There are a couple of points of information that need to be clarified regarding Craig Miller's response to the item I posted this morning.
1. Most landlords are decent people who would not allow children to occupy a house that had a history of being shot up, without first informing the parents of the fact. This one did not. Clearly not all rental property owners are the same. 2. Dean Zimmerman, Chief Olson, and RT Rybak have offered a personal touch in this matter that has not been witnessed in my memory. � All three were in attendance at a neighborhood crime conference yesterday. In spirit as well as body. � All three gave and accepted input into our mutually addressing the same crime problem. � RT Rybak will be personally leading such an effort. Not in words but in body. He has personally committed to participate in street patrols and Court Watches. � Chief Olson has been as open and supportive as could be asked of anyone. � Dean Zimmerman, when informed of the problem, began immediately to make phone calls. Not only to Police officials but to secure other housing for these victims. The last public official this involved in our community was then United States Attorney David Lillehaug. At that time no other official joined him, either in concern or personal involvement. I thank David for caring enough to have been there for us. We gave David Lillehaug the "Heart of Phillips Award" for his caring enough to stand alone with us. But our hearts are large and many, we have room in them for other "Public" servants who would come and share our burden and hopefully say, " I am a public servant, my dream is to serve the citizens of Minneapolis. Please, let me help you carry this burden a while with you." So I think some are missing the fact that there is a NEW Administration and a NEW City Council. In the future these folks might revert to the old way of non-involvement, but for now they have each shown a personal involvement that is unprecedented. Now it is necessary to involve the "other" elected officials, the Judges, in this personal commitment to address this endemic crime problem that has no place in Minneapolis. The citizens of greater Minneapolis are guiltier of neglect than these officials. The problem would not exist unless Minneapolitans had grown comfortable with the concentration of criminals in the poor areas of our City. All Minneapolitans should be morally outraged enough to demand the very best from our public officials and morally outraged enough to also be personally involved. All you have to do is start thinking of the people in the "Victimized" communities as US and not "them", or "those people". Well I have spent the night guarding a family and the morning with Dean Zimmerman and Gordon Thayer, of American Indian Housing, trying to find housing for that family, so the sermon is ended. I need some sleep. Who knows what excitement waits in the night. Jim Graham, Ventura Village ----- Original Message ----- From: Craig Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, June 04, 2002 8:35 AM Subject: Re: [Mpls] TERROR VISITS INDIAN CHILDREN IN THE NIGHT > Jim Graham reveals a flaw in his thinking that most Minneapolitan's have. > > I am incredibly upset by the events he describes. It almost makes me want > to really start hammering my head against the wall. But then I see the same > old same old. > > > > Terror visits Indian children in the night > > 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. > > > > The landlord who rented this house to them, > > (without telling them about its problems) > > Here is my beef. " The landlord who rented this house to them( without > telling them about its problems) ". I'll define the problem as gangbangers > who shoot people, and threaten people's lives. > > Here is a great case in point of what is wrong with our city. It is not > the landlord's duty to inform people of how much crime runs rampant. I > think Mayor RT, Chief Olson or at a minumum, Dean Z should be the one to > inform the resident upon move in. > > "Excuse me Mam/Sir. I am your local council person. Please sign here. It's > a release waiving responsibility of us, the city, for the bullets that are > going to fly through your house tonight or any other night. "Off the > record, we encourage you to do everything in your power to blame this on the > landlord who rented you this place". " If you need help ask your > neighborhood leader, Jim Graham could help you around here". Good day > Mam/Sir. > > Craig Miller > Former Fultonite > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > _______________________________________ > 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
