Bottom line: all politics is local, and what gets done gets done in the neighborhood. There was a flury going on in the 60s and 70s for "Neighborhood Government." Much of that work continues in the work of activists working in their neighbohoods to solve their problems, doing so sometimes with City Hall and sometimes despite city hall. What gets allowed by law and statute and enforcement gets allowed in City Hall and the State House. Neighborhoods can't always wait. So how to make change. An excellent "agenda for change" is found in the new occasional paper entitled "7 Key Themes, 7 Key Problems, and 7 Key Solutions For Solving the Problems of America's Inner Cities: In Order to Stop Defering the Dream and to Actualize It, which can be seen at http://www.theminneapolisstory.com/pages/actualize.html. The 7 key themes and their 7 key problems suggest 7 key solutions in these 7 areas: (1) education, (2) jobs, (3) housing, (4) public safety, (5) safe environment, (6) governing, and (7) moral/ethical stances. These are followed by "rationale" and "addtional resources". Peter Jessen, Portland
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of JIM GRAHAM Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2003 7:36 AM To: Mpls Forum Cc: Barb Lickness; Paul Weir Subject: [Mpls] GOOD MORNING MINNEAPOLIS - Enforcement Bias and Idle Speculating Barb Lickness says: > "And if you are behaving like that (which most drug > addicts do) then I don't like it and I don't care what > color you are. I guess that makes me a behaviorist!" snip JG Course, don't you wish a few more people were also intolerant of the drug and crime culture? Wouldn't it be nice if the City's politicians and judges were also a little more intolerant of those attempting to kill our City (as well as some of our family members)? I am with you Barb, I DO NOT care if someone wants to do some drugs in private, (unless it is one of my family or friends). Heck, I do not even mind them shooting each other. As long as they do it privately, accurately, and keep it to themselves. I might possibly be in favor of dueling grounds where gang-bangers can legally shoot each other if they mutually agree to do so. I just am intolerant of them shooting My House, MY family members, or the shooting of members of MY community. snip Isn't it amazing that someone can doubt the very existence of those same druggies he doesn't wish to have miss-labeled? To bad that 'someone' cannot feel our pain in the "Impacted Neighborhoods", huh? I wonder why we just don't seem to count with that 'someone' and those politicians downtown? snip While I may not always agree with Barb Lickness, I respect her opinions because I 'KNOW' she has been, and continues to be, an active participant in that fight. I know many of the "Neighborhood Warriors" from the Northside, as well as the Southside, but I just do not remember Mr. Mork. Could it be that some of the people discounting the level of crime, and the people fighting that fight against crime, are merely "Speculating" from the safety of their armchair or bike? It could be "idle speculation" on my part, but don't you just love people who move out of neighborhoods because they are starting to get a little bad and then they criticize the people who do care enough to stay and fight for their community. Such "speculation" about neighborhoods not being worth fighting for has caused more "White flight" from our Impacted Neighborhoods than the actual crime. Such "speculation" also allow people to later sit in the safety of their homes and say "Oh, it's not that bad". Such attitudes contribute to the differential discrimination that so marks our City's lack of commitment to law enforcement and our City Officials' use of "containment zones". Well Barb, and the rest of you "Urban Warriors", relax today and get outside and enjoy what you are fighting for. I said last week it might be the best weekend of the year (and it might have been), but this one has got to be right up there. Headed for the Lake Street Farmers Market. Like Louis Armstrong sings, "When I see trees of green --- red roses too - B lessed days---warm sacred nights - I say to my self --- What a Wonderful World. And you know we have a Wonderful City TOO! It IS worth fighting for! Jim Graham, Urban Warrior for Ventura Village >"Why is it the Mongols of this world always tell us they're defending us against the Mongols?" REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. ________________________________ 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 REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. ________________________________ 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
