Have you seen blue lines between the double yellows on local roads? Your mind isn't tricking you, and there's a very cool reason for the azure stripe.

blue street lines
Mantua Township Police Department via Facebook
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It's a "thin blue line" meant as a show of support for local police departments.

They have popped up in towns across New Jersey including Glen Rock and Northvale in Bergen County, Marlboro and Manalapan in Monmouth County, Cherry Hill and Oaklyn in Camden County, and Woolwich and Mantua in Gloucester County and plenty of others.

You may also see red lines to support local fire departments, or white lines for local EMS crews.

Due to certain town and/or county restrictions, the lines may not be allowed on public roadways, which has kept some towns from participating. Others have gotten around that issue by painting the line on private roads or in parking lots.

The lines are not without controversy of course. In one North Jersey town, a councilman questioned if the movement was appropriate.

We're a town that's less than 5-percent black and there is a major national race issue in this country. The prism of the nation right now says that if you put a blue line there, you are a racist ... that's the problem with what we have right now. You are either 'Blue Lives Matter' or you're 'Black Lives Matter,' and I hate that, and the way to toe the line is to not choose a side right now."

I don't necessarily agree with that statement, but I certainly understand it. It would appear that you either support one or the other, but I don't think that actually needs to be the case. We can support the local police officers who are doing a good job and still support any community that's being discriminated against, all while realizing some things do need to change.

Maybe we start with a little blue paint, and continue to spread the positivity from there.

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