Tucson Opinion: What I found on my 4,200 mile road trip thru ‘red’ states | Local Editorials and Opinion

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The following is the author’s opinion and analysis:

It seems that today you cannot read a newspaper or watch the news without seeing a column or story that addresses the political division in our country.

It is easy to tire of the curmudgeonies and pointing fingers of politicians and some in the media who are fueling the flames of this division. As a daily news reader, I thought of this when I recently embarked on a 4,200 mile solo road trip that traversed states and communities in our nation that I had never seen, and most of which were not exactly in line with my own policies.

I visited cities big and small like Tulsa, Lexington, Montgomery, Vicksburg, and Mattoon, Illinois. Given our daily contact with politics, I was sure that the division that was reported to us would be tangible. What I found instead was a beautiful and wonderful country that showed me that we have much more in common than what separates us.

For two weeks I met and talked to retail and restaurant employees, caretakers and security guards, landlords, horse farmers and museum lecturers. I have found that they enjoy life and work and are proud of their communities.

I met people who were eager to share their country or city history and wished me a pleasant stay. After a few days on the road, I turned off the news and podcasts and really looked at the scenery and cities I was crossing.

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