[Mpls] Redistricting Format/Public as Doormat [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sat Apr 13 01:45:01 2002
Previous message: [Mpls] Strib redistricting story Next message: [Mpls] Redistricting Format/Public as Doormat Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- We came We saw. But, we did not concur. That's the scoop from the recent "Open'' Redistricting Commission hearing. People (of color, mostly) filled to overflow the lovely hearing room and hallways of the 3rd floor of City Hall. All were observers, unless and until, that fortunate fraction of the mass who had signed up early, got 3 minutes to address the commissioners. I saw a whole contingent of Somalis who came and went without a word. All folks seemed glad to be there, though many were upset with a multitude of perceived threats to the well being of their wards. I included. People of color were highly concerned that people who did not "look like them", white people, were again, coldly and unfairly, controlling their future, And I thought that anxiety was reasonable. In this new millennium, it seems venal to hugely increase in Ward 5, the concentration of poor people on the train while detaching the DT economic engine. By "Crossing West Broadway", that is incorporating the challenged chunk of Jordan into Ward 5, and eliminating DT; these commissioners have penciled in a ghetto. They then shout, success, we have created an "opportunity zone" with 85% people of color. The plantation had 85% people of color, too. I do not think even Aunt Jemima and Uncle Tom could call that opportunity. A ghetto is a ghetto is a ghetto, unless it is an opportunity zone? This is a serious matter to many people who spoke for 180 seconds on Wednesday. Many making great effort to be there and wait there for hours for their turn. I personally regret not hearing from Leola Seals, the fiery and fair, former head of our now less noble NAACP Chapter. She waited long and finally left, unheard. Another great woman did get heard and offered the analogy of the segregation, and failure, of the MPS in teaching our children. She will always protest when people, not of color, concentrate her and her people up, based on race, and then say it is fair, and right, and a favor to them. And the commissioners didn't GET it. They blithely proceeded to approve their own folly, or worse, politically corrupted, plan. Some on this List are speculating on the "Ice Out" on Lake Calhoun. If this plan is upheld long enough to be challenged in a high court, I believe it will fall. Can anyone out there guess what the possible reason for a failure in court might be? Please post your opinions. Hint: Look at districts nationwide that have been rejected by higher courts. Keith Reitman, NearNorth 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
