I think Alan Shilepsky successfully brought the issue back to a Mpls issue when he pointed out that identity politics are often considered in city races (and of course we saw the debate this week about the new redistricting commission).
Both sides have made good points here, but those who saw identity does matter are right in my opinion, especially for the following reason: If people were truly elected solely on merit, and identity never mattered, then blacks, hispanics, gays, etc., would be elected randomly around the country to all sorts of offices, and while their number would not necessarily rigidly adhere to their percentage of the population, there would be some kind of resemblance. Guess what? They're not! With just a few exceptions (I remember that former Minneapolitan Mike Triggs, now living in Arizona, sent the list some exceptions last year), most members of minority groups are either elected from areas with large numbers of that group, or large numbers of people progressive enough to elect more minorities. The east side of St. Paul just elected the first Hmong legislator in the nation... do you think Moua would have been elected in Mora? And women still make up only about ten or twelve percent of the US House and Senate.... so even though women make up over 50% of the US population, politically they are still a minority group because they are not elected equally or randomly throughout the country, and political activists who feel it should be more equal, do take gender into account. As a straight, white male, I do think it matters. I hope others do too. Don Jorovsky New Brighton (25-year Mpls resident) _________________________________________________________________ Join the world�s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
