A Portland police officer, Sergeant Bret Barnum, was wearing protective head gear and patrolling a protest in Portland, Oregon when he noticed a 12-year-old boy, Devonte Hart, holding a “Free Hugs” sign.
The 21-year police vet motioned over Devonte and the pair chatted about the demonstration, school, art and life, the Oregonian reported. When their chat was over, Barnum reportedly pointed to Hart’s sign and asked, “Do I get one of those?”
Here’s the kid’s answer:
Kindness Blog 
Reblogged this on MrMilitantNegro™.
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Reblogged this on Sexual Reminisces and commented:
Alas the media rarely highlight the abundances of good works in action such as these. And they certainly don’t encourage a path of unity in today’s world. Sadly their twisted and negative influence permeates through to many sheep like thinkers. Are you a sheeplike thinker or do you investigate the fact for yourself?
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Let the healing begin. Reblogged on Nutsrok.
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Reblogged this on Nutsrok and commented:
Let the healing begin. From Kindness Blog reblogged on Nutsrok
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Reblogged this on Author P.S. Bartlett.
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Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
Hugs say and mean so much!!!
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When you see something like this, you can have hope.
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Wonderful! I love those initiatives! My most emoional and impacting hugs where those with two homeless people.
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Reblogged this on galesmind and commented:
For all thinking people. Hate accomplishes nothing. One hug felt round the world. Good job young man. Martin Luther King would pop his buttons with pride.
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Perfect. Now if we can just spread this and get others to try it too…
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Love the theme and I love the pictures, especially the one where the policeman and boy hug.
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Oh! that is so beautiful!!
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It’s a wonder that a young boy is standing there in the street, teaching the world what we should all be about. This boy has a blessed future.
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Absolutely! 🙂
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Reblogged this on Inspirational Soup and commented:
Hugs are magical
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Thanks for posting this. I’d only seen the hug photograph but without context, I’d imagined something horrible had happened. So happy to have been wrong.
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GREAT post!! I absolutely LOVE this!!! I wish there was more sharing of these types of stories & heartwarming images – quite frankly I think more of them exist, they just aren’t always shared. Anyway – thanks for sharing – looking forward to checking out more of your blog 🙂
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Hey Sadie 🙂 Thank you! 🙂
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🙂
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Reblogged this on It all started with Heathcliff.
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Yes. This. This is the type of story that should be focused on. Sadly, it is not sensational enough for most people’s tastes.
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Days before Christmas, throughout this great land,
People were raising their voices and hands,
Protesting violence both here and abroad,
Crying for justice and praying to God.
The angels looked down at what couldn’t be righted
Until crowds of people joined hands and united.
Mobs at the peak of their anger and grief
Discouraged the angels with sad disbelief.
But through clouds of chaos, a prayer was heard,
As meek as the sound of a sweet baby bird.
A young boy was weeping and standing alone,
Holding a sign he had made on his own.
Watching the protesters walk through the streets,
He offered “Free Hugs,” as they mocked the police.
One girl smiled back but was soon pushed away.
Nobody wanted a “Free Hug” that day.
As the poor boy dropped his sign on the ground,
An officer noticed his tears streaming down.
“What’s wrong?” the man asked him and listened with heart.
The boy’s deepest anguish had torn him apart.
He feared police violence he saw on the news
And longed to reach out, asking people to choose
To love one another with smiles and free hugs,
Not shooting and fighting each other as thugs!
What drew crowds in protest was not the same reason
The boy had come out, but the holiday season.
Not angry chanting, but sharing life’s song —
Gifts of the spirit to be passed along.
The officer glanced at his handwritten sign,
And asked for a hug, if the boy didn’t mind.
They hugged, and a journalist captured his tears:
Embracing a cop had erased his worst fears.
The photo went viral, online and worldwide,
Touching more hearts, reaching deeper inside
Than hundreds of rioters marching for miles.
One hug from a boy was enough to bring smiles!
The angels worked quickly to send all around
The message of hope with an impact profound,
Healing division with heavenly grace,
Humbled by tears on the little boy’s face.
Encouraged, the boy knew his prayers were heard.
His friends multiplied, helping him spread the word.
With “Free Hugs” for Christmas and through the new year,
The world was their witness that love conquered fear.
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So beautiful. Thank you, Emily.
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Hi can I use one of your photos on my website ?
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