Breaking That Hard Line

In amongst all of the convention rhetoric this past week - there stands a story that truly is newsworthy.  In Wichita, the Black Lives Matter  movement was planning a protest march.  Certainly it would play out like most:    members of the Black Lives Matter community marching - with police standing by "just in case."     Very little communication - no resolution.   As one news report named it, "That Hard Line."

Wichita, however, broke convention.    Members of Black Lives Matter and police officials met.   Instead of a march - they had a cookout!   A cookout!   Members of law enforcement and Black Lives Matter broke bread together. . .and played hoops together. . .and danced together. . .and there are selfies to prove it!

Wichita broke that hard line.

Instead of one faction protesting and another faction policing. . .we were given community that worked together and played together in an effort to find common ground.    Police listened, fielded difficult questions and established rapport with the community.   The community, instead of taking that hard line of "we're protesting and nobody is going to change that," broke their protocol so that they could partner in building that all important rapport.

And if you read carefully, it wasn't just members of Black Lives Matter that attended.  At one table we had representatives from the police, the African American community and the Hispanic American community.

Wichita broke that hard line.

Let's face it - breaking the hard line is often more work that maintaining it.   It is easier for two factions to stand in opposite corners and  build animosity.   But for what purpose?   It solves nothing.

Whether it is race relations in America, international conflict or office politics. . .let's break with convention.  Let's sit down together.   Let's discuss.  Let's play hoops and dance and take selfies.

Let's break that hard line.

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