Minnesota Report

With cries to defund or dismantle the police, and declarations to do so, especially when coming from the Minneapolis City Council, Democrats are giving energy to Donald J Trump (R) and the Republicans. Stoking fears in surrounding communities of government created anarchy, only bring to mind the vision of burning building and civil unrest. Here in Minnesota, the political power is in the suburbs and while Minneapolis burned all of the surrounding communities watched.

This extreme position, may be an outgrowth of the murder of George Floyd, but it does not assist in the ouster of this administration, or fix the system. Granted dramatic change is needed. The distrust and disdain of the Minneapolis Police Department is a reality, shared by many white people as well, the department is and has been corrupt for a very long time, likely since its inception 152 years ago.

The MPD maintains the establishment and perpetuates the status quo. It is an institution of oppression, all true, but it is also the necessary call needed to make when something dramatic happens. Many changes must be made and the motto “To Protect with Courage, To Serve with Compassion!” needs to be applied to all of the residents of the Mill City.

As the largest segment of our economy, Minneapolis needs to be a safe place to live and work and law enforcement, must be an asset and not a deficit.

Now, to look at things in black & white means something significantly different.