This week marks the ninth week of protests across the country as demonstrators demand tangible changes to the racial divides that have plagued the U.S. since its inception. Along with calls for equality have been calls to defund police, who are often seen as enforcing laws unequally.
However, Pastor Miles McPherson said accepting people's differences needs to be the goal, rather than choosing sides, like pro- or anti-police.
The NFL player-turned-pastor's 2018 book The Third Option: Hope For a Racially Divided Nation has regained national attention as people look for ways to sort through ethnic, racial, and other cultural differences that are tearing at the seams of America's social stability.
"The third option, which is what the book is about: how do we honor and give value to what we have in common? We have more similarities than differences," McPherson told Cheddar.
McPherson, the pastor of Rock Church in San Diego, California, said that there are ways for people to avoid offensive "blind spots" they may have in order to improve relations among people with varying backgrounds.
"If we can come to the table and talk about the things that we agree on, start with those things versus focusing on the differences we have, we can make more headway," he explained.
Racial division in America is practically embedded in the genetic makeup of the country, but for McPherson, the path to understanding isn't in avoiding differences but embracing and respecting them.
"If you have people in your life that are of a different ethnicity than you, different culture, the best thing to do is to sit down and ask if there are things about you that are offensive that you don't know about," he said.
For McPherson, the father and son of police officers, improving relationships between communities and police departments is also important because he understands how mischaracterizations based on job association or racial makeup can cause even more division.
"I think it's very important for us to not categorize a group of people as all bad or all good," he said. "There are good cops and bad cops."
Perhaps the most critical point for social progression in America, according to McPherson, is allowing people to "make mistakes" as we're "all on a journey" to understanding and accepting our differences.
"If we can give each other that grace, we can get further down the road," he said.
Texas authorities say the gunman who massacred 21 people at an elementary school was in the building for over an hour before he was killed by law enforcement officers.
After more than a decade of covering mass shootings, I am struck by the resilience of communities to rebuild after unbelievable tragedy. I am also struck by the numbness. The numbness we must maintain to tell the stories of the victims, explain the crimes of the shooter.
After the latest school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, it wouldn't be a surprise if the traumatic event takes a toll on your mental health — or that of your children. Amy Morin, the editor-in-chief of Verywell Mind and licensed psychotherapist, joined Cheddar News to share coping skills and offer advice about how to talk to your children about these increasingly common tragic events. “I think its important for parents to know what the school’s plan is, what the teacher's plan is, and then we can have our own plans with kids too," she noted. "It's so important for us to talk to kids about how they're feeling — guaranteed they've heard something about it, so ask them what they know already, use age-appropriate language, and rather than just dismissing their fears by saying don't worry about it or I'm sure you'll be safe, talk to them about their feelings."
Cheddar News reporter Megan Pratz brings the latest from the scene of yesterday's horrific school shooting at a Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Now the second-deadliest school shooting in U.S. history with 19 children and two adults killed, Pratz goes into comments by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, details about the deceased shooter, and reactions from members of the community.
The world of mobile app design is changing quickly, and it’s farewell to color, quirks and exotic fonts. Gather one and all, for a new age of app interfaces has arrived right under our noses, with simplicity being the style of choice. With nearly 3 million apps available on Google Play Store, and 1 in 4 apps getting deleted after just one use, you’d think standing out would be a wise move. Watch and see why blending in can help an app’s chances of survival.
If you're thinking of securing a restaurant reservation for Mother's Day, you should probably pick up the phone and call now. Lawrence Banton looks into the dining rush around the special holiday.
Brian Stewart, the U.S. brand ambassador for Belvedere Vodka, joined Cheddar News to show off the cocktail called the Belvedere Raspberry Circuit to pair with the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, a race getting underway for the very first time on May 8. “I wanted this drink to be very approachable, but I also wanted to drink to be as luxurious and exciting as the race itself," he said.
