighborhood.

The North End deserves leaders who rise above tribal politics, who listen with humility, and who work across differences toward shared goals. That’s the spirit of a true neighborhood — and it’s time we reclaimed it.