Well, this certainly has been turned this way and that. I frankly don't know who is on the side of the angels, but like some others, I suspect it is neither party. Why, for instance, if a councilmember wants to talk to a constituent, can't the council member get OFF the road. I agree that African American residents of Minneapolis have been victims of injustice, but this is hardly the way to redress that balance. And as for the officer, WHY create an incident? Is it that they are all under stress and not really in control? I mean, people talk about police wanting to command, but someone at SOME point should have told them "First, be in command of YOURSELF!" If that message wasn't delivered, that is a serious training deficit. I think our police too often are in control of everything BUT themselves. Or, rather, the annoying minority. Maybe they need yoga classes or something. Anyway, I guess to me it sounds like two people acting ALL too human. And it also sounds like a newspaper dealing with a slow day in local news. I'm surprised. NO blood spilt and still they rush to print the thing. Maybe the editor of the news section showed the worst judgment of all. Yeh, sure, it is news to have a CM in a scrape with the law, but THIS is a newsworthy scrape? Does it somehow prove criminal tendencies by our sole African American CM? Sure wish the editor or reporter could come on here to explain how that judgment is made, but I know they won't!
One thing more: If in any future SERIOUS crime situation, the city says "police are short on time", a LOT of people are gonna think they know why: "Yeh, they're off ordering people to move their car." What I mean is that, sure, it is some kind of law (I imagine), but not exactly the kind that Jim Graham or some others WISH the police were spending their time enforcing. I mean, ask yourself. Whose money or property were in danger because a CM had blocked the free flow of traffic? I'm not justifying her choice, but I am asking whether our city is SO safe that that is now the TOP priority for our police staff.
By the way, I once was up at 2am, going to a convenience store on Lowry Ave NE. Several squad cars were silently pursuing something or other. A citizen coming east on Lowry apparently slowed as they approached an alley that one of the squad cars had come down. I was right there so I know they didn't stop nor block anything. Anyway, they pulled into the convenience store to park. One of the squad cars came RIPPING in after them. A young uniform jumped out of the car and came over to scream at the driver. When he had vented, he headed back to his car. An occupant muttered something in the citizen's car. Which brought him RIGHT BACK to the car for ANOTHER screaming fit! I sat there and watched the whole thing and WONDERED what goes on down at the precinct that develops this kind of attitude. Anyway, that illustrates what I say about police who are in command of EVERYTHING but their own deportment. And colors the way I look at this incident. I am on the side of the police when it comes to proposals to lay them off. But I wish the wiser heads would sometimes counsel those who are living on the edge.
My answer to Tim Bonham: You ever sit at a traffic light next to a squad car, have it turn on its lights, go THRU the red light, turn them off on the other side, and tool off down the avenue? I have. So don't try to tell me cops don't bend or even SNAP the laws on whim. It happens. So, a lot of this is about judgment, not law, and don't try to tell people otherwise when they've been ON the scene when this sort of things happens. As for what YOU do? Well, you don't have official cover, so we know you'll do "the right thing".
________________________________________ Jim Mork Cooper Neighborhood Longfellow Community Minneapolis, MN We think. You'll like it here. And we're more fun than a barrel of Norwegians
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