So on the first warm night of spring these drug dealers, thieves, gangbangers, etc. come out and ply their sick trades, assuming the usual "catch and release" treatment if even they get hauled off to jail. Imagine there surprise when the get cuffed and loaded on a Metro Transit bus following a police sweep up and down 26th, Chicago, and all the other notorious avenues. The buses fill up and drive right into a massive empty hall in our Convention Center complex.
Those who want to get some sleep tonight wisely plead guilty and get back on the busses for a ride to "Camp Minneapolis" Those remaining are shown a quick video of their offenses, and most wisely change there plea and catch the next bus. Those insisting on their day in court will get it sometime around dawn... there are no plea bargains here.
There are several countries where something like this does happen regularly. As long as we tolerate a very skewed economic privilege for the few while large numbers are left out, we will have subrosa cash economies that function outside the law.
That's not to say it's okay to be a crook. But we have paid a huge price in our society to have what we have. Start locking up petty criminals and the next step is a strongly nationalistic society in which those we fear will be the police instead of the crooks, or thugs as it is put.
I'm all for a better criminal justice system that starts with good day care, goes on to excellent kindergarten preparedness, and full funding for public schools, and on to great post secondary education. That will fix those criminals. They won't know what hit them.
Best,
Laura Southeast Minneapolis
Laura Waterman Wittstock MIGIZI Communications, Inc. 3123 East Lake Street Minneapolis, MN 55406 612.721.6631 ext 219 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.migizi.org
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.
For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________
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
