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Opinion: Listening, and accepting correction

You won’t often see me use scripture, but a verse from Proverbs came to my mind Tuesday morning.

Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. – Proverbs 12:1

And lest you think I’m preaching, those biblical words are aimed only at myself, particularly that last part.

…he who hates correction is stupid.

I spent much of my afternoon Monday listening.

I listened to calm, but angry voices that felt that a question that we posed on Facebook Monday for our weekly Sidewalk Talk feature was out of bounds. Most of those voices were united with a similar message, so much so that I want to address that message here.

I apologize for posing a question that would even suggest that destruction of property is somehow worse than homicide. The question itself did not ask that, but that was a logical, valid interpretation of it.

My hope was to spur conversation among our community, not to incite anger. Clearly I failed at that, and I will do better in the future.

One way that I will do better is to continue to listen. I had several conversations with black community members Monday who looked me in the eye or told me person to person over the phone how to better facilitate the conversation in a way that is productive and uplifting.

I also received a great courtesy from the protesters at city hall when they handed me the microphone and graciously listened as I spoke my heart.

The key word throughout this message is “listen.” The more we do that the stronger our community will become.

The murder of George Floyd, the root of what is now an international protest movement, is far more egregious than any riot that has taken place since he died, and here’s why.

Every building that has burned, every store that has been looted and every life that has been lost in riots could have been preserved had George Floyd been treated fairly.

Two separate death investigations have determined that Floyd’s death was a homicide, confirming what millions of Americans could already clearly see. Had George Floyd been treated fairly, instead of being pinned to the ground with a knee on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds as the life went out of him, there would be no riots.

The destruction of property is a crime, and should be treated as such. Black leaders in this country and even George Floyd’s family have publicly pleaded for an end to the riots.

But buildings, once burned, can be rebuilt.

Lives, once lost, can never be re-lived.

George Floyd can never breathe again, and he breathed his last under the knee of someone whose job it was to enforce the law. Floyd’s death requires justice.

I will not give a free pass to violent riots nor condone them in any way. But those riots are a misguided outlet for anger that is fully warranted. We should all be angry. I am. And that’s why I didn’t want to sweep this issue under the rug or avoid the topic altogether.

My hope is that a poorly worded question on my part doesn’t kill the conversation in our community. I hope that I can listen and contribute to that conversation in a positive and productive way. That was my heart in all of this from the start, and that is where my heart continues to be.

I didn’t grow up here, but I have lived in Randolph County for 12 of the past 17 years. This is my home. And I have never been more proud to call Randolph County home than I was Monday hearing the voices of our community members peacefully speaking out against injustice and respectfully, but firmly, calling me out on the error of my ways.

I have accepted that correction, and I humbly hope you will allow my voice to join yours in support of this worthy cause – justice for George Floyd and an end to unnecessary violence against black people.

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