Sums-up my feelings pretty well Jonathan. Apparently, even though we live in a city that is made-up of what 22% African American, the DFL still chooses to place a much higher priority on being politically correct (in hiring a union printer) than it does on furthering the cause of job creation for disadvantaged minorities. One has to wonder whose priorities are out of line.
I am white, yet it hit me right between the eyes when someone once said to me "the reason change comes so hard, is because the people in power have yet to realize that they don't have to give-up their piece of the pie to allow the others their fair share".
Is it possible that Don's campaign has "dissed" no one? Instead maybe he has chosen to make a statement of what he views as an equally important issue? The lack of employment opportunities available to disadvantaged minorities.
I personally find it interesting that Don, most likely because he IS African American, is being 'taken to task" on the issues of being both politically correct and doing the right thing in supporting job opportunities for minorities, yet Olin is not.
I could care less if Don were an alien with seven toes and fingers on each hand and foot. I'd still vote for him because he's willing to do the right thing and take a stand on a very tough (and apparently) unpopular issue.
For me to be able to get behind an effort to censor Don for his stance on the correctness of hiring a minority would, in my opinion, be hypocritical.
Dennis Plante
Jordan
>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: [Mpls] Questions and WHO can't find a union printer...
>Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 14:48:28 -0500
>
>Hear Hear Lisa, the problem is that all of the detractors want you to "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain as it were" and obfuscate the true issues with political sound bytes.
>
>Wizard raised an interesting argument except for one thing...no printer was selected prior to the convention. It wasn't until after the convention that the Samuels campaign began looking at the printers, ergo her argument is moot. In fact none of the unions have even bothered to invite Don to screen with them, yet the campaign is chastised and accused of union busting because in a special election it decided to support economic and minority business development within its ward boundaries. Yet no issue was raised when the Moore camp took their dollars not only out of the ward but out of the City. Since this is such a pressing issue to the Moore camp, why didn't they utilize a printer in the 3rd ward?
>
>This campaign has been rife not only with inane questions, but with attacks and threats of legal action against the campaign for daring to "not know its place" by utilizing a local printer or daring to call Don a "DFL candidate". In fact, I have even been told I should resign my position as a director of the CD and co-chair of the Affirmative Action Commission by 5th CD DFL Leadership because it is "insulting" and "disrespectful" that I would be 'uppity' enough to have chosen to support an African American man running as a DFler over the endorsed candidate who is a White man. All of this while we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a man who stood for justice, civil rights and freedom. And because of that, it brings to my mind several questions:
>
>-How appropriate it is to tell the Affirmative Action Commission co-chair that for promoting a DFL candidate who is a person of color, that they should resign?
>
>-Why is it that there is not a single originally endorsed DFL Council member of color?
>
>-Why is it that the DFL tries to railroad out of the party people that disagree with them?
>
>-Or how inappropriate it is for African Americans and other people of color to be told that their time has not yet come?
>
>-Or how inappropriate it is that close-minded party-centric hacks continue to drive the DFL toward minority status?
>
>-Why is it okay for the 32 year old white DFL-endorsed candidate with no platform to continue to appropriate the positions, words and record of the 53 year old African American candidate and call them his own and the party still calls him the better candidate and continues to lambaste the other for principled decisions?
>
>There are no answers to these questions forthcoming and every time they're asked you get a deflection faster than Vice President Cheney on business ethics. But I guess if these questions were to be considered, someone would have to take a good look at the inconsistencies in practices.
>
>I have posted sections of the platform with little response – and nothing forthcoming from Olin’s campaign on where he stands other than the message of “Olin agree with everything Don says –but he's not a black man from North Minneapolis”
>
>Lets get this back to issues: How about this:
>
>RACE RELATIONS
>"Minneapolis is strongest when we all work together. Embracing our differences makes us better."
>- Expect that issues of race will be part of public policy decisions in meaningful, open, and honest way.
>- Work with other governmental jurisdictions to eliminate racial disparities in our criminal justice, public health, economic development and education systems.
>- Work together. We can talk about building bridges or we can roll up our sleeves and solve common problems together.
>
>Jonathan Palmer
>in Victory
>
>"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
>-Martin Luther King, Jr.
>_______________________________________
>
>Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy
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_______________________________________
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