Changing Minds on Capitol Hill

Last week, April 6, I went to Capitol Hill with AWAKE Community to present to Congress an event intended to reinvigorate and bring together the groups involved in the effort to prevent impaired driving, the most prevalent violent crime in the country.

The event was a strong success -- many of the different groups involved in the effort to prevent drunk driving gathered in the same room together -- many for the first time.

I know, it may come as a shock, but the different organizations, due to conflicting opinions of the best approach to solve the issue and a mindset that each is competing for limited donor dollars, hate each other.

Okay, hate may be a strong word, but visceral dislike is pretty accurate.

I worked with AWAKE Community to create a film and music and art performance that would remove the us vs them view and thank personal, everyday heroes who have kept tragedies from happening.

By the end of the evening, minds were changed.

Not only did the various groups acknowledge each other, but also a deeper change occurred.

One man came up to my colleague and said, "You changed my mind -- I drink and drive, and I never listened because the messages were so holier than thou. But you guys are just like me... you've done it too and you're not afraid to be open about that. I can listen to you."

That to me was exactly what I wanted to accomplish with the film.