The More Talking the Better

There are conflicting accounts of how a routine traffic stop south of Los Angeles erupted into a shootout between sheriff’s deputies and members of the Nation of Islam that left one Muslim dead and another wounded. But one fact is indisputable: In the past, violent incidents like this have been the precursors of more serious confrontations. That must not be allowed to happen this time.

What’s especially troubling about Tuesday’s incident is the fact that it followed by only two weeks a remarkably similar, but non-lethal, confrontation between Black Muslims and officers of the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPD’s handling of that confrontation’s aftermath served as a model for what the Sheriff’s Department did on Wednesday. Like the LAPD, the Sheriff’s Department arranged meetings with leaders of the Nation of Islam and leaders of the black community to defuse tensions. Ironically, the apparently productive LAPD meeting with the Muslims took place the day before Tuesday’s incident with the sheriff’s deputies.

Enlightened law-enforcement authorities un- derstand that many black Americans are inspired by the powerful message of self-respect and self-sufficiency that the Nation of Islam offers. But it’s also true that the Nation of Islam is a controversial organization, to say the least. Its best-known leader, Louis Farrakhan, has given some virulently anti-Semitic speeches. And rank-and-file Black Muslims tend to have a direct and assertive style some authorities find threatening.

Such an attitude may have contributed to the recent incidents involving the police. Cops are also trained to be assertive, taught to stand their ground in order to maintain command of the often dangerous situations in which they find themselves. That’s why communication--the simple act of talking with and trying to understand each other--is necessary. For both the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Nation of Islam, the time for that process is now. Both sides must start understanding each other better before the problem gets even more out of hand.