Getting our country out of "the Big Sort."

Trying to make the country better and get us out of "the Big Sort."

by Kasey Hendrix

Bill Bishop isn’t a typical person or professional. He focuses on the importance of community and spreading the word about what our country can do to be better as a whole and in doing so release focus from the self to the community. That is very unusual these days, but that is just what Mr. Bishop does. He is originally from Kentucky but recently moved to Austin with his wife, Julie to co-edit their Internet news page The Daily Yonder.  He is most known for co-authoring the book The Big Sort that consisted of data and theory about how the United States’ population is segregating itself not by race, gender or monetary status, but by the different ways of life.

            His theory, picked up by politicians such as Bill Clinton, also states that because of this self-segregation, our politics are being polarized as well. If we are surrounding ourselves with only like-minded people, then we can never be tolerant or understanding of those outside that realm. He spoke about driving into one neighborhood with all eco-friendly homes and how it was a clearly democratic neighborhood, and then turning in a neighborhood right by the other and seeing houses with white columns and polished yards, clearly republican. He says that this type of separation is causing problems because we place ourselves in a position to where we never have to compromise and where we expect that much out of our country’s leaders, but cannot do it ourselves.  One of his biggest hopes is that this can change because of the great divide that is becoming apparent in our country, but it would be a long road to get there.  

Picture retrieved from Kelly Owen Stein files