SigMT

ere are powerful forces at work, pushing disunion for fun and profit. It seems most of our institutions want to divide us, and only we can stop it. e national media, hell, the local newspaper, seem to be at war with half its readers. Government and politicians are happy to watch ordinary people fight while they fill their pockets and those of their friends. Our educational facilities survive on our tax dollars, yet our kids are indoctrinated to despise those who fund it all. So many people seem determined to use division, neighbor v. neighbor, to promote their own interests. And only we can stop it. Recently, my wife and I were fortunate to travel to a distant state. ere, we found a giant shopping mall with the largest food court I have ever seen, probably 20 different vendors. e food court offered every type of food you can imagine; ai, Italian, Korean, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, and, of course, good old American. ere's even a Chik-Fil-A. And, as you might imagine, the clientele is as diverse as the menu. And the place is literally teeming with people, scrambling for tables with tray-laden hands while trying to wrangle their kids too (or grandma!). And you know what? Everyone got along swimmingly. e vast majority of the people smiled when you passed them, stepped aside to make room, or offered a hand. And all these different races, cultures, and creeds generally got along just fine. It's not an 'us' problem. On the same trip, we were having lunch in a local cafe. While quizzing the waitress about local aractions, a gal siing across the way joined the conversation. As we chaed about the sights, her husband sat down with her. ey were our age, give or take a few years, and we proceeded to have a friendly conversation about the town and things to see. Oh, and their skin was a different color than ours. It seemed prey apparent that they did not view us as colonizers, white supremacists, or anything other than just another friendly, aging couple enjoying their beautiful city. When we le, we commented that we would, in fact, have done the same thing with visitors to our town. Regardless of race or anything else. As you or I might say, "ey seemed like Montanans." Finally, I recently had a chance to listen to a talk by Honorable Brian Morris, the US District Court Judge here in Great Falls. He discussed that, as the District, including the Hi-Line, he draws his juries from a large and diverse area. Listening to the jury candidates during voir dire (the preliminary examination of a witness or a juror), he knows that these jury pools represent a broad range of people, opinions, races, and backgrounds. Yet, when called together to hear these cases, oen difficult and contentious proceedings, these groups of people can always put aside their differences, focus, and get their job done. ese three anecdotes contradict the narrative being crammed down our throats daily. I fully understand that anecdotes are not evidence. And racism exists, as do other forms of animosity toward others. Yet I am willing to offer that the majority of interactions occurring daily in this nation mirror the anecdotes discussed above more than their opposite. is is especially true for those who remember the adage, 'You get what you give.' If you approach others with a friendly smile, you are far more likely to receive the same in return. So put down your phone. Start ignoring the jerks (I really want to use a stronger term here!) on tv who suggest that Biden voters are all idiots or that people who watched Tucker Carlson are Nazis. Smile and talk with people. (Spend 10 minutes on Twier, and you will learn that so many of our culture warriors are miserable people--in both senses of the word.) Not only will you brighten your day and the days of those around you, but we might be able to move away from the efforts to place us all in warring silos. And, as our Founders understood, if we can talk, we can solve problems, and we can thrive. 96 | SIGNATURE MONTANA Gregg Smith is a local attorney, born and raised in Great Falls. He is a small "L" libertarian with obvious populist leanings. He genuinely likes people of all persuasions, political and otherwise. S MT THE LAST WORD OPINION We Have to Stop Letting Them Divide Us. BY GREGG SMITH It's Not an 'Us' Problem

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