Eva Young wrote: >"Urban Ventures serves the Central and Phillips neighborhoods of south >central Minneapolis. The area has the highest crime rates in the >metropolitan area, and is plagued with prostitution, drugs and alcohol >dependency, father absence and violence. "Urban Ventures is very good at portraying >Central as a crime ridden ghetto. > I hate to burst your bubble, but Central does have a very high crime rate.
> > In my opinion, having Art >Erickson and Urban Ventures portray the neighborhood in this manner is >exploiting the fears and misperceptions of suburbanites about the city in >the worst ways to make money for Urban Ventures. It does not help the >Central Neighborhood to be portrayed in this way. Instead, what would be >good is to portray the neighborhood as a place where suburbanites who are >sick of long commutes into the city, might want to move to, rather than a >place to give money to Urban Ventures to assuage their white guilt. > Guilt schmilt. As long as Art's suburbanites are scared, they won't be coming here. My observation is that they come, get freaked out, and leave then bad mouth us because they are not "urban ready." Or else they portray themselves as "urban pioneers" which makes me want to gag. > > >There have not been line item vetos coming out of the governor's office >yet. This Colin Powell Youth Center is prime veto bait. Please help the >people who live in Central, and call Ventura's office (651-266-3391) and >tell him to Veto the Colin Powell Youth Center. > >We do not need an organization that promotes this type of "Leadership >Development": The goal of Leadership Development is to develop students >who by >their senior year in high school are so committed to Jesus Christ that they >can survive and thrive in any environment. > UV's Colin Powell Center isn't like public school. The parents CHOOSE to send their kids there. The parents have Christian backgrounds, so it fits with what they believe and they feel their kids are safe there. The other issue is that this program, entirely voluntary, serves mostly African American childen, whose families also have a church tradition which they have used to contend with both slavery and racism. They are not opposed to having the Colin Powell Center. In looking at the stink Eva Young has created about this center, it's based entirely in a church magazine or newsletter alledgedly sent to one gay mann in the neighborhood some ten years ago. I lived here then, (I've lived here most of the last 30 years) two blocks away from the recipient, and got no magazine. Why should African American kids, who do need strength to thrive in any environment, have to pay for this alleged church magazine? Erickson, whom I do not particularly like, is the Director of UV, he won't be doing any athletics with these kids. I get a clear picture that Eva has a personal problem with religion--and it's strictly a personal problem. As a person who chose to live here and continues to make that choice, I don't think this particular center is going to scar the neighborhood for life. As an aside, it was also African Americans who wanted a hotel. African Americans, who are not the majority, but do hold the plurality in Central, probably should have some say in this. Us mixed Caucasians only comprise some 25% of the neighborhood. For some Central residents diversity is fine so long as the Caucasians control what happens. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt; sucks big time. WizardMarks, Central > >_______________________________________ >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 > _______________________________________ 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
