The segregation has gone on long enough.

We must emancipate the barriers that divide a select group of athletes in Bedford County.

A division of men on the softball diamond must be no more.

For years now, the Church Softball League has played on one side of Shelbyville at Never Rest Park.

The league that has come to be known as the New Era Adult Softball League has fielded teams at H.V. Griffin Park.

Due to various reasons, league administrators have asked ballplayers to choose between the two.

Thus, separate collections of softball players, playing in the same town less than 10 miles apart from one another barely even know the names of the teams in the opposing league, let alone see the brand of ball being played.

The time has come to break the chains on the barriers between these ball-playing brothers and allow them to take the field as a simple community of athletes in front of friends and family that will finally be able to compare the names printed in the paper.

Each of the leagues' respective presidents -- Church League President Donnie Robertson and New Era President Mack Bell -- must take the time to get the ball rolling.

This is not a proposal to join all 16 teams together in one singular league but rather a small post-season tournament featuring a few squads from each. The top three teams from both Never Rest and H.V. Griffin in a single-elimination, two-day ordeal with the league champions getting first round byes will suffice.

Everything isn't all cut-and-dry. Someone has to pay for scorekeepers and umpires. It wouldn't hurt to have a concession stand up and running for the vast amount of spectators that are likely to attend. A trophy or plaque to the victor would be nice as to help the event evolve into a yearly trend. Who is going to pay for all this?

A sponsor or two and small collection at the gate could resolve most, if not all of those issues though.

Not everybody plays by the same rules or even with the same balls either.

The two leagues are hardly on the same schedule as well. Sure, both have their own tournaments winding down and reaching conclusion within the next week or so. But, a handful of the church goers also have a district tournament in Murfreesboro coming up.

Also, as is the case with any adult sport this time of year, many families are partaking on summer vacations. Not everyone is going to want to take the field with anything less than their full roster available.

Hopefully a compromise can be reached and a middle-road advanced upon.

Still, devil's advocates are going to wonder, "Why all the trouble?"

"Aren't these groups of people playing apart from one another for a reason? Don't they smoke in the dugouts over there?"

"It's just softball right? Aren't 15 games or so enough already? My husband is grumpy enough with not getting those weeknights off to relax as it is."

"They aren't used to playing competitively. They have elderly men and teenagers all over the field."

Perhaps the good aspects of each party will rub off on the other. People who haven't seen or played against each other since they were kids will get to do so once again.

Those who claim that their brand of ball is far superior to the other will finally get a chance to prove it.

Those who have been accustomed to playing in front of 2-3 people should get the opportunity to compete with a crowd on hand.

A softball season that is already too short as compared to many other cities of similar size will extend slightly for about 60 players or so.

This is not the work of a communist regime and everyone involved has been professional in handling their respective leagues all year long.

This can work. It will just take some initiative from specific parties.

Let's see what happens.