Empathy, listening needed

George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police set that city, and others across the country, ablaze with riots. Protests in Oklahoma City have been manageable and for the most part nonviolent, thank God. Here's a prayer that continues.

And, it's our sincere hope that this awful series of events will, locally at least, provide an opportunity for police and community leaders to forge new and better relationships that allow Oklahoma City to offer an example for other cities to follow.

Oklahoma City has seen protests but little violence following other high-profile cases where blacks were killed by white police officers. Credit for that goes to leadership in the city's minority communities, and to the police department, which for many years has made outreach to minorities a priority.

Police Chief Wade Gourley says the department updates its protocols regularly, meets with the public and reviews all use-of-force incidents involving officers.

Department training “is heavily focused on deescalation,” Gourley says. That strategy is wise, and has worked well for the most part, although Gourley's resignation is among a series of demands issued Monday by the local chapter of Black Lives Matter.

In fall 2016, the city's commissioned officers underwent Department of Justice-approved training on “fair and impartial policing,” which focused on biases. The chief at the time, Bill Citty, noted that, “Discrimination and bias occurs in all aspects of our community, and officers are dealing with a lot of that anger.”

So, too, of course, are those subjected to bias and discrimination. Those frustrations do not make it OK to attack others or vandalize property. They do, however, merit attention.

Norman pastor Clarence Hill Jr., founder of Stronger Together OKC, agrees that destruction of property is not a solution. On the other hand, Hill says, many times through the years “leaders wouldn't listen” and what has transpired in recent days resulted from long-simmering frustration.

“I believe it's time for courage,” he said. “It's time for leaders to speak up and at least show they care that lives are being lost.”

It's time for cooler heads to prevail, and for empathy among Oklahomans. Former Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane touched on the latter in an op-ed (see nearby).

“This isn't a police thing. It's an `us' thing,” Lane wrote. “We polite white people want to be `friends' to black people but not if we must share their pain.”

The manner of George Floyd's death was horrific. The fallout has been the same, with innocent people — including police — hurt and livelihoods destroyed. However, this ugly episode will not have been in vain if progress in relations results.

Gov. Kevin Stitt said called Sunday for residents to “demonstrate the Oklahoma Standard by listening to those who are hurting, by uniting to see change that delivers a better future for all, and by being respectful to each other …”

Oklahomans can meet that challenge. We must.