|
Americans
Should
Dine
With
Families
From
Other
Races
Senators
Tim
Scott
(R-SC)
and
James
Lankford
(R-OK)
Time
Magazine,
July
28,
2016
Our
nation
continues
to
reel
from
the
race-related
murders
of
eight
police
officers
in
Dallas
and
Baton
Rouge,
as
well
as
the
deaths
of
two
African-American
men
in
Baton
Rouge
and
St.
Paul,
Minnesota,
several
weeks
ago.
These
events
have
brought
the
issue
of
race
to
the
forefront
of
the
national
conversation,
and
forced
us
to
re-evaluate
where
the
American
family
currently
stands.
Our
states
have
experienced
the
hatred
and
injustice
of
racism
–
for
example,
the
1921
Tulsa
Race
Riot
in
Oklahoma
and
last
year’s
tragedy
at
Mother
Emanuel
in
Charleston,
just
to
name
a
few.
However,
our
states
today
have
progressed
in
race
relations
and
reflect
the
growing
cultural
and
ethnic
diversity
of
America.
Not
only
is
racial
unity
important
to
us,
it
is
a
value
that
America
must
embrace
at
every
level.
…
In
the
coming
weeks
and
months,
community
leaders
and
elected
leaders
will
discuss
solutions
to
violence,
racial
tension
and
lack
of
opportunities
in
many
of
our
communities.
Substantive
policy
conversations
will
take
place
regarding
support
for
our
police,
criminal
justice
reform,
racial
reconciliation,
mental
illness,
a
seemingly
growing
culture
of
violence,
and
jobs.
We
have
offered
policies
that
will
help
provide
opportunity
for
Americans
who
feel
left
out
of
the
middle-class.
For
example,
the
bipartisan
Leveraging
and
Energizing
America’s
Apprenticeship
Programs
or
“LEAP”
Act
incentivizes
apprenticeship
programs
to
allow
kids
to
earn
and
learn
at
the
exact
same
time.
Not
everyone
wants
to
attend
or
can
afford
college,
but
that
doesn’t
mean
that
they
should
not
be
able
to
find
opportunities
to
provide
for
their
families.
The
Investing
in
Opportunity
Act
is
a
bill
that
leverages
private
sector
dollars
to
be
invested
in
distressed
communities.
And
we
also
have
advocated
for
providing
more
educational
opportunities
for
every
single
child,
no
matter
their
background
or
zip
code.
We
also
are
fighting
to
make
sure
states
and
local
communities
make
educational
decisions
that
are
best
for
their
communities.
We
both
like
each
other’s
states,
but
we
don’t
necessarily
think
that
Oklahoma
schools
should
be
ran
the
same
way
as
South
Carolina
schools,
and
vice
versa.
Although,
the
first
thought
is
often
to
look
to
government
to
solve
race
relations,
we
know
the
federal
government
cannot
solve
this
problem.
The
government
can
play
a
role,
but
it
can’t
solve
everything.
This
is
also
an
issue
of
trust
that
exists
in
the
hearts
of
millions
of
people.
Trust
can
only
be
built
by
spending
time
together
and
getting
to
know
one
another.
There
are
no
quick
answers,
but
long
journeys
start
with
a
first
step.
We
suggest
the
first
step
could
be
something
we
call
“Solution
Sundays.”
…
Sunday
is
a
slower,
yet
significant
day,
for
most
Americans.
So,
we
challenge
each
family
to
give
one
Sunday
lunch
or
dinner
for
building
relationships
across
race,
to
literally
be
part
of
the
solution
in
America.
Obviously
any
day
of
the
week
works
since
the
goal
is
to
engage
on
the
personal
level
of
your
own
home
to
break
down
walls
and
build
trust
across
our
communities.
It
is
harder
to
stereotype
when
you
know
people
first-hand.
…
This
is
not
a
new
idea,
it
is
as
old
as
America.
Many
families
already
intentionally
reach
out,
but
some
families
have
yet
to
take
the
obvious
first
step
of
connecting
your
family
with
another
family
from
a
different
race.
We
should
move
from,
‘I
know
someone
from
another
race’
or
‘I
work
with
someone
from
another
race,’
to
‘we
have
spent
time
together
developing
friendship
and
understanding.’
During
a
time
of
great
racial
tension
in
our
nation,
we
need
more
intentional
relationships.
We
want
unity,
but
are
we
willing
to
work
for
it
and
model
it
with
our
own
family?
While
it
may
be
more
convenient
to
remain
divided,
we
should
not
ignore
the
obvious
dissension
in
our
culture
any
longer.
We
must
build
respectful
unity
together,
one
family
at
a
time.
We
think
something
like
Solution
Sundays
may
hold
the
key
to
the
solutions
needed
for
our
nation.
You
can
read
the
full
column
HERE.
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