This one threat is what keeps ex-Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis awake at night

Despite mounting frustration over problems dividing our country, America still has the power to inspire the rest of the world.

That was the essence of comments this week by retired Gen. James Mattis at the Sunset Gardens event center in Richland.

Just before Thanksgiving, the former U.S. Secretary of Defense returned to his hometown to remind Tri-Citians how much they have to be grateful for.

And why, as a country, we cannot succumb to polarizing rhetoric that’s attacking our nation from within.

The fireside chat was arranged by Republican Congressman Dan Newhouse. The two met to discuss issues ranging from veterans affairs to foreign affairs in front of an invitation-only crowd.

Asked what the current, greatest threats to the U.S. are, Mattis mentioned terrorism, North Korea, China’s raw willpower and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But his greatest concern is what Americans might do to themselves.

He called America the great experiment, and “if this great experiment dies, it will die by suicide. That’s what keeps me up at night,” Mattis said.

He told the gathering of about 50 community leaders, veterans, law enforcement officers and Hanford workers he doesn’t have an immediate fear of an external attack from a foreign nation.

“It’s the rancorous crap that concerns me most,” he said.

It should concern us all — especially in our own community.

Mattis said that national divisive rhetoric has landed in the Tri-Cities, but he did not believe it has been embraced here — at least, not yet.

We would like to think that too.

But our recent, local nonpartisan elections were anything but civil and nonpartisan. There was more mudslinging in more Tri-City races than we’ve seen in recent memory.

COVID mandates have put people into vaxxed and unvaxxed camps. Labor shortages, rising gas and food prices and the lack of affordable housing have people feeling scared and frustrated.

And yet, we know that as a whole the Tri-Cities is a wonderful place to live. Mattis said he had to leave the area and experience other communities in order to fully appreciate his hometown.

He lauded the Benton County Veterans Therapeutic Court, which seeks to hold veterans accountable while helping them find footing on a path to success.

Mattis praised the Columbia Basin Veterans Center in Pasco for helping veterans transition to civilian life, as well as the Richland VA Clinic for providing health care to veterans.

He also commended Newhouse for being a leader respected by both Democrats and Republicans in Washington, D.C., saying that it is the elected leaders that make this country work, and that leadership is a bipartisan issue.

“We can come together when we need to,” Mattis said.

It’s a shame more people weren’t able to hear this inspirational message from one of the most highly respected retired four-star generals to rise through the ranks of the U.S. military.

Perhaps Newhouse can arrange another session with Mattis someday that could be live-streamed. That America’s greatest threat comes from the inside is a warning that needs to be hammered home again and again to counter the undercurrent of hostility on social media.

Cheap shots and political sniping don’t have to be the norm — especially at the local level.

Accepting people with different ideas has helped make our country great. This Thanksgiving, try to keep that in mind if the conversation around the dinner table turns to partisan politics.

And remember, our true enemies would like nothing better than to see America damaged from the inside out.

We must not let that happen.

This story was originally published November 24, 2021 at 10:09 AM.