>
> Nazi Germany was before my time. However, thanks to public education and the
> fact that there seem to be bi-monthly movie releases about this era,
> most people of my generation (Generation X) have a degree of
> understanding of how difficult living in that period must have been;
> individual rights were sacrificed for the "greater good" of the "nation".
>
This is really insulting. There is no way you can know what the Jews,
Gypsies, mentally ill or POWs were put through in Nazi Germany. It is a
foreign concept for Gen-Xers like you and I who have never had to face
the threat of genocide. Movies, books and other accounts cannot do it
justice.
> In any case, the scene of the Minneapolis police mobilizing against the
> world trade protestors ran chills up my spine.
>
This insinuation is even more alarming. The Minneapolis police are not
brown shirts and the genetics conferenct was no Christalnacht. Talk about
chills...
>
> While I know that the Minneapolis police do a good job at a lot of
> things, this was waaaaay over the top!
>
The Minneapolis Police are people who work to protect as many people as
possible. The right to peacably assemble does not include the right to
intimidate or interfere with the freedoms of others. Nowhere in the
constitution does it say citizens have the right to keep other citizens
from going to meetings. In order to protect the freedom of movement for
uninvolved citizens the police did what they had to do.
My company was attempting to recruit a potential employee that week. We
put him up at the Hilton. My company has nothing to do with genetic
research. What is the copability of the protesters that forced him to go
to another hotel? Who is responsible if a talented software engineer is
lost to out of town competition? Ultimately, the mayor is
responsible. The administration acted to protect the equal rights of all.
Did they spend too much money? Of course. Were they too brutal? I
personally think so. But, The protests came on the heals of Seattle,
where fringe elements destroyed property and rioted. If the Mayor and
police chief had failed to provide enough security and things had gotten
out of hand, MOST citizens of Minneapolis would have reacted with more
fervor than the vocal minority who felt their rights had been
violated.
Would any elected official (besides maybe Niland) allow another
Seattle. I doubt it.
Evan Schnell
Ward 1, Como
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"I too am a wartime consigliere." --Leo McGarry "The West Wing"
_______________________________________________
Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy
Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more:
http://e-democracy.org/mpls
