Maybe the police is a "side" and the community is the "other side". But I hope the mediator can succeed in convincing them they are not "sides". How is the police going to succeed without the community on the team? And how is the community going to succeed without some police help. In short, they have very important interests in common, and they need to get a grip on that and learn to function the way a team does. The police have NEEDS. The members of the community has to learn to recognize those needs because it doesn't want to be ruled by outlaws. At least, not if it is a normal community. In fact, if the representatives of the community isn't a resistance against rule by outlaws, it isn't representing the majority of a community because I take it as a natural law that majorities everywhere want peace and freedom in their community, something you just don't get under outlaw rule.
Avoiding future confrontations and needless tragedies involves learning effective ways to behave as allies in bring peace and freedom to the community. I believe both groups (I won't call them "sides") have some learning to do, but it is in their common interest to do that learning. ===== ===== Jim Mork----Cooper Neighborhood "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God"--Matthew 5:9 United for Peace http://www.unitedforpeace.org/ __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
