The Fight for Small Town America

Our family recently took a trip to our Nation's Capital, Washington D.C. This was not like previous work trips in the past, but a trip centered around learning the history of our Nation and the variety of brave, persistent, and unstoppable leaders that moved our Country forward. Amidst controversy, resentment, and disagreement the only constant that turned the pages to great debate and heated battle was compromise. Some lost a little and many lost a lot, but together our Nation gained so much more.

Our first night began with a private tour around D.C. with a certified guide spilling an abundance of information and history surrounding the 10+ monuments and museums that we visited. Michael, our tour guide was a D.C. native, although he spent some of his life growing up in Ecuador, spent much of his career addressing the Nations opioid epidemic working with the Department of Health, and is currently studying to be a mechanical engineer. Quite the journey his love for learning has evolved into.

At the end of our four-hour trip, we talked about the future after recollecting and learning about the significance of our past. And as you may guess, the Technological Revolution, which is not quite thought of as a revolution in real time today, was our main topic of discussion. Much like the mass production of automobiles in the 20th century paved the way for the Second Industrial Revolution, today we are maneuvering advanced manufacturing, digitalization, clean energy, biotechnology, robotics, and artificial intelligence as we persist forward into the Third Industrial Revolution.

In similarity to our past, citizens, government and communities alike, either choose to adapt, choose to fight against the progression forward, or in many cases lack the critical funding necessary to develop their way into the future. Then one day, you drive through middle and small-town America, and you see the results from a struggle to re-skill the workforce at a rapid pace, the fear of the unknown, and limited resources and urgency to move communities along. Eventually, the high-income families and businesses leave and move on to communities that can adapt to their lifestyles, demands, and business processes. Then suddenly, all that is left on that small town drive through our small communities is elevated poverty and the lack of funding to provide adequate resources and infrastructure. A reality that is even more terrifying than the initial fear proposed.

According to Broadband Now, a data technology company, 12.6% of Americans do not have access to broadband today. The lack of access to fast and reliable internet inhibits job opportunities, prevents information access, and further expands the digital divide between poverty and prosperity. The American Rescue Plan funding aided in the digital transition, but it is not enough and small-town communities with limited population continue to be left behind. Broadband access is not our only concern, the constant learning and re-skilling of our workforce will be the most challenging component that only individuals can choose whether or not to embrace. As technology enhances, we must be able to upgrade ourselves along with it - not to compete with, but to work alongside it.

I share this photo of Iwo Jima as a cover for this article, because today we do not only need soldiers fighting for our country, but we need residents and leaders willing to sacrifice, commit, and be persistent in fighting for the futures of our small towns. The six soldiers raising the second flag on Iwo Jima shall act as a guiding light to our communities, as we cannot persist into this revolution alone and we must bond together on compromise to pave the way for generations to come.