Black Lives Matter, The Police, etc.

[Sacrelicio]

But in case anyone was wondering what Martin Kroontje of Magnolia thinks...
http://www.dglobe.com/opinion/letters/3 ... n-protests

Wow, he wants to hold the NAACP accountable? Are they at all related to BLM? Or does he just think they're all the same?

I know many states have a rural/suburban/urban divide, but ours seems to be especially pronounced in this state. Like two totally different worlds.

I'm not sure it's necessarily any worse. I originally moved to Oregon based only on visits to Portland, so naturally thought the state was basically Portland, Eugene, and small towns of those descended from commune hippies. Boy was I wrong. Out in the high desert or down in, say, Grants Pass?

<shudder>

Yeah I've heard that about both Oregon and Washington. I dunno, seems like here, once you get more than 10 miles from the MSP urban core, you're among people who think the U of MN is "downtown" and that Minneapolis is as dangerous as Baghdad. Go outside the metro, and people seem pretty unfamiliar with the cities (or ANY cities) altogether. Like middle class people with stable jobs and educations who just never set foot in the cities for even a Vikings game. Not just a politics thing, more of a sheltered ignorance of the cities. Maybe just my perception.

[amiller92]

Wow, he wants to hold the NAACP accountable? Are they at all related to BLM? Or does he just think they're all the same?

Nekima Levy-Pounds, president of the local chapter of the NAACP, has been involved in the BLM protests and was one of the people who was facing charges over the MOA protest (since dropped).

[Anondson]

People in Eastern Washington routinely talk talk about seceding from the Puget Sound because it's too liberal/distant/gay/whatever. You don't get that kind of talk here (so much).

Still waiting for Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho to officially propose merging into a new state, called "Lincoln".

[xandrex]

Yeah I've heard that about both Oregon and Washington. I dunno, seems like here, once you get more than 10 miles from the MSP urban core, you're among people who think the U of MN is "downtown" and that Minneapolis is as dangerous as Baghdad. Go outside the metro, and people seem pretty unfamiliar with the cities (or ANY cities) altogether. Like middle class people with stable jobs and educations who just never set foot in the cities for even a Vikings game. Not just a politics thing, more of a sheltered ignorance of the cities. Maybe just my perception.

To be fair, the University of Minnesota essentially nearly touches the official boundaries of downtown. Cedar-Riverside remains very urban/dense, so the fact that it is its own separate neighborhood is a bit arbitrary.

Getting a bit off topic here, but one interesting thing I've found is that I know more people from outside the metro or on the super-exurban fringe who prefer St. Paul to Minneapolis. Not sure what exactly causes that (perhaps it's seen as less "urban" or the parking costs are cheaper?)

[Snelbian]

The city council is getting interesting tonight (#blongnbetsyfortress). Nekima Levy-Pounds strongly implied that she's going to run against Yang. It sounds as though the crowd is overwhelmingly displeased with the last minute budget amendments to beef up the 4th precinct.

[mattaudio]

This is what it looks like when Strib opens comments on an article tangentially related to BLM.
http://www.startribune.com/activists-ob ... 361355511/#

[billhelm]

That's what it looks like on most strib articles where there's any chance of an opposing viewpoint. Why do they bother with comments at all?

[Mdcastle]

I can see it more with the BLM protest, since the police station and neighborhood were being vandalized and traffic blocked, but at some point with an article on Lake Calhoun or whatever that new name is that you can't spell or pronounce every couple of days, it seems the Strib is just trying to troll conservatives to generate controversy and clicks.

[mattaudio]

The newsworthy goings-on of a progressive city do seem to troll many conservatives (it also seems to troll our old-guard DFL, too). I don't think the Strib is at the root of it, but they sure do like to gin up controversy -> clicks with their headlines and framing of issues.

[mplsjaromir]

Finally some good news.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/11/us/fo ... &smtyp=cur

[mattaudio]

This is good news in a way, since the justice system appears to work extremely post-hoc. But it still completely invalidates the banal cry of Trumpish whites: "If you don't want to be hassled by the police, don't break the law."

Though that b.s. has been invalidated many times, including by the acquittal recently of a police officer who shoved a man with his hands up onto the ground and then kicked up as he was on the ground, breaking his jaw. Despite clear video of the incident.

We need more convictions like this, though.

[Anondson]

For a sports analogy, convictions for homicide and rape are home runs. To change the dishonesty in toxic police culture (there is nontoxic police culture!) we also need workman singles.

We could use prosecutors stepping up and doing the job they seem to refuse, prosecuting perjuring police. A lying cop is a bad cop and once convicted of perjury is pretty useless after that since they become no good in a criminal trial, prosecutors have a hard time putting a convicted perjurer on the stand.

http://mimesislaw.com/fault-lines/laqua ... rjury/5348

[Anondson]

USA Today looked at police data on racial disparities in arrests. KARE11 posted this article about it.

http://www.kare11.com/story/news/local/ ... /19286959/

There is a worth while interactive map at the bottom that shows city police departments around the country with racial disparities greater than Ferguson Missouri. The Twin Cities is a startling showing... Pretty upsetting.

[trigonalmayhem]

That's awful. Not very surprising, but still awful. What was surprising to me is how high the portion of the overall population is, though. Are we all criminals or suspects now? That's an insane number of people to have been arrested at some point. And if I'm understanding correctly it's saying nearly *half* of all african-americans have been arrested? That's some serious oppressive police state garbage there.

[Chef]

And if I'm understanding correctly it's saying nearly *half* of all african-americans have been arrested? That's some serious oppressive police state garbage there.

It is likely that some people have been arrested multiple times. Hypothetically, if 4,000 people were each arrested 10 times, and you had 66,000 people who were never arrested, you would still have an arrest rate of .5 which looks like 50% at first glance.

[Tiller]

And if I'm understanding correctly it's saying nearly *half* of all african-americans have been arrested? That's some serious oppressive police state garbage there.

I could be wrong, but it's my understanding that the underemployment rate for African American youth is 50%, while roughly 25% of African Americans will be arrested (jailed?) during their lifetime.

Still far too large of a number, not only comparable but often larger than the rates of incarceration in oppressive authoritarian regimes overseas (actually, that's true of our overall incarceration rate. The incarceration rate for African Americans is without a doubt worse than any individual nation's).

[seanrichardryan]

Good.
http://www.startribune.com/democracy-wa ... 361682501/

[Silophant]

My heart is just breaking for the poor woman who couldn't get her pressing streetlight idea heard.

[Snelbian]

You guys need to show more respect to Prince Tevlin, Heir Apparent to the Throne of Soucheray.

[mattaudio]

I've talked to Tevlin a few times, and he seems rather moderate and reasonable. I'd expect an anti-BLM rant from Souch. But the fact that Tevlin can do better makes this one harder to stomach.