Thank you for your support of the actions that we took in the past week.
It is a reflection of our community and this city that discrimination is
not something that helps foster anything but more discrimination.
When I look at the Middle East and the violence, I see a hotbed of
intolerance and it is ugly. I urged the Viking Council to challenge
authority by working to bring the Natl. Scout Council around to the fact
that discrimination is hurtful. The Scouts have removed barriers in the
past in relationship to people of color, many religions, and to some
extent, females. I hope that this barrier to participation will fall as well.
We are lucky to have Catherine Shreves on our Board. She is very
thoughtful and really has a positive, forward looking perspective that will
benefit the entire district. I must also speak up for Al Gallmon and
Sandra Miller. We have a good mix of people on the Board. All our members
are thoughtful and bring a lot to the table. Al Gallmon has a unique gift
of understanding, commitment and connection to the community that makes him
invaluable. Sandra Miller has a very down to earth, realistic approach to
many topics that makes her a vital and valuable participant in all issues.
She really can cut to the core on so many topics and brings much to the table.
In the role of a Board whose members act as the Trustees to the community,
it is important that we speak in one voice. That is not to say that we all
agree on every issue, or that we come to the conclusion of discussion in
the same way. But we must not politicize education, that undermines so
many school districts and superintendents. We have a very capable
Superintendent and we have a Board that realizes it is not our job to micro
manage. I have come to respect all the Board Members. Minneapolis has
chosen wisely!
Thanks again for your support!
Audrey Johnson
MPS board Member 10th Ward
At 05:36 PM 10/15/00 -0500, R.T.Rybak wrote:
>
>I agree with Eva that the Minneapolis School Board deserves credit for
>taking a stand against discrimination by the Boy Scouts.
>
>I hope people also note that a key player in the school board's actions was
>Catherine Shreves. You may remember that when she was running for the seat
>the Stonewall Caucus came out against Catherine, giving her a very low
>rating.
>
>Those of us who have known her were very upset by this because we knew that
>she would be a very important voice for inclusion and would never tolerate
>discrimination.
>
>I hope the caucus notes this vote in the next election because she deserves
>better treatment if we're lucky enough to have her run for reelection.
>
>
