One more black kid has committed a crime of attacking a police officer - or so they say. The officer had shot and killed him. According to the Grand Jury, the police officer was within his rights. Once again, the riots, violent protests and a bunch of not so peaceful demonstrations erupted.
Is it about judicial system not giving blacks a fair shake? Maybe. maybe not. Opinions are mostly divided by the race lines...
No matter what it is. we require a solution. What exactly do we need to do as a society to solve the apparent perception of someone who is not like us??
I think I may have one suggestion. Let's call it "Befriend a Member of Other Group".
Here is what I recommend. In every ethnic community, which are so many. In each and every town. In each and every religious group. In each and every place of worship, be it a Christian church of any denomination (in some cases diverse, pretty often serving the needs of only whites, or blacks, or Asians), every synagogue, every mosque, every Hindu or Buddhist temple, let start "Befriend a Member of Other Group" program. Let's try to encourage 3, 5 or 10 members of a given communal or religious organization to befriend someone from the other group. As anyone else, I know interracial, inter-religious and inter-ethnic friendships exists, as well as intermarriages, and we observe more and more of those. Great! But let's kick off a specific campaign. Here I am not going to get into practical details. It's none of my business. It's up to the communities to be proactive and creative. Maybe some places will elect committees on the matter. Some will call for volunteers. Some others will do it unofficially. Some may reject the idea. But let's start the process. Let''s acknowledge, accept and befriend The Other.
Let every place of worship allocate at least one day a month and invite members of another religious group to attend their service as guests of honor.
I call on white Catholics to specifically befriend a black Baptist. I call on Lutherans to explicitly befriend Mormons. I call on Muslims to indicatively befriend a Jew and a Hindu. I call on Jews to befriend a Muslim and a Christian. And I most definitely encourage White Catholics, or Presbyterians or Lutherans or Jews to befriend a Black person, and Latino, and Asian now matter what their religious affiliation is.
Atheists could do this through their own organizations. Or without any organization at all. All of us could do it.
Let us run "Befriend a Member of Other Group" campaign in every city and town. Let's go for it as individuals. Let's go for it as men and women of every race, ethnic group, origin, religious affiliation and political stance. Let's go for it as Americans!
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