Michelle:
I'd truly like to believe your rendition of events related to the mediation. However, as someone that lives one block away from 26th and Knox, that personally made roughly 20-30 of the roughly four hundred 911 calls related to that street corner (precipitating the serving of the warrant), I am somewhat skeptical. It was mentioned that most of the "disgruntled" residents were "rich, white people". I have news for you, there are far more african americans that were involved in the process of making those calls than there were whites.
While I agree with you that the police force (in Minneapolis) needs to be reviewed and that drastic changes need to be made, I, as a resident of North Minneapolis, am very dismayed by your inability to recognize the other issues surrounding many of these police/citizen confrontations.
Being poor, or black (or both) SHOULD entitle an individual to the same rights and privileges as being white, or affluent (or both). However, to be successful in our efforts to precipitate change, we must be able (and willing) to look at issues objectively.
I recently lost my battle in mentoring a 15 year-old disadvantaged youth to drug-dealing on that street corner (26th & Knox). He was arrested (twice) and placed in a halfway home, only to fall victim (a 3rd time) to the plight of boys his age in my neighborhood. He had no parents to guide him and possibly, offer him an alternative role model. It was left up to a neighbor, that feels horrible for having failed.
The "pit of despair" as I call that street corner is very real, and has a HUGE impact on the young african american males in my community. Most of them never have a chance to grow-up and lead productive lives. It is easier to look upon the issue of "police brutality" as the singular cause of the current plight of our neighborhood, than it is to spread the blame around, where it belongs.
While I am not pleased with the current leadership of the Minneapolis Police Force, I am no less pleased by the ability of the activists involved with changing the current process into something that will allow harmony to exist in our multi-racial community.
You hit the nail on the head in ONE excerpt of your "report" on last Augusts' melee. Most of the citizens in Jordan are both law-abiding AND want a peaceful neighborhood. To sacrifice the safety of this majority, by overlooking acts that are truly wrong, is no less wrong, than what you so stridently and ardently are trying to change.
Dennis Plante
Jordan
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