from the article: As the night's events continue to reverberate throughout Minneapolis, what many seem to find most interesting is not that a botched police raid resulted in the shooting of a child or that the event touched off a near race riot (or rebellion) in Jordan. It's that MPD leaders essentially ceded control of the situation to outspoken black activists like Spike Moss and Shane Price. In the days following the melee, various neighborhood groups in Jordan complained that Moss and the City, Inc., were grandstanding outsiders who moved in with little regard for other, longer-standing grassroots community efforts. Chief Olson was criticized for issuing Moss a batch of MPD ID cards and offering to pay $6,000 to a "citizen patrol" group organized by Moss, which walks through the neighborhood at night discouraging drug sales and other criminal activity.
============================== EY: That was my question also. I wondered if the police pulling back to let Price and Moss handle it increased the risk to the reporters. I would also like to thank Reporters -- and list members -- who tried to cover this event -- like Judith Borger. I'm curious whether the Pulse reporter -- Howell, who wrote the article that suggested that the media had it coming (something the Committee Against Police Brutality also said publically) was there on the scene. This article also states that the reason Price and Moss were needed was because of the Police Federation: No matter their motives, or their history with Olson, it's hard not to defend the words and actions of Price and Moss since August 22. Too much time has been spent decrying Price and especially Moss as opportunist, especially when you pause to note why their involvement was necessary in the first place. Specifically, the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis has created such a racial divide in this city that it seems ridiculous to nit-pick the motivations of those who are trying to contain the violence that has stemmed from it. ================================== EY: Most city officials, and police leaders -- such as Dolan of the 4th precinct have said publically that Moss and Price helped contain the situation. I thought the Police Federation statement was horrible and was putting gasoline on the fire. However, from what I've seen, there are some -- like that Committee Against Police Brutality that seem to have purposely tried to escalate this situation to add grist to their lawsuit. I do think it's problematic that the number of black police officers has gone down in the last five years. What is happening with that? Is the police department aggressively recruiting minority officers? They should be. At the same time, in Central, there are residents from all races who want good policing in the neighborhood to help reduce crime. The article continues: The racial overtones of the Federation's August 7 letter calling for the resignation of council member Natalie Johnson Lee were impossible to ignore in the black community if not the city at large. Johnson Lee's unforgivable transgression was to send out an e-mail noting that two people died at Horn Terrace and Tower the night Martha Donald, a 60-year old black resident of the complex, shot and killed Melissa Schmidt, a white police officer, and was in turn shot and killed by Schmidt or her white partner. The council member gave ample tribute to the heroism and honor of Schmidt. But she also asked that we grieve for Donald's family and those who had loved her. With needless hyperbole, the Federation equated Donald with notorious terrorist Timothy McVeigh. The officers union also took the stark position that Donald's family was not worthy of sympathy and that Johnson Lee was not fit to represent her constituents. That both women are black was not lost on the African-American community. Before the Federation's letter was published, the outpouring of love and support for Melissa Schmidt was a universally healing force in this city. Afterward, Price says, "it racially polarized people. All of a sudden if I am supporting Natalie it means I am not in support of that officer and her family. That is absolutely not true, but that was the perception you had to fight." =================================== EY: The Police Federations letter was bad, but I also continue to remain skeptical about the motives of Spike Moss and the City Inc. However I'm also tired of hearing the excuses for the attacks on the media. There is no excuse for that. I hope the people who beat up the reporters and torched the media van are caught, convicted and do prison time for their actions. I also don't see how the attitude of "blame everybody else" is going to help young African American kids learn to succeed in the world. If you keep on hearing, there aren't any jobs out there, and the only choice is drug dealing, then that message in itself helps perpetuate the problem. Eva Eva Young Near North Minneapolis "You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone - not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc., but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be." --Article II of the Bill of Non-Rights. _______________________________________ 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
