on 6/9/03 6:04 PM, Jim Mork at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: <snip>
> Increasingly, BESIDES being racially > different, they don't even live in the same city. > Since the state vetoed any attempt by Minneapolis > (or any other city) to require residency, our > city government is hiring more and more people > from beyond its borders. And that tends to mean > more and more white people since the city and > suburbs are racially different to a meaningful > degree. And it is THAT experiential difference > that matters. When I speak to my neighbors, we > share a big community of experience. We can > bridge our misunderstandings. Suburban culture, meaning the lack of gunfire, and Ghetto culture, meaning no lack of gunfire, are equivalent? Explain that one to me. Bridge misunderstandings? Why should it be incumbent on a suburbanite, or a resident of any other city neighborhood, to <understand> the horrendous level of crap that goes on in north Minneapolis? > Contrast that with a cop's work where crucial > decisions must be made in a very short time. When > the cop DOESNT share much with the civilian > population, he has to GUESS about significant > facts. Like what? Right and wrong? Enforcement of the Minnesota Statutes? What a police officer is required to share with the citizenry is his sworn duty to uphold the laws and Constitution, ethics, morality and objective truth. > When he guesses wrong, the resulting > actions can increase suspicion and rancor between > the citizen and the police force. Plus, I > wouldn't doubt that police who choose to live > elsewhere approach their jobs at a higher level > of stress than those who feel right at home where > they patrol. So, the chance of damaging > accidents increases. And your solution is: require cops to live where they patrol? Have a force of 24 hour cops? You want stress? > > I think it might be said that RESIDENCY is more > important than race. But the city has no control > over either. And when it tries to hire "the most > qualified candidate", it faces the additonal > problem that culture is never even CONSIDERED as > a factor in qualification. I doubt police > departments would even know HOW to apply culture > when considering applicants. And that's a good thing. I want cops hired based on MERIT. Forget affirmative action, whether based on race, gender or culture. > > So, law and settlement patterns create a great > deal of difficulty in staffing the police force > with people who can go out among a populaton that > is diverse and provide protection and justice. Police are not there to protect anyone. They are commanded to keep the public peace, investigate crime, and if possible, prevent criminal activity. The enforce the law. The Courts provide justice. <snip> N.I. Krasnov Loring Park TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ 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
