Reston Connection missed a great opportunity to report on National Night Out activities reflective of the entire Reston community. [Reston Connection 8/14/19 pages 1 and 3] Instead, you decided to report on an event in a plain vanilla fashion with a local politician and portrayal of Reston like the 1998 movie “Pleasantville".
The National Night Out website reports that it is “an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community.” Their website photos conveys an inclusive message.
In this period where police mistrust in the nation at large is at historic levels in black and brown communities, an opportunity to show that Reston can be an oasis in the desert was missed. The community at large can benefit from knowing that Reston's Heritage Fellowship Church, a predominantly black church, also hosted National Night Out with more than 30 local police and politicians in attendance.
Les and Barbara Shockley
Reston