… when we do not find the ways to have the conversations that matter, then we live in hell. We choose to live in hell.’

Conflict is universal. But that doesn’t make it hurt any the less. The Klamath Conflict in rural Oregon has often worn a vicious and bloodied guise. Fear between warring rural communities defining the experience of life.

The causes of conflict lie deep. And for the most part, unexamined. We get so caught up in the detail of it all. The drama of right and of wrong. Of us versus them. Of possession and control, winners and losers.

But behind all of that is something far simpler. It’s where truth and consensus lie. And the journey there takes courage.

And in this protracted and often violent conflict there have been cast of characters who have led the difficult work towards understanding.

Becky Hyde, an Oregon Rancher, is one such character. Living often with the circumstance of a virtual pariah. Threatened with violence yet still asking questions whose answers would shake loose a dismal status quo. That is often what resolution demands.

one same heartbeat