On Monday Mayor James Perkins Jr. signed a proclamation declaring Aug. 10 – 17 Family Week.

If only all good things could come into existence with one signature.

Family Week is a yearly occurrence for the local Knights of Columbus, but this year Corey Bowie said his group wanted to be more aggressive in its approach toward the annual event. This year’s approach includes public service announcements on the radio, a pot-luck dinner in honor of families, and the proclamation signed by the mayor.

That proclamation makes Family Week not just an event for the Knights, but also for the entire city of Selma.

We couldn’t have said it better.

What better week to designate &uot;Family Week&uot; than the first week of school for Selma school children? We know the proclamation will have an effect on families, but we hope that it goes beyond that to reach teachers, students and the community as a whole.

Because shouldn’t we think of our community as one family?

When thinking of Selma as a family, that sentence from the proclamation takes on even more significance. A person walking down the street isn’t a stranger to be ignored; he’s a teacher, an attorney, a caregiver, a business owner, an employee. He’s someone to shake hands with, talk about the weather with, help if he is in need.

A person walking down the street isn’t nameless and faceless, he’s part of our community. He’s family.

Isn’t that what it’s all about?