DeLaSalle High School wants to build a home field for playing and practicing soccer, football and softball. Schools everywhere these days are facing huge challenges. There are budget crises, appalling drop out rates, violence, you name it. DeLaSalle is an inner city Catholic high school that has possibly the most racially and economically diverse student body in the state - among private and public schools. They are successful at not only educating their students, but also creating leaders. As a parent I have struggled mightily to find safe, inclusive schools with high academic standards. My kids have attended public and private schools, and I know from experience, DeLaSalle is unique. I stand in support of DeLaSalle, and will work to help them continue their remarkable work.
There is talk by the park & recreation "activists" on this list about what is appropriate for public discourse surrounding an issue like this, and I just want to call attention to a few things here. At the Wednesday March 2nd Mpls park and recreation board meeting, a parent spoke in favor of the DeLaSalle home field. On Friday, 3/4/2005, on Minneapolis Park Watch, Chris Johnson called a DeLaSalle parent a liar, printed her home address, and went on to name her minor daughter. "âMs. Blaseg, of xxxx Linden Hills Boulevard, was rather disingenuousâ" That is not only impolite, it seems mildly threatening to me. It's sad that when a citizen stands up to participate in the process, she opens herself up for a malicious attack. It certainly goes against progressive values that encourage citizen participation. Oh, and she was telling the truth. At the March 16th Mpls park & recreation board meeting, three DeLaSalle students spoke in favor of the playing field, and several other students came to watch and, I assume, show their support of the field and their fellow students. On the Mpls Issues list on 3/17/2005, Liz Wielinski called them "a bevy of black and gold letter jacket clad studentsâled by Brother Michael and John Derus." Chris Johnson called it, "a scripted, pre-packaged, marketing-spin pleading of DeLaSalle's desires to get some real estate for cheap." That's pretty insulting to the three young men, Matt, Ben and Quentin, who spoke by their own choice, in their own words, because they support the playing field for future generations, even though they themselves will not get to use it. I asked them if they knew John Derus, and they did not, they chuckled at the suggestion that they were led there. By the way, while John Derus doesn't need me to defend him, he did not "call in favors" to get WCCO to cover the event. He was not even aware they were coming. But I suppose if you have to attack someone, it's better him than the students. In the original "low road" post, Scott Vreeland says, "Just because they have political clout and a hoard of eloquent letter jacketed lobbyists doesn't mean they should be given a free ride." Assuming he means "horde" and that our kids are not inventory, I think the message to young people here is clear: don't participate, don't speak out. And what makes them lobbyists? David Brauer patronizingly calls Nick Coleman "a good Catholic boy, so it's no surprise he came out for De." What the heck is this supposed to mean? I mean, read it back and insert some other race or religion. In a March 16 park board meeting summary post, Chris Johnson writes, "the first 3 speakers are Minneapolis-resident students at DeLaSalle, who all try to persuade the Park Board to give park land to DeLaSalle for the construction of a football field. This whole presentation is obviously scripted, and big time power broker John Derus is present (as usual) along with the WCCO TV news camera team. The complaint about "no home field" is repeated.ÂThe claim that the students contribute many hours to the community is floated.ÂIt was fairly polished propaganda." Again, it wasn't scripted. Are you also calling the students liars about their community service? What makes this propaganda? This is really sad and unfortunate. I can see how lies, rumor and innuendo take on a life of their own on this forum. Where is that high road? Can I see it from here? Nikki Carlson Linden Hills P.S. Fred Markus' posts on the subject are thoughful, respectful, and, although we disagree, a good example of the high road. REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
