Liberals tell conservatives that if they would only study history, read (especially the words of our founding fathers), care for others and be open-minded, they would find the error of their ways and join the liberal ranks.

I have wondered about this for years. When does that conversion process happen? I hold a bachelor of arts degree in history with a minor in political science and a certificate of study in international relations from the University of Utah. I also hold a MBA and have attended postgraduate seminars at my graduate school. I have more than 30 hours of study in economics.

I speak three languages and have been studying a fourth. I read 60 to 70 books a year (television does not interest me much). My personal library on Thomas Jefferson and his times numbers more than 30 books. I have lived in four other countries and visited 22 others. I also consider myself to be conservative.

When will I reach that level in education and reading where I will suddenly understand and switch my political philosophy? How do I compare in education and background from a liberal democratic factory worker from Massachusetts?

If you take a room full of conservatives and another room full of liberals, all of various backgrounds, and ask them to answer questions about how to overcome the political and economic problems of our world, I think you will get the same results.

I believe we would find that conservatives from various backgrounds would want to solve the world's problems one way and liberals from various backgrounds would want to solve those same problems in another way. Yet their reasoning for those choices would show that those who have made a commitment to either creed have what the liberals refer to as closed minds.

I don't believe that means that either side is uneducated, unread, uncaring, unthinking or closed-minded. What it does mean is that we all believe differently and that difference breeds disagreement. We disagree on things that are very close to whom we are, the very core of our values and those are things human beings have a hard time debating.

A reminder of this is one of the great disagreements in the history of our Republic. Thomas Jefferson and his friend John Adams lost track of their friendship for years in the heat of their disagreements over how to govern our new nation. What a waste that was for them and for America as those two great minds got lost in the personal, rather than staying in the realm of positive debate.

This is what leads people to speak with such despair about the so-called "Great Divide" here in Utah. When someone disagrees with our deepest beliefs the human reaction is to take that as a personal attack. If someone disagrees stridently and uncaringly about our dearly held values the human reaction is to strike back. I find myself frequently composing nasty answers to letters to the editor.

Fortunately I was taught by good composition teachers to never turn out my writing without a couple of drafts. By the time I've done that, I've calmed down enough to file the nasty-gram in the round file and move on with my life.

Personal experience shows that it is possible to disagree and still be civil, still work together, and in fact still be friends. I belong to an alumni group that meets at least monthly. Many of those who attend are my political opposite. Some have problems with the dominant denomination, I belong to that denomination.

Different lifestyles, different opinions yet we can still meet and have a nice evening, discuss our lives, politics and funny Utah things, all without wanting to throttle each other.

We don't even have to develop close friendships to help span the divide. A few years ago someone handed out stickers at a Republican convention that simply stated "Stand up for Civility." That's a great idea. If we will just talk and interact with each other as civilized people ought to, leaving out personal attacks. If we will avoid assigning motives to the "other guy," refusing to lump everyone into the evil "them" or "they" category, we will be able to gain better insight and understanding. If we will refuse to let those who can't or won't act civil draw us into retaliation or lower ourselves to their level we will be able to continue filling in that gap with our makeshift bridge.

The Tribune just reported that there will be 2.6 million people in Utah by the year 2010. Obviously with that many people there are going to be differing opinions. With that many opinions being voiced someone is going to be left with the short end of the stick.

However if we can stop the silly sniping and backbiting about how those we disagree with are evil, uneducated, uncaring slobs. If we will accept the fact that people are going to disagree and get down to acting like the civilized people we claim to be. If we can concentrate on discussing the real issues of the day rather than judging each other's character and thinking that is where the real debate lies, we will be a lot further along this time next year.

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Tom Goudie works in the trucking and import / export industry and has been active as a volunteer in both local and state Republican parties since 1980. He was a Republican candidate for the state Legislature in 1988.