It’s hard to find peace in a culture war. It’s designed not only to divide us, but to perpetually push us apart like two north magnets. Today, I write that it takes something common to bring us together.
In Minnesota we have the woods, the water, and each other.
Last weekend, I picked mushrooms in the woods outside Grand Rapids. This weekend, we have the opportunity to join with a dancing smelt parade along the Lake Superior waterfront in Duluth.
These events aren’t designed to solve the world’s problems. They’re for fun (and they are fun). When we laugh together and celebrate the passing seasons, we become part of one thing instead of many separate things.
Read “How little fish and secret mushrooms can salve Minnesota’s culture wars,” in the Thursday, May 21, 2025 edition of the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Aaron J. Brown is a columnist and member of the editorial board for the Minnesota Star Tribune. His new book about Hibbing Mayor Victor Power and his momentous fight against the world’s largest corporation will be out soon.
