JIM GRAHAM wrote: > Michael Atherton expressed some concern that these should not be > "Petty Crimes", that RT was speaking of. Michael should know that > people who have been arrested 50, 75, and in some cases 125 times > for drug trafficking are not considered by the neighborhood as "Petty", > no matter what their ages. Those are the criminals RT is talking about, > not some kid shop-lifting. Also the very best thing that could happen > to some of the young Gang-Banging drug traffickers IS a very harsh > early treatment. These young thugs laugh about the possibility of getting > caught and going to jail. They know that there are no,or little, legal > consequences for their actions. The very real consequences for their > choices, such as early death, and no future with almost guaranteed > chemical dependency, just are not apparent to them.
I will admit that I have no interest in living in a neighborhood besieged by drugs and prostitution. However, it should be clear by now that nothing short of the world's most repressive fascist police state to going to win the drug war. There are effective methods to move drugs out of your neighborhood and into someone else's, but I see only one long term solution: end prohibition. Given that this is unlikely to occur any time soon (however, I was surprised about welfare reform), we need interim solutions. Jailing very African American, Hispanic, Asian, and White youth who becomes involved with drugs is not a viable solution; there will always be someone younger to take their place. You cannot teach abstinence in a culture that tolerates the use of some drugs and disdains the use of others. Why is it that we allow the sale of an additive drug to children as young as three or four? And if you don't know what I'm talking about you'd better think about it for a while. > Remember Michael, our courts and school system created this crime > problem, not poverty. It is our society that created this problem not just the courts and the school system. I believe that it is the school system may offer the best interim solution to the drug problem. Many children use drugs because they have no direction, are bored, and have few options. If implemented wisely the schools can impact (but not solve) all of these problems. By the way, what do people think is going to happen when you place a large number of teenagers on the streets with no marketable job skills? Which is why I propose instituting a comprehensive vocational program in the MPS. > So Michael come up to the "War Zone" on > Franklin and to the Near North and see what RT was talking about. > I know Michael is running for School Board and attempting to seize > the issue from that perspective, but this problem is far to serious to > project political opportunism into the conversation. The response > Michael made to RT would not be very well appreciated by the > families in these "War Zones" who struggle each day to raise their > own children with sometimes life threatening issues. > So Michael, I invite you, as I have other politicians, to come up > and take a walk with a couple of residents some Saturday afternoon. > You can learn what the "Real World" is about. Contact me off list > and I, and maybe Tall-Tom Donaldson can give you the tour. > Don't worry, we will protect you, and promise you an interesting time. I know far more about the "Real World" than I should have ever been exposed to or involved with and I can guaranty that imprisoning all the "young Gang-Banging drug traffickers" is not going to solve your problem, they'll only return in five or ten years more dangerous than before. Law enforcement should concentrate on removing the most violent offenders for "life." There's no reason that anyone who murders another person should ever see the streets again. We should, however, try to do something for the others. And thank you anyway, but I've had enough interesting times in my life and now I'd just like to live long enough to see my children graduate from college. However, if you'd like to set up a meeting with you and some of the kids in your neighborhood about what they think can be done to improve the schools and the dropout rate I'd be happy to attend. Michael Atherton Candidate for Minneapolis School Board Prospect Park http://QualityEd.US ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prepared and paid for by the Atherton for MPS Committee. 156 Orlin Ave SE, Mpls, MN 55414 _______________________________________ 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
