List, The additional resources for North Minneapolis, specifically Jordan, which were secured by Councilmember Don Samuels with the support of Mayor RT Rybak, Hennepin County Commissioner Mark Stenglien and Governor Tim Pawlenty provide a window of opportunity. Much as stopping the bleeding prepares for deeper surgery -- stopping the immediate violence allows longer term solutions an opportunity to gain traction.
The violence, which had peaked with five serious shootings in three days, is not a broadbase insurgency due to poverty, lack of affordable housing, or fraying social service fabric. It is directly connected with a handful of known individuals, with long criminal records, that are terrorizing the surrounding population. Because of the business they have chosen, and how they conduct this business, they have put a dark cloud over the incredible positive work being done by organizations, agencies, businesses and individuals in the community. A coordinated response with additional resources was necessary. The state troopers were one small part of the new resources that were brought to the table. On Friday Don announced new resources from the Park Police, Hennepin County Sheriffs department, Hennepin County Attorney's office, CRT, and the Gang Task Force. There was also the framework for a taskforce to be lead by DPS Commission Rich Stanek to respond to future situations such as this. An expanded citizen response has also been launched. I find the proposition that people turn to a life of crime and violence because of the lack of opportunity to be completely unacceptable. Poverty is one factor that increases the likelihood of succumbing to the appeal of bad choices; but there are several other equally strong factors that also increase that likelihood. Community apathy, personal need for escapism, spiritual hopelessness, community dissolution and discontinuity concentration of people who can not take advantage of opportunity, and inadequate and inappropriate law enforcement are all factors which when aggregated support an environment where bad choices become prevalent. The overwhelming majority of poor people and members of community of color have made different choices. The overwhelming majority of the residents of impacted neighborhoods are struggling to make ends meet without picking up a crack pipe. The overwhelming majority of people from communities of color have invested in their futures and are reaping the benefits. The bad choices of a very few must not be allowed to write the efforts of the majority off as a peculiar abnormality. (Likewise the corporate leadership of WorldCom, Enron, or Halliburton were neither poor nor black when they chose a life of crime.) This is not to say that poverty, lack of affordable housing, and needs for a social service fabric is not serious issue related to the overall health of the community. They must be and are being addressed. But too often these root causes are used to paralyze efforts to address immediate problems. While we work on continuing and expanding solutions to address these issues we can not allow the fear and terror of violence to undermine our efforts. The flawed perception that "law enforcement" and "addressing underlying root causes" is a dichotomy must be replaced with a healthy and balanced both/and approach. As the citizens of Jordan rise up and communicate clearly that they will not be forced into their homes by the criminal behavior is it possible that the purveyors of the violence will simply move to another neighborhood? I hope not. But yes, it is possible. Thus, as Don and RT said on Friday, this is not a Jordan challenge or a Minneapolis challenge but a regional challenge. We must all come together to meet it. As the new resources focused on Jordan accomplish their goal they will be focused on additional hot spots in the city. In this, Don and RT have responded in a manner consistent with the goal to make the entire city a safe place to live. Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay 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, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
