To address the sentiment: > Poverty is something that you and each person > gets rid of for themselves
I was raised with the belief that anyone has the ability to rise above the situation they are born in, no matter how poor or disadvantaged, but I was completely unprepared for the perspective I gained as a camp counselor for children and teens from economically disadvantaged areas of Chicago. After my experiences there, I still believe that every person has the capability to succeed, but I realize that it is a LOT easier for some than for others. It was one of many lessons, but a seminal moment was when two kids approached me to settle an argument - whose big brother had the better job? One's managed a convenience store. The other's dealt drugs. A response like "drug dealing's bad" was going to accomplish zip, so I took a straightforward approach, looked at the brother of the dealer, and asked him a rhetorical question. "You know that your brother will be dead or in prison by the time he's 25, right?" Statistically true and heavy enough that it should have settled it. Wrong. His response floored me: "Yeah, we all will be." The discussion was soon resolved, but the shock of hearing a 9- or 10-year-old boy telling me he did not expect to grow old has never left me. I don't think it is as bad here as there, but then, I live in a pretty quiet area of Northeast and work downtown. The concept of delayed gratification was drilled into me from a young age, so it was obvious that I should buckle down in high school so that college could give me more choices in life. I got scholarships, took out loans, and went for it. It didn't hurt that I had a supportive family and strong school district. >From early childhood, I was raised with the knowledge that I had these options. This other child from another neighborhood wasn't. Why would you work hard in school if you don't see a future? The concept of delayed gratification was surreal to try and communicate to these kids. Compare it to the option of being a dealer. Get some cred, get respect from your peers, have ready cash to buy things, and it looks compelling. If you've got no future either way, it's pretty tough to choose $5.75 at the mini mart when you can pull in hundreds doing the same amount of work peddling the drug du jour. . . . So what does that have to do with anything? It sounds like we have a number of groups who are doing good work trying to make sure people from all communities can take advantage the options available to them. It is vitally important that these efforts not be undermined, and that's where the concerns with the police come in. I believe that in many people's eyes, the police and the law are seen as one in the same. If the police are your enemy, so is the law. There are good officers out there reaching out and helping, but some other officers are arguably among the most destructive elements of our society because it only takes a few bad experiences before anyone in uniform is seen as the enemy. I know for a fact that if you fit certain profiles, there are some officers out there who will presume your guilt. All I know about yesterday in North Minneapolis yesterday is that a man was shot by police. There are allegations that he had a gun and fired at police. There are allegations that the gun was planted and he was shot in the back. I wasn't there, I don't know - hopefully the truth will come out with investigation. All three are presumed innocent until convicted by a jury of their peers. (By the way, does a group OUTSIDE the city police department investigate allegations regarding police impropriety? I believe shootings are, but what about the rest?) If it turns out that he had no gun, anyone involved in the fraud and shooting needs to be dealt with as criminals. If there was a gun, then the man will likely go to jail after he recovers. If it turns out that he did have a gun, I hope that activists will start to realize how destructive it is to make strong statements about things that aren't true - I can think of nothing that renders various activist communities more impotent. Again, I don't know which way it happened, so I'm reserving judgment. . . . The statement: "you got one of ours so now we got one of yours" Needs to be QUICKLY confirmed or denied, because even the perception that this was said will set the belief that the police are the enemy in the mind of anyone who considers themselves "one of yours". Situations like this HAVE to be publicly dealt with so people know it is taken seriously. Whether it did or did not happen, I want to know that it was taken seriously and investigated! The question regarding yesterday's alleged statement needs to be dealt with quickly and publicly. The last thing we need is to repeat the increased racial tensions that occurred after Officer Haaf was shot: http://www.hrw.org/reports98/police/uspo85.htm And I still want to hear an answer about this more recent incident! http://www.pulsetc.com/article.php?sid=62 At this point, based on what has been reported, I am left to assume that a criminal with a gun and a badge is cruising the streets. A criminal with a badge is far more dangerous and socially damaging than a criminal with just a gun. The allegations should be responded to and cleared or charges should be pressed. . . . We DO need to come together as a community. We who respect the courage of the Police and the risks they take to protect us, let us be aware that due some have had very bad experiences with the police. We need to continue to have gratitude and respect for those who put their lives on the line for society while committing to bringing those who tarnish the badge to justice. We, who are fully aware of the devastating impact of police brutality upon the community, need to be discerning when judging the truth of what we hear. Just because a cop is said to have done something bad does NOT mean it's true. Believing any nasty rumor will force people to side against us because they will not tolerate the implication that police are guilty by default. "Innocent until proven guilty" is a great thing about our society, and we each deserve this presumption whether we are in uniform or "sitting on a stoop". Likewise, if someone does commit a crime, that crime needs to be answered for, regardless if they are economically disadvantaged or if they are wearing a badge. There is a middle ground here. It requires honesty, transparency, and action. It calls upon each of us to suppress the knee jerk reactions we've become used to. As others have mentioned, it calls on us to stop thinking about "us and them" because it's just "us". . . . I definitely like the idea of taking initiatives encouraging people from local communities to serve as police in their communities. At the camp I mentioned above, there were a number of people who did seize it as an opportunity, got an education or vocational training, and then came back to work within their community. While it is true that each person needs to be responsible for their own lives, a little help at a critical point can go a long way. It does take time, but changes like these last a lifetime, and they spread. Has any serious consideration been given to local decriminalization of marijuana? Prohibition makes criminals out of people who otherwise wouldn't be. What is the percentage of Americans in prison/jail who go in as non-violent drug offenders? How many are worse when they come out? If we can't decriminalize it, then a person who has done nothing worse than possession should not be placed with real criminals - perhaps there's a more socially positive "punishment" we could find? Community service on a crew picking up trash and cleaning gutters in their neighborhoods could be win/win! When these crews finish their work, a community organization could invite them to a dinner/community building event. Even if you are "forced" to do something, being thanked for a job well done at the finish can have a profound impact. Finally, we need to pay police more. Consider that every time there's a car crash, domestic violence, child abuse, murder, etc., they have to deal with it. What a nightmare. We're asking them to go through training, put their life on the line, and maintain firm moral ground in the face of regular exposure to very harsh things, but yet we pay them poorly. Demand high standards, but compensate them fairly! - Jason Goray, Sheridan, NE __________________________________________________ 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
