The day after the election, I flew through Sacramento to Seattle, and then onto Kennewick, WA, as the Public Lands Council representative to the Washington Cattlemen’s Association (WCA) annual meeting. WCA had a great convention, working on many of the challenges so many of us face.
Like most of you, I was raised by my dad and mom as a conservative Republican, and still vote that way on almost every issue. I believe in private property rights, strong defense and small government. I understand the complicated relationship in the West where much of the land is controlled by the federal government and, by law, is public land for multiple use, including grazing. My family has grazed cattle in the Sierra Nevada since before there was a U.S. Forest Service, so the issue of public lands grazing is deeply ingrained.
I traveled with my dad between ranches nearly every day when I was small. He taught me the value of hard work and responsibility, but he also showed me compassion for others. He believed more in a hand up than a handout, but his nature was to help people. I remember taking produce from our garden to the “rescue mission for the hobos,” as he called them. I would cringe when he would slow down for rough-looking hitchhikers. Sometimes he loaded them in front, which made a little guy nervous. If I was lucky, they jumped in the back. Whether it was a drink of water, or a couple of bucks, he helped others. It was only when he was in his 80s that we talked him out of the hitchhiker routine!
He would be shocked to see the state of our country today. When did we become so divided that we have to hate people for disagreeing politically?
As I traveled through airports a few days ago, I didn’t see good people and bad people, just people. Old couples holding hands and talking, young couples looking at their phones rather than each other, blue and pink hair, jocks with shirts intentionally too small to show their biceps (still not sure I would hire them to haul hay!), young women in pajamas (!?), Mennonites, Muslims, Amish, glamour girls, families juggling three kids, punk rockers with piercings, and two cowboy hats—I was one!
Everyone was polite, respectful and navigated security with a smile. Just people. We didn’t talk politics, and I don’t know how or if they voted. But my guess, if they did vote, it was for what they thought was best for them and their community. We assume there is some big overarching issue, and there is for some, but it is mostly personal. The price of fuel, food, insurance, healthcare. If the economy is strong, the status quo wins. If not, well, we saw the result.
Between the algorithms on social media, and cable news networks, both sides have decided that if we don’t agree, we are enemies. Social media feeds you information (often false), to get clicks. The model is designed to divide us—the more you click, the more extreme it becomes. That is disheartening and it is easy to fall in the trap of hating others. Our current crop of politicians, on both sides of the aisle, don’t help.
I love the stories of President Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill, speaker of the House, from decades ago. O’Neill was one of the most powerful politicians in the country, elected to serve in the former seat of John F. Kennedy. Reagan and O’Neill fought like hell for what they believed and were tough on each other all day. They were both of Irish descent, with great senses of humor, and became great friends. At 6 p.m., they turned off the animosity and enjoyed each other’s company. They would have a whiskey and play golf together. When President Reagan was shot, the first person to go see him besides family was Tip. He kissed Reagan’s forehead and recited the 23rd psalm.
With our divided country, can you imagine that happening today? And yet, my trip through the airport reminded me that when we don’t live in algorithms or wrap ourselves in social media bubbles, we might remember that we are just people who can fight for what we believe but not be hateful.
Unfortunately, I’m not sure we will ever return to a less polarized time, but we can try to do better as individuals. Fight for what you believe, and it’s OK to have strong opinions, but don’t hate others simply if you disagree. Name calling isn’t appropriate in little kids, so why do we tolerate it from our leaders?
I’m not looking forward to the next two years of complete dysfunction by leaders who are more interested in appearing on cable news for self-promotion. I know there are some good people in Congress, but it seems the approach of social media and cable news is to appeal to the worst extremes. I would venture to guess there is 80% of the country who can agree on many basic things. But the current model rewards the loudest voices and insults to their fellow man.
I only hope we can do better. I will try. — DR. DAVE DALEY
(Dr. Dave Daley is a fifth-generation rancher from Butte County, CA.)
