It's more than just 'the other side'

Thank you for your thoughtful editorial about the fallacy of there being two sides to every story. You are correct that most stories have many sides. If there are 2,000 people at a concert, there is not just one event, one story to be told. There are 2,000 stories, at least.

I got a call last week from a Chicago TV station about a police issue and the reporter said he needed "the other side." I did not return the reporter's call because I am not "the other side." No, I am on "this side," the front side. I work with and for police chiefs and officers who are dedicated to keeping our communities as safe as possible.

That makes them essential and puts them on the front lines, not "the other side."

I'm equally concerned that much of the public discourse today bends toward "us vs. them" - with some people expending a lot of energy making villains of the police. While that's unfortunate, what might surprise people is that most chiefs are committed to listening and then listening some more, so that we rebuild trust where necessary and calmly but persistently remind people that, despite our differences, we're all on the "same side" and living and operating in the same arena.

Ed Wojcicki, Executive Director

Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police