The new mystery novel by Chip Hughes, “Barking Sands,” features a character loosely based on our mutual friend, the late jazz pianist Les Peetz.

The pianist is asked to play “As Time Goes By” from the movie “Casablanca.” He replies, “You got it, as long as you don’t tell me, “Play it again, Sam.’”

Hughes goes on to explain who Sam was and how the song and line came from the classic 1942 movie starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

I thought, this film is a cultural touchstone. Why does he have to explain it? Then I remembered the times I’ve had to explain to younger folks who the Beatles were — and how after the Astroworld tragedy in Houston I had to ask a younger person who Travis Scott is.

It struck me that “Casablanca” was filmed closer in years to the Civil War than to today’s culture wars, which in addition to making me feel ancient, reminded me how history and culture spread over a broad expanse, with each of us occupying only small parts.

As Americans fight endlessly about our history and culture, often we’re not talking about the same thing because our vision is limited by the blinders of our own experience.

This can end two ways: We can improve at putting ourselves in the shoes of others in our diverse society or we can fight to the death until one homogeneous element prevails.

I’d hope most would prefer the former, but the trick is getting there as we hunker in hardened camps, seeing others as villains from whom we must “take back our country.”

How do we get to a place where a good working majority agrees it’s everybody’s country and wants to live together peaceably?

Relying on politicians to heal our national divides is folly; too many lack character and profit from driving divisions.

It has to start at the individual level by opening our minds to the broader cultural expanse, seeing what others see and accepting that the realities they’ve experienced aren’t invalid because they’re different.

If we do this, we can start building small bridges between individuals and then move on to building bridges in the community and beyond.

We must live and let live, freeing people of different ethnicities, religious beliefs and gender identities to have lives that fit them and shouldn’t bother anybody else.

Except for the vilest criminals, we must judge people on their whole and not only the worst thing they ever did, which leads to absurd actions such as taking the names of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln off buildings.

At the same time, we must recognize the validity of the Black person who says, “If you didn’t want Black people here, you should have picked your own cotton,” or the Native American who wants a serious talk about illegal immigration.

It means no more “but they started it first.” The goal is everybody getting some what they want, not a few having it all.

Reach David Shapiro at volcanicash@gmail.com.