Wiz: Their homes generally involve material want and abuse, verbal and physical. The people with whom they come in contact because their parents invite them in display the same behaviors. Me: So what your saying is that we don't disagree. More police officers will not address the real problem and are a small Band-Aid for the issues that either needs to be addressed, or we doom these kids to repeat the cycle with their kids. We're saying the same thing...so what's the answer? Containment is not good enough. And government interference has been tried and doesn't work. How many of us are comfortable looking at a behavior and instead of calling it a persons right to make what we know is a bad choice, stand up and say it's a WRONG choice? We're so afraid of moral judgments, we excuse behavior and perpetuate the problem. I volunteer at my sons school and although we're not plagued with as many issues as Dist 1, Dist 281 (Robbinsdale) has a population of poor and neglected youth. It's amazing how excited these kids are to have an adult read to them, or eat lunch with them or help them with their math. R.T. just made a plea for monetary donations. Again, I don't believe money is the answer. I'd have preferred a plea for school volunteers, after school tutors, your time to help our kids! I did not go to the donations website, do they have a volunteer section? Or just giant hands reaching into our pockets without thought of addressing root causes? Get uncomfortable people! Addressing root causes will not be P.C. or make everyone feel all warm and fuzzy. Many of Bill Cosby's recent speeches have merit and speak to the issues of a beautiful culture that has been kidnapped by a excuses and lack of personal responsibility. Our local NAACP is on this list. I'd like one of their members to weigh in on how they intend to help people take back their pride and give our inner city kids a fighting chance. -J Jennifer Rubenzer Plymouth
________________________________ From: WizardMarks [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sat 12/11/2004 4:00 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: Jennifer L. Rubenzer; gemgram; Allen Subject: [text] Re: [Mpls] RE: Plan to hire more MPD officers call the mayor Jennifer L. Rubenzer wrote: >Sounds like a cycle that more cops won't necessarily solve....I think people >are the answer. Parents need to see value in RAISING their kids. Teenagers >need to see value in waiting till marriage to have sex. Kids need roll models >that >show them the path to college, not the path to thug life. > This is a typical answer, but it doesn't get anywhere near being a workable solution. The folks we are talking about ARE raising their kids according to the values with which they are acquainted. They have not been part of the mainstream for two or three or even four generations. Girl children, in general, have their babies when they are the age their mothers were when they had their babies. They are using the role models available to them. TV "role models" are just TV. It has nothing to do with real life as they experience it. Their homes generally involve material want and abuse, verbal and physical. The people with whom they come in contact because their parents invite them in display the same behaviors. These are homes without beds, quite frequently. Without furniture except TV and stereo (or CD player). With more month than money. Their kids come to school hungry every day and, according to a school principal I know, get angry when the holidays approach because they will be hungry for two weeks because they are not getting fed at home. They steal to eat. All the moral high ground you can describe is a foreign land to them. The police serve the function of trying to make areas quasi-livable for those who have no part in this tragedy, but who haven't the money to move further away from it than one lot, one house, one building, one apartment. >WizardMarks, Central >________________________________ > >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. 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
