Re: [Mpls] Local Muslims seek city protection

[Jhpalmerjp]

Please someone tell me there's more to this story that wasn't said.  Please tell me that I have missed something and that St. Paul has not again eclipsed Minneapolis in dealing with matters of racism like they have with racial profiling.

"St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman said he will set up a telephone hot line that Muslims who have been threatened or attacked can call. The number isn't expected to be operating until at least next week. Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton is asking people in her city who feel threatened to simply call 911."

911 is the same number that people call for everything from noise complaints to homicides.  And with our already overworked police staff, having to prioritize calls, how are they going to distinguish between incidents of say, a bunch of passengers on a plane who think anyone of Arab descent must be a threat, and and actual situation of 3 "good ole boys" drinking Old Milwaukee in a pickup and waiting for their "patriotism" to kick in.

More to the point, if we're being "assured that any action taken against residents of Minneapolis because of their race, ethnicity of religion will not be tolerated."  Given the above description why would we have them just call 911?  And isn't this the same thing that we've heard about racial profiling?  Yet it still goes on and we have yet to come up with a significant or sufficient means of addressing the problem.

Please, please, please someone tell me that I have missed a large piece of the plan, and that in the wake of this terrible tragedy, something more than the "racism is bad" speech is being given to our city.  Something worthy of the level of significance that these circumstances warrant.

Jonathan Palmer
Stevens Square-Loring Heights