Foster Further

We're in another wave of racial unrest. Why, why, why yet another? Where is the leadership? Where are the solutions? Where is the real change that creates a turning point for our country? A few days ago I had a personal experience that went beyond these questions. Backstory: my neighbor, an African-American man named Charles, has a history of setting fires. Four times, that the neighborhood can document at least, he's lit a fire that got out of control and either did do property damage or needed the fire dept there to prevent damage. The third and fourth times threatened my home and family. I have watched this man light a giant brush fire full of uprooted trees in the middle of a dry, tall grassy field (a wild meadow where the grasses grow 4-5 feet tall) and then get in his truck and drive away. I watched those flames reach 6 feet high and come roaring towards my home while I waited and wondered if our volunteer fire department was going to make it in time. I heard the panic in...

Today I took the kids to play at a park on the "wrong" side of town. Not actually that sketchy of a neighborhood but, nonetheless, not my usual stomping ground. We were there just a few minute when a young black boy came up to us. He was extremely friendly and immediately started playing with my kids. He helpfully offered to watch one of them on the play structure when I was busy pushing two on the swings. After a bit my kids were hungry so we went up to the pavilion to eat the lunch I'd packed. In less than a minute he was there, too. I offered him some of our snacks and he politely accepted one. By the end of the meal he was sitting next to me eating most of the food I'd brought talking my ear off. As I packed up our stuff and the toddlers scampered off to play some more I saw him share his last carrot sticks with his two older sisters who'd remained a little ways off. While we were playing after lunch a group of young white businessmen came to the pavilio...