Editorial: Beyond the blue jeans

The controversy over Mayor Mike Bordes’ jeans on Memorial Day has run its course.

The letter criticizing the mayor’s attire raised a fair point. Elected leaders should dress with care on occasions that honor those who died for our country. The mayor responded, his critic apologized, and the city moved on. Local business owners even turned the awkward moment into a fundraiser, auctioning the jeans to raise over $1,00 for Operation Delta Dog, a nonprofit pairing service animals with veterans. That should have been end of it.

Instead, more voices are dragging the issue back into public view. They add nothing to the conversation, and contribute nothing to help the city. At some point, continued criticism stops serving the public good, instead becoming a way to keep resentment alive.

We see too much of this today. National politics has become a cycle of personal attacks, old grudges, and score-settling. It leaves no room for common purpose.

Our local government is nonpartisan for a reason. It's a place to solve practical problems, not for culture wars. When we take away the distraction of a wardrobe choice, the mayor’s record shows a clear commitment to the city. He championed New Hampshire’s first social district to boost foot traffic and support small businesses downtown. He supported a new initiative for reserved parking spaces for veterans at city buildings — a permanent way to honor those who fought for our freedom.

Voters will agree with some of the mayor’s decisions, and disagree with others. That's democracy. We should hold our leaders to high standards. We should debate taxes, housing, and public safety. Those conversations move the city forward.

But we need to stop replaying a disagreement over a pair of blue jeans.

The people who turned the dispute into a fundraiser did more than try to clear a negative headline. They repaired a small part of the fracture in our public square. We can do the same by moving on, too.

Laconia has more important work to do.