I was listening to a radio show a few weeks ago and someone brought up the topic of the divided nation and how everything is political now. They wondered if there was anything left in the country that people can agree with and work on with each other.

I can think of three things right away that I’m always aware of – animal rescue, disaster relief and charity.

When a dog or cat (or Australian kangaroo) is in jeopardy, people rush in to help. I’m involved with many animal rescue groups in the Midwest and about 12 years ago, the leaders of the organizations that I dealt with and their boards were pretty much 90% Democrat. Now they’re about 70% Republican. 

But it’s never mattered. 

We all got along before and we do now. We have a common goal and it’s not spending time arguing about whether Donald Trump is an idiot or Bernie Sanders is. We make fun of each other but that’s the extent of it. 

I will admit that when Trump first got elected, there were two Democrats who lived in a big city who unfriended me on Facebook. They just couldn’t accept Trump or anyone who voted for him. Really? Your hatred for a politician is more important than networking with me to save the lives of cats and dogs? That’s nuts. Luckily, they were an anomaly.

Do you think President Trump is doing a good job?

By completing the poll, you agree to receive emails from SteveGruber.com, occasional offers from our partners and that you've read and agree to our privacy policy and legal statement.

Disaster relief is also bipartisan. When there’s a flood, hurricane, fire or other kind of disaster, people immediately find out how to help, whether it’s donating money, supplies or time. 

They wade chest deep in water to make sure their elderly neighbor is safe. They make meals for people who have lost their homes. They donate blood. They participate in GoFundMe campaigns to help people they’ve never met rebuild their lives.

I just finished a book about September 11th called “The Only Plane in the Sky. An Oral History of 9/11” by Garrett M. Graff. It documents the perspective of the day from people from all walks of life and what they went through. It’s a book of sadness and loss, but also of resolve, love, compassion and an abundance of humanitarianism. 

People were trying to save each other at the risk of their own lives. They shared water, oxygen, cell phones, food, boats, prayers and more. It was a testament of how great our nation is even as tragedy is happening all around them. 

No one cared what political party people belonged to, what color they were or if they were rich or poor. They just cared about each other. We still do. That really hasn’t changed since that day.

The charity of Americans is strong. When a 104-year-old Marine veteran asked for Valentines Day cards this year, he got more than 70,000.

According to a report called “Changes to the Giving Landscape” by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, in 2018, Americans gave more than $400 billion dollars, 68% of that given by individuals. They give to churches, medical research, animal welfare, environmental causes, community needs and a whole host of other things.

Bipartisanship lives in the American heart. Sometimes it’s on your local neighborhood corner and sometimes it’s on the other side of the country. But it’s always there.