I don't know Spike Moss personally, but I can share an experience that sheds some light on who he is.
In 1999, following the Hollman Decree and the decision to tear down numerous public housing units on the north side of Minneapolis, Mr. Moss, along with 12 other local activists (including Neva Walker, before she became a legislator) were arrested while attempting to prevent the destruction of those housing units (a sit-in, of sorts, to prevent the wrecking crews from doing their work). All 13 people were charged with trespassing by the City Attorney's office. I was, at the time, a law student at the University of Minnesota and I was asked to serve as a volunteer student attorney for one of the 13 defendants. This effort was coordinated by the Hennepin County Chief Public Defender, the late William McGee. Mr. Moss was present at a number of the defense strategy sessions leading up to the group's court appearances. During those sessions, I was impressed by his courage (in the face of possible fines and jail time) and his willingness to stand up for what those defendants saw as an injustice being perpetrated against their neighbors and their neighborhood. In the end, Hennepin County Judge Myron Greenberg granted our motion to dismiss the charges against the group "in the interest of justice." I suspect that nobody was more relieved than the City Attorneys since they were stuck between their duty to enforce the law and their reluctance to get involved in a trial that would have been less about trespassing and more about the city's housing crisis. So, who is Spike Moss? He's an activist and I guess the role of an activist is to engage in activities that bring attention to problems. If Spike Moss makes some of us uncomfortable, perhaps it's because the issues he raises aren't ones we're comfortable with. For now, I'm just thankful that there seems to be some peace on the north side - however it has come about. Let's hope the justice (in whatever form it needs to take) follows soon. Paul C. Rohlfing - temporarily in Bethesda, Maryland (formerly Linden Hills and Lyndale) [EMAIL PROTECTED] _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx _______________________________________ 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
