When I read the subject line, I assumed it had something to do with an incident related to the Indian/Pakistani conflict. Nope, just domestic terrorism in the city.
It's appalling how "matter of fact" incidents such as the one described by Jim Grahm are becoming, and also appalling that the average Minnesotan would rather not think about it, vs do something about it. It's true, I believe, that we have a pathetic criminal justice system that can't appropriately address this issue because so many folks within the system chose not to. I have come to believe that the word "criminal" modifies "justice system" in a way we didn't anticipate. Many of our local politicians like to talk about accountability. Well, the major functional component of accountability is CONSEQUENCES! If there are no consequences for mis-deeds, then the behavior will continue. Why does Minneapolis tolerate the level of crime and renewed round of gang violence that we are currently experiencing? Therapy is not the solution, it's been tried. What are we going to do? Time for an attitude adjustment and restructure the local justice system, if that's what it takes. David Piehl Central JIM GRAHAM wrote: Terror visits Indian children in the night First let me apologize if the grammar in this post is a little skewed. After sitting and standing guarding a family through the night ones thoughts may be slightly incoherent. On Wednesday June 3 Mayor Rybak, City Councilpersons, Chief Olson, and other law enforcement officials came together with community leaders to plan a strategy to attack the endemic drug and crime problems on Franklin Avenue. This conference came too late to help six small children and a mother who were terrorized by drug gangsters on that same night however. This was the same family I reported on who were terrorized over the Memorial Day holiday. A large rock was hurled through the window of the house while the children and their family slept at 3:00AM. On the side door was taped another letter threatening to kill the family. This time inside the letter were bullets with the reminder that it could have been those bullets coming through the house. Most of you and surely your children have never experienced the fear of waking in the middle of the night to the shear terror of being killed in your sleep. Think for a moment of your children and the effect of such terror. Put yourself in the place of the mother clutching her children, while they cried and screamed that they were going to be killed. Safe in your homes I am sure most of you cannot even imagine such horror. This horror does exist today and not in some far off country, it happens in Minneapolis, in the Phillips neighborhood, in a country that is supposed to protect its children. My question to all of you is -- what are you going to do about it? A fellow list member commented after my Memorial Day post that he was amazed that it received so little comment. According to him that post was, "like a stone thrown into a pond that hit, but left no ripples". Isn't it time for a little outrage, a little moral outrage to take place. I ask that each of you to close your eyes and think of a child peacefully asleep in bed, when suddenly that very loud crash comes, startled the child wakes screaming, in their hearts knowing it's the drug gangsters coming to shoot them in their beds, listen to the fear, look at the terror on their faces. Jim Graham __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.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
