Actually the program "It's A Matter of Race" actually aired two nights in row , in Prime time (8:00p.m.-10:00 p.m.) the week of September 22nd,2003. Andrea Jenkins Bryant
-----Original Message----- From: Jim Mork [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, October 06, 2003 2:03 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] NAACP;Housing;Racism NAACP Overall, I applaud the City Pages article. What it seems to show me is an organization that can't represent its chosen interests well because it doesn't know how to resolve differences internally. How can it POSSIBLY be a good advocate externally? We live in a divided society. Whites are divided from whites. Ethnic groups are divided from each other. The only entities that will really work are those that can bridge those differences. That means not emphasizing differences but overcoming differences. And if an organization is into dwelling on its INTERNAL differences, it will be crippled externally. The jury is out on the Democratic Party right now. The relatively small Republican Party is only triumphing due to internal weaknesses of competing organizations. So, I think the African American entity that can unite internally will end up being the strongest force in the larger society for African Americans. Right now, that doesn't look like the NAACP to me. Also, the article points out another thing about the group that wants confrontation. You cannot take this line AND be sloppy on finances. Because that will be sniffed out and used against you. Its a political law. A whiff of financial hanky panky and you will be a political leper. Housing Bruce Shoemaker says:"The sum total of the public bonds (which in fairness would likely be repaid) and various subsidies (TIF, environmental clean-up, etc.) appear to total close to $13 million. There are 52 units of affordable housing now being proposed in this project. That would seem to be a public investment of almost $250,000 per affordable unit!" This made me grin. Really gives the word "affordable" a whole new spin, doesn't it, Bruce? I'm sure I couldnt afford a home that costs $250,000. Luckily, Minneapolis has homes for less than that. Guess maybe I'll have to put the death grip on the one I have since it won't be too long till there AREN'T any "affordable" homes left for a person of my income. Say, I have an interesting and novel idea. What say we just come up with a figure that IS "affordable" and then request proposals for building homes at that price or below. I'm sure that will rid us of the likes of Sherman Associates, Inc. Who would actually bid is another question. But maybe there are budding companies looking for a chance to prove what they can do. Racism Considering our lengthy discussion of racism here, the show on TPT early this morning was certainly timely. I didn't know, for instance, that America locked up no citizens in the internment camps. All of them had had their citizenship revoked on racial grounds. Or that it wasn't until the 60's that immigrants could get citizenship if they weren't considered "white". Or that the U.S. Supreme Court contradicted itself in the early years of the 20th century when it turned down a Japanese as "not white" because he was of the "Mongoloid race", then turned down an Asian Indian as "not white" even though he was scientifically caucasian by saying "this isn't a matter of science". But WHY did TPT program it at a time when you could probably count the viewers on your fingers? Was it an ironic testimony of the durability of racism that they didnt DARE put it in prime time? ________________________________________ Jim Mork Cooper Neighborhood "The most abject slave is allowed to wave the imperial flag and cry "Hail Caesar" as the tyrant passes by." Anonymous _________________________________________________________________ Instant message in style with MSN Messenger 6.0. Download it now FREE! http://msnmessenger-download.com 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
