I got an amazing reaction this week on a Washington Post article I posted about the response of the so-called "Cajun Navy" to the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Houston.
You can read the entire article here. But basically it was about a bunch of responsible, resilient and resourceful people doing what any decent person does for their neighbors.
Most of the feedback I got was positive.
But in these divided times, I also got reactions from those who refer to themselves as progressive, or as some call them, "Social Justice Warriors" pointing out the Cajun Navy is made up of Southerners who fought in unjust foreign wars, wear a police uniform, probably don't like Gays, Muslims or Black people and doubtless voted for that douchebag Trump.
We've apparently come so far or are so far gone that people simply helping people is suspect and apparently you actually can tell a book by its cover.
Some of that can be explained by our political divisions. But I think much of it devolves to a divide between rural and urban, where the skills of one aren't appreciated by the other, as well as an additional schism between those who seek higher education and those who do not.
A champion of the latter group is Mike Rowe, a TV Host who gained fame with a series entitled "Dirty Jobs" where he got hired to do all those jobs most people just won't do.
That led him to developing a foundation to increase the number of people being trained to do skilled jobs. Jobs like being a plumber or electrician or house painter in a world that reveres rap artists, athletes and hedge fund managers while espousing the essential need for everybody to attain a college degree.
A few months ago, Mike was awarded the first "TV series" that would be produced and distributed by Facebook. That series is called "Returning the Favor" and its one of the most uplifting things I've seen in a long while.
I can't post the first episode of "Returning the Favor" here because it's still a Facebook exclusive. But if you're on Facebook, you can access it here.
What I can post is a video Mike also did this past week after somebody made the mistake of calling him a "White Supremacist" online. It's from Fox News, so those of you who feel you're somehow dirtying your hands by doing that can find a print version of Mike's response here.
Either way, d+o yourself a favor and reach across these seemingly unbridgeable divides by watching "Returning the Favor" on Facebook. At the very least it'll encourage them to spend more of their ad money on content.
And -- Enjoy Your Sunday...
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