I had some nails in a tire recently, so I took the car down to the closest tire center. By the time they checked in me, I realized that one of the mechanics on break was watching the television in the public waiting era, tuned to Newsmax.

A newscaster was clutching his pearls because the cast of The L Word had been invited to the White House. This went on for ten agonizing minutes, and I almost walked out of the business just to not have to listen to the hateful nonsense anymore. If my car hadn’t already been up on the rack, I would have.

Look, maybe you like Newsmax’s point of view, but one thing everyone from MAGA to the far left seems to agree on is that political partisanship is terrible right now. The numbers change depending on whether you’re Republican, Democrat, or Independent, but regardless, the majority of people in the country say we’re more divided than ever. That means in any random social situation, you’re going to have people who don’t like your politics.

For the sake of peace, let’s establish some rules about public televisions in places like waiting rooms or break rooms.

First, no national news of any kind. This includes CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and Newsmax. Since a majority cannot agree on which of the major national news chains constitute objective truth, it’s best to just avoid antagonizing people by forcing them to listen to an outlet they are going to have to grind their teeth through.

We can complain about echo chambers all we want, but no one is going to have a change of heart while waiting for their mom to get out of the cardiologist or something. These are spaces where de-escalation is usually more important than ideologies, and being kind is better than being right. If there is some breaking news that needs to be on, local news is always preferable. Support your local news, folks. It’s where the vast majority of national news chains get their leads.

Second, respect the holy trifecta of chill television: The Weather Channel, The Food Network, and HGTV. These three channels represent the foundation of all small talk, and rarely is there an argument that breaks out over someone preparing a casserole or flipping a cottage. National Geographic and The History Channel used to be on this list, but between copaganda and vaguely racist conspiracy theories about aliens building the pyramids, they’ve edged into the “nah” category. Just let people enjoy hearth, home, and storm programming.

Last, avoid sports channels. In a just world, this wouldn't be necessary, but considering how many arguments over sports teams turn into gunfights in the parking lot, it's just not worth it outside of a championship or other special event.

If there is going to be any kind of shared community left in this country after years of militant partisanship, it’s going to involve people establishing neutral zones where diverse populations can coexist and feel welcomed. One way is to simply shut off the media that pretty much all sides also agree is what drives the divide. Not every public space needs to be turned into a battleground for the nation’s soul, and intentionally antagonizing people who have to be in a space is unhelpful.

We have all got to learn to cede some damn ground. Flipping the television to the Weather Channel is the least we call can do to increase the net calm of the moment.