I had my experience of getting my 1 1/2 cents in on the MSNBC cable network yesterday.
The network was taking live comments about the proposal of the Jewish Defense League, a radical group spawned by the deceased extremist Kahane, to form armed citizen patrols to march up and down the streets at night. (This would include bats and guns.) Hullo, does this remind Sheridan residents of a former neighborhood group? I called in and told them why I knew from experience that this is a bad move. Had I more time I would have suggested instead the development of a phone tree, whereby in an emergency citizens on each block have a list of people to call, and block leaders contact block leaders on other blocks. Years ago I wrote an article in the Powderhorn Paper about the success of this method in quickly spreading the news of a man who assaulted a child in the Powderhorn Neighborhood. Although the perpetrator was not caught, his description was handed out efficiently and in a rational manner without identifying or embarrassing the victim. A spokesman for the JDL asked, "How could anyone oppose armed civilian patrols?" Well, I and another called were the sole voices of reason on the MSNBC comment line. Others exulted in the potential for Muslim deaths; one woman from Virginia said, and I quote (I wrote it down!): "I hope to see families slaughtered in mosques." How could anyone not oppose armed civilian patrols? After living in fear for a year, after the harassment I and my neighbors experienced, after all the attempts by STAY to remove me as editor of our neighborhood newspaper (citing a freelance article I wrote in favor of saving the Ritz Theatre, my personal relationship with my boyfriend, and my supposed "character flaws," for Pete's sake), how could I support arming self-styled cowboys? I don't. It's a bad idea for any neighborhood. Kristine Harley Sheridan _______________________________________ 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
