"For starters, the politics, egos and turf issues seem to be much more intense in the larger of the Twin Cities. In St. Paul, an NAACP leader invited a federal mediator to help. It was a no-brainer that two of the city's most prominent civil rights organizations, namely the NAACP and the Urban League, ought to be involved. In Minneapolis, a mediator was invited in; then a negotiating group was formed without representation from either civil rights group. Big mistake." -- Mediation: There is much to be learned from St. Paul. Star Tribune editorial Jan 10, 2003
In Minneapolis, the initiative to invite a federal mediator was also taken by a leader of the NAACP: Ron Edwards. Other NAACP members were involved in organizing protests and community meetings about police brutality. However, those NAACP members do not run with the crowd that is in charge of the Minneapolis NAACP branch. I agree that the Minneapolis NAACP branch leadership should have a seat at the table, but to represent the political establishment which tolerates police brutality, not the community members who are being terrorized by police officers. -Doug Mann, King Field Mann for School Board web site: http://educationright.tripod.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
