The Police Federation's response implied that Natalie Johnson Lee said that Ms. Donald was a victim of the police. Their response also suggested that the Council Member opined that the loss to society was equivalent.
After re-reading the Council Member's email yet again, I saw nothing which said this. She did not call Ms. Donald a victim and she specifically highlighted Officer Schmidt's contributions to society. She did not even mention Ms. Donald's name - the closest she gets is to mention the Donald family. Did Ms. Donald bring her death upon herself, and in the process kill an exemplary officer? By all current evidence, yes. This does not take away the fact that she was a human being that died and that many people feel that the loss of a life is tragic, even if she brought it on herself. I know that the Police are grieving the loss of their friend and coworker. So are most of us - not only the loss of Officer Schmidt, but the awful grief that her partner and coworkers must be facing! This, however, does not allow the Police Officers Federation to act however they wish. It is in times of trial that it is of most importance to act with integrity, especially when one is in a position of power. In this case, we are talking about a political entity that represents those who are called upon most heavily in times of strife. Natalie Johnson Lee sent an email which praised a fallen officer and called for people to mourn two deaths. The response by the Police Officers Federation of misrepresenting what she said and calling for her resignation is not acceptable. It is even less acceptable during a time when everyone's hurt and raw. The tone of their response and what they read into the Council Member's email was also indicative of other problems that have existed for some time. The concerns about this have little or nothing to do with what happened in the Horn Tower complex. There is no evidence that the officers mistreated Ms. Donald in any way. The other subjects that have been brought up are relevant because they support the theory that the reaction from the Federation was not an out of character response based on grief but are perhaps more endemic. Some people may feel that not every human life has worth. I disagree strongly, but it is more or less a religious belief and I respect people's right to have their own beliefs. The immediate problem is a political attack was made on a Council Member due to a compassionate email. The long term problem is that to promote the dehumanization of people on the wrong side of the law will have many destructive effects on our community. I find it ironic that I have had to use a very similar argument with those who would dehumanize anyone who goes into law enforcement. - Jason Goray, NE (Sheridan) To analyze what Natalie Johnson Lee actually said, First Paragraph: * we grieve with the MPD, Horn Tower residents, the Schmidt family, the Donald family, and the city. * It is a day of mourning and we pause to reflect on these untimely deaths. * Both of the deceased were citizens and human beings. The second paragraph was entirely praising Melissa Schmidt. Third Paragraph: * We understand the pain of losing loved ones * We understand untimely deaths * We should use this as an opportunity to renew our commitment to community safety and non-violent conflict resolution. * We should love one another. Fourth Paragraph: * Encourage religious institutions to ring their bells in memory of the slain. * Pledge to ensure that something good comes out of this tragedy. * Affirmation of life and recognizing the lessons in death. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? HotJobs - Search Thousands of New Jobs http://www.hotjobs.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
