Garnering Insight: Time to set aside

By Editor | June 21, 2025 |

After watching recent protests across our nation and even in our own town, despite the polarization surrounding all of these, I still believe that even for all that divides us, so much more unites us — and it’s not just political beliefs. It’s time to set aside some of these divisive issues and start talking to each other again like reasonable people.

In our neck of the woods and throughout much of our great country, storms don’t care if we voted red or blue. Police officers and firefighters don’t respond to calls for service based on how you voted. Teachers aren’t just helping students of parents who voted the same way they did and coaches aren’t checking political affiliations at the locker room door.

Challenges exist no matter the name you voted for on Election Day. Water quality issues like ours in Maryville and Nodaway County are still here, red or blue, or whether you voted for the bond issue or not. Potholes don’t care if you are anti-immigration enforcement or pro-immigration enforcement. Or any other pro or anti issues.

This past weekend there was the peaceful “No King’s” protest in Maryville. The responses to our coverage of the event from both sides were not very tolerable of each other’s opinions. And that, my friends, is what is at the heart of the issue that plagues these United States of America as we celebrate our 249th year on July 4. It seems as if the extreme sides of issues are trying to tear our great country apart. The far left only want to scream at the other side and the far right only want to say we won, so take that. I have close friends and family on the polar opposites on a variety of issues and that’s OK as long as we take the time to listen and appreciate each other’s point of view not. But in general not many people, sometimes even here in our own area want to sit together and civilly discuss kitchen table issues because those are the issues that we can all agree are the ones that impact us all.

So what should we do?

Join civic organizations, like the Lions, Rotary, Optimists or any host of other organizations, support locally owned businesses, stay informed on local issues by reading your local newspaper (insert shameless plug), go to school board, city council, township board and county commission meetings. Help our communities remain vibrant and work with our neighbors both figuratively and literally.

We at the Maryville Forum and Grant City Times-Tribune chronicle the area’s journey through shared problems, issues and triumphs. Although we may be at odds sometimes with our neighbors about for whom and how we voted, and probably see some things differently, we must remember to model the behaviors that we want our children, grandchildren and others to emulate.

Now — not tomorrow, next week or the next election — is the time to set aside our differences and seek common ground not for ourselves, but for the future of the next generation and beyond. Let our legacy not be one of division, but one of repair and finding common ground. The time to set aside is now.

Ken Garner is the owner and publisher of The Maryville Forum and The Post.