Remember: our rules allow pointed disagreement, but require respectful discussion.
--
As a St. Paul guy, I must chime in there. David is absolutely correct.
There's more PR than substance to this nonsense of a separate number for
Muslim/Islamic targeting. It will hurt out Muslim brothers and sisters need
for protection if people don't call 911, a system designed specifically to
respond quickly to calls for help.
Some of us over here are unconvinced by this sort of grandstanding - I'd
call it exploitation - over the issues coming in the wake of Sept. 11. There
are bound to be people overreacting in many ways to this tragedy, but not
all of them are noble causes or positions.
I grow increasingly concerned over Americans' willingness to subvert our
present systems and our freedoms toward a gossamer goal, i.e., the absolute
stifling of all threats to our well-being. We have daily threats facing us
with which we cope and still there will be victims. It is not wise to
knee-jerk alter the things that work for us generally while keeping an eye
out for the unusual.
St. Paul is doing nothing better than Minneapolis in addressing the increase
in racist violence directed, not just at Muslims, but anyone who may be of
color and appear Middle Eastern or African. Not all of our new Americans of
color are Muslim in any event. Many are Christian. Some are Jewish.
This is not a religious war, nor is it a war of race against race. This is a
war of criminals against all of the world. To start engaging in a new kind
of profiling as an excuse for patriotism run contrary to the very nature of
our republic.
Unite.
Andy Driscoll
Saint Paul
------
"The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who, in times of
moral crisis, remain neutral" --Dante
> From: "David Brauer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2001 12:23:56 -0500
> To: "'Mpls list'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: RE: [Mpls] Local Muslims seek city protection
>
> Remember: our rules allow pointed disagreement, but require respectful
> discussion.
> --
>
> Jonathan writes:
>
>> 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?
>
> Me writing:
>
> Gotta disagree here, Jonathan. Unless 911 is severely overloaded - and I
> haven't heard anyone say it is - I think one emergency number is
> definitely the way to go.
>
> Look at the story. St. Paul won't have their number up until at least
> next week. Even then, you have to publicize it. There will confusion
> about which number to call - 911 or the new number. How memorable will
> the new number be?
>
> I like Minneapolis's philosophy of one simple number for trouble. (If
> anything, despite consistent city publicity efforts, people don't
> realize that 911 is the number for anything suspicious, as well as
> emergencies.) I believe 911 operators are trained to prioritize calls.
>
> Perhaps the city should add 911 operators given the heightened chance of
> trouble. But a whole new number looks like more trouble than it's worth.
>
> I'm with the mayor on this one.
>
> David Brauer
> King Field - Ward 10
>
>
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