You don't have the chance yet to read OTHERS, my novel manuscript in the hands of an agent. If you did, you'd likely cut through the noise surrounding this national news story and find clear elements of the problem.
It comes down to confrontation. How one confronts someone else, and how that defuses a situation or escalates tension to psychotic and potentially lethal levels.
Once you read OTHERS, you'll get it, and you can imagine your own peaceful non-story, along the lines of this:
George Zimmerman puts on a perky attitude, and approaches Trayvon Martin.
"Excuse me, Sir. We've had some dangerous people breaking into houses around here. Do be careful. I don't want you hurt, okay?"
What does that do?
First, it shows zero threat, and some apparent concern for the safety of the intruder.
The intruder, possibly just a kid passing through, does not feel threatened in the least. In fact, he realizes there is a pair of eyes on him who may be watching out for him. He could conclude that there are others watching, too. All stereotyped assumptions vanish.
If the intruder has any negative intentions, he now knows the situation is not good for secrecy or criminal action.
Only a total idiot would escalate that moment into something ugly. Chances are astronomical against any lawbreaking, crime, threat, or violence.
Apply that point of view to the facts of this case and the evidence is clear: What occurred wrong and what should have occurred right.
It's common human nature not to defuse but to escalate tension or give the appearance of such, to show who has control of the moment. Tone of voice, movement, appearance. Those instincts--let's call them habits--are unrelated to a moment of rational thought that would keep the scenario just another quiet moment in a mediocre day.
A ten-second non-story, everybody lives, nobody goes into hiding, and the world has one less reason to babble around the water cooler or charge up useless emotions and not accomplish what needs to be done.
What needs to be done is peace.
I learned this technique from others. I've tried it. Wow, does it work. Unfortunately, the times I've used that technique never made it to the news.
Let's start, right here, right now.
--Dave
