How Will The Region Handle Discomfort?

There is a region-wide level of discomfort and tension. Everyone is worried about what happens if the grand jury comes back and does not indict Darren Wilson. The disturbing part of this current discomfort is the absolute chasm between the African-American and white perspective.

 

From the first day of this tragic situation, absolutely not one African-American person I talked to had any confidence that our justice system was working effectively. This was exacerbated by the fact that law enforcement was involved. Most of the white people talked about the details or the speculations, relevant state laws and a host of other issues. This drastic difference between perspectives illuminates our great need to find a new type of conversation that is honest, real and uncomfortable.

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As author Lisa Sharon Harper wrote recently, we must move "from the plateau of rage or the plain of apathy" if we are going to tackle the big problems in our region. To extend the metaphor, we need to find the valley of discomfort and live there together as a region.