From Malone’s Substack

Of the nation’s 328.2 million people, an estimated 206.9 million (about 63%) lived in an incorporated place as of July 1, 2019. About 76% of the approximately 19,500 incorporated places had fewer than 5,000 people. Of those, almost 42% had fewer than 500 people.

On the other hand, only 4.0% (780) of all cities had a population of 50,000 or more in 2019, yet nearly 39% of the U.S. population (127.8 million) live in those cities.

As the UN works to make “smart cities” the wave of the future, remember that in the USA – the “wave” may just be small towns.

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As people leave large cities, they need to understand and integrate into less populous areas. Areas with traditions and ways that work for the communities there. That means strong values and a sense of belonging.

With the internet allowing remote work, people may actually be able to settle into an area without having to move again and again for a new job. That means, churches, communities, neighbors and local organizations have work to do. That is to help people integrate into a new community, to help newcomers absorb the new culture that they are now embedded into, and to become productive members of that area and its communities.

This is my hope for our country. That we are taking it back, person by person. With tact and understanding, we can all work to can change minds. Jason Aldean’s great song is working magic. The movie Sound of Freedom is also changing minds. But ordinary people, like you are me are making a difference too. It is the movable middle that are the hope of this great country. It seems like everyday we can all feel that cultural shift. People are waking up that there IS a better way. That strong values are important. Change is afoot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1_RKu-ESCY

But it is true that there are also plenty of excellent people who live in large cities. They also must work to make their cities less prone to violence, crime, drugs, poverty and filth.

One last little point – rural America is a diverse place. It is not all “white” – hence, the song above is not speaking about “race,” but a way of life. The critics need to get a clue.