Here's a completely random thread.

Thesis: Rural areas have lots of opportunities to grow their economies and populations, but two things need to happen: one from without, and one from within.

First, without. Access to rural broadband is a major have/have not gap in American. I believe that 50% of my home county still doesn't have access. That doesn't meant won't get it; it means the infrastructure is not there.

Why? Motivation and profit margins. Companies see a lot of older white people, and think they won't want internet access, because they don't *need* it. Plus, with lower numbers, the amount of infrastructure outlay doesn't make sense from a business standpoint.

And yet, are these not people too? Do they not deserve to have the same access to information and services?

This is why I will always support regulating broadband as a utility. It would allow everyone a level playing field.

And I am very sure that there would be a non-trivial number of people that would really love to stay/support communities they grew up in, and just bring their job to them. It might slow a "brain drain."

But here's where "within" comes in. You can have all the access and jobs and scenery in the world, but if the *culture* is frustrating or problematic, you won't want to be there.

And plenty of rural cultures are insular, unwilling to evolve, and, yes, racist. Often for young people, the job is the excuse to leave, but its it's really not fitting with the attitudes and culture that surrounds them.

Now, I fully believe that places can set their own terms. No culture is monolithic, just as people are different. There are different small cultures in different small places. But when you are unwilling to even consider what surrounds you a "culture", that's a problem.

Too often, we (rural or urban!) assume what surrounds us as the default, and other places are "cultural". But we all have cultures, and what if our culture is turning off and turning away people we care about?

Of course, some places revel in that. I mean, next to a For Sale sign I saw here in the Flathead was another spray painted sign saying "No Libs." But people are still coming here because of the beauty.

Other small places don't have that luxury.

If we really want to see rural places thrive, there needs to be respect from without, and introspection from within. That's what I'm saying.

#fin