Yessss.
Andy Driscoll
Saint Paul
------
"I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied
corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of
strength, and bid defiance to the laws of the country."
--- Thomas Jefferson,1816
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2002 23:09:38 EST
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: [Mpls] Open Season
>
> The latest message sent to our community from our police department is that
> they will not tolerate anyone not doing as they are told. Yes, the man had a
> big knife. Yes, he was mental ill. But I have yet to hear that he attacked an
> officer. All of the accounts that I have heard have said that he hit a police
> car. No, I would not have tried to take the large knife from this man. But I
> would have tried to call an expert to talk to him. I understand that our
> police force is not properly trained to handle situations such as this. I do
> think that some of them should be extensively trained in this field of
> community service as peace officers. Still, maybe the problem is that our
> police department does not receive adequate firearms training. I cannot
> understand why they must always fire upon our fellow citizens so many times
> in order to subdue them. It is clear to me that the message is that they will
> not simply disarm a person in this type of situation, they will kill. And if
> the order in this type of situation is to kill if you cannot handle the
> situation, why not just a shot to the head. No, another message must be
> understood by the public that they serve. We must understand that we will be
> shot down in a manner to make a statement. This type of statement is no
> different from those of drug lords, organized crime, or wartime extremist. It
> is meant to frighten, to create terror and to instill into the victims (our
> community) a sense of fear. Many people in the Somali community have
> displayed not only shock to me but they are also very afraid.
> I can tell all of you this. They have my attention! If stopped I will say,
> yes sir officer. I will not make any fast moves to my glove compartment. I
> will speak only when spoken to and I will do everything that they say exactly
> the way they say to do it.
>
> This fear that I have is for real. Yes, we can all write of how we feel
> things should be changed. But has anyone read anything on list that we have
> not heard before? When will actions that instill fear and bring death to our
> community be answered with actions that give us confidence that it will no
> longer be tolerated?
>
> They way I see it the city of Minneapolis has two problems. First we must
> have a citizens review board that is properly staffed and has a level of
> authority. Second, the city and Hennepin County must come together and
> address the undeserved and mistreated mentally ill. What has been happening
> to the mentally ill with Minneapolis is no less of a moral crime then some of
> the ungodly things that have happened to the weak and disoriented during war
> time, civil rights movements, or slavery? We can no longer permit our fellow
> citizens to be forgotten and allow the police department to have open season
> on them.
>
> I have not said anything about the mistreatment of people of color by our
> police department. Today I felt that we have hit a new low when those most
> venerable in our community are abused.
>
> I will march, I will speak. But I will cry on the inside because I know this
> will not bring change, we do not have the power. It is up to those in power
> to bring about change. RT, and Dean have a good start, but they cannot do it
> alone. They must be joined with the power of the full City Council and the
> Hennepin County Board of Commissioners.
>
> Please everyone, be safe out there, its open season.
>
> Zack 8th ward
> _______________________________________
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