It all comes down to compromise; something we rarely have the opportunity for when it comes to stories involving groups of government officials.

Whether they be at the national, state or local levels, very often, public officials appear to have lost the ability to compromise. Instead, compromise has been replaced with scheming and gamesmanship.

Instead of getting things done as a group, it often times becomes about winning and losing, scoring points and pulling something over on the opposition, regardless of whether or not the greater good is taken into account.

True, this is a gloomy, generalized statement of elected officials, but it is a perception many have and one that has been well earned by more than one group.

With that in mind, the compromise reached recently by the Selma City Council in the renaming of a portion of Lapsley Street in honor of Amelia Boynton-Robinson, is an example of what can happen when time is taken and thought is given.

Early on, the proposed plan to rename Lapsley Street in its entirety was heavy-handed and quickly dismissed by the majority of council members and the community.

But, the argument against the move never centered on who the street was being renamed in honor of. Instead, it was centered on erasing the Lapsley name from any portion of the street.

The ultimate decision to rename a portion of the street was smart and respectful. It did the job of both honoring a civil rights icon, while still retaining the Lapsley name, which has a strong, rich history in Selma.

But, this decision, while important, meant quite a lot to the family and friends of Mrs. Boynton-Robinson, but it did little to affect the everyday lives of Selma residents.

It was a decision where compromise was necessary, but it was a decision that was easy.

Let us hope this one easy decision is merely the beginning of additional compromises on the Selma City Council. There are a lot of bigger, harder decisions on the horizon where compromise will be desperately needed.