Contributed photo, above, and photo from Hillside Chronicles.Blog post by John Hoff
Lennie Chism, who came in dead last in the race for the Ward 5 city council seat still held by Don Samuels, last month pleaded to a charge of reckless driving. Other charges--including domestic assault--were dropped.
Click here for a blog post which appeared shortly after an "order for protection" was issued in this case.
Click here for a blog post about how Lennie should be in jail.
Finally, click here for a blog post about Lennie's heckling tirade against Don Samuels.
It appears Lennie served three days in the slammer and got a year's probation. Well, on behalf of Johnny Northside Dot Com, let me say congratulations, Lennie, for beating the rap and maybe you'd make a better city council member than I once thought. There are many issues to be addressed in North Minneapolis, but taking a "hands on" approach to litter is indeed admirable.
Anyway, here is the info, unedited, from the online records of the Minnesota state courts...
Defendant
CHISM, LENNIE C
Minneapolis, MN 55411
Male
07/09/1965 Pro Se
Retained
Jurisdiction
State of Minnesota
SPONHEIM, ROLF ALLAN
Charge Information
Charges: CHISM, LENNIE C
Statute
Level
Date
1. Domestic Assault-Misdemeanor-Commits Act With Intent to Cause Fear of Immediate Bodily Harm or Death 609.2242.1(1) Misdemeanor 08/30/2009
2. Domestic Assault-Misdemeanor-Intentionally Inflicts/Attempts to Inflict Bodily Harm 609.2242.1(2) Misdemeanor 08/30/2009
3. Disorderly Conduct-Offensive/Abusive/Noisy/Obscene 609.72.1(3) Misdemeanor 08/30/2009
4. Reckless driving; Drives with willful or wanton disregard for safety 169.13.1(a) Misdemeanor 08/30/2009
5. Careless Driving 169.13.2 Misdemeanor 08/30/2009
Events & Orders of the Court
DISPOSITIONS
02/16/2010
Plea (Judicial Officer: Hedlund, Deborah)
4. Reckless driving; Drives with willful or wanton disregard for safety
Guilty
02/16/2010
Disposition (Judicial Officer: Hedlund, Deborah)
1. Domestic Assault-Misdemeanor-Commits Act With Intent to Cause Fear of Immediate Bodily Harm or Death
Dismissed
2. Domestic Assault-Misdemeanor-Intentionally Inflicts/Attempts to Inflict Bodily Harm
Dismissed
3. Disorderly Conduct-Offensive/Abusive/Noisy/Obscene
Dismissed
4. Reckless driving; Drives with willful or wanton disregard for safety
Convicted
5. Careless Driving
Dismissed
02/16/2010
Sentenced (Judicial Officer: Hedlund, Deborah)
4. Reckless driving; Drives with willful or wanton disregard for safety
08/30/2009 (MSD) 169.13.1(a) (169131a)
Local Confinement:
Agency: Hennepin County Workhouse - Adult Corrections
Term: 60 Days
Time To Serve: 3 Days
Stay 57 Days For 1 Yr
Serve As: Sentence To Serve
Status: Active 02/16/2010
Service - Adult:
Type: Sentence to service
3 Days For 90 Days
In Lieu of
Confinement ( 3 Days)
Start: 02/16/2010 Due: 05/17/2010
Status: Active 02/16/2010
Probation - Adult:
Type: Supervised probation
Agency: Hennepin County Community Corrections - Adult Field Services
Term of 1 Yr
02/16/2010 - 02/16/2011
Status: Active 02/16/2010
How I wish the Minnesota court system website had links that work for SPECIFIC offender records. Each time one tries to create a link, you just get the "enter" page. This certainly inhibits the free sharing of valuable offender information via the internet.
Click here for a blog post which appeared shortly after an "order for protection" was issued in this case.
Click here for a blog post about how Lennie should be in jail.
Finally, click here for a blog post about Lennie's heckling tirade against Don Samuels.
It appears Lennie served three days in the slammer and got a year's probation. Well, on behalf of Johnny Northside Dot Com, let me say congratulations, Lennie, for beating the rap and maybe you'd make a better city council member than I once thought. There are many issues to be addressed in North Minneapolis, but taking a "hands on" approach to litter is indeed admirable.
Anyway, here is the info, unedited, from the online records of the Minnesota state courts...
Defendant
CHISM, LENNIE C
Minneapolis, MN 55411
Male
07/09/1965 Pro Se
Retained
Jurisdiction
State of Minnesota
SPONHEIM, ROLF ALLAN
Charge Information
Charges: CHISM, LENNIE C
Statute
Level
Date
1. Domestic Assault-Misdemeanor-Commits Act With Intent to Cause Fear of Immediate Bodily Harm or Death 609.2242.1(1) Misdemeanor 08/30/2009
2. Domestic Assault-Misdemeanor-Intentionally Inflicts/Attempts to Inflict Bodily Harm 609.2242.1(2) Misdemeanor 08/30/2009
3. Disorderly Conduct-Offensive/Abusive/Noisy/Obscene 609.72.1(3) Misdemeanor 08/30/2009
4. Reckless driving; Drives with willful or wanton disregard for safety 169.13.1(a) Misdemeanor 08/30/2009
5. Careless Driving 169.13.2 Misdemeanor 08/30/2009
Events & Orders of the Court
DISPOSITIONS
02/16/2010
Plea (Judicial Officer: Hedlund, Deborah)
4. Reckless driving; Drives with willful or wanton disregard for safety
Guilty
02/16/2010
Disposition (Judicial Officer: Hedlund, Deborah)
1. Domestic Assault-Misdemeanor-Commits Act With Intent to Cause Fear of Immediate Bodily Harm or Death
Dismissed
2. Domestic Assault-Misdemeanor-Intentionally Inflicts/Attempts to Inflict Bodily Harm
Dismissed
3. Disorderly Conduct-Offensive/Abusive/Noisy/Obscene
Dismissed
4. Reckless driving; Drives with willful or wanton disregard for safety
Convicted
5. Careless Driving
Dismissed
02/16/2010
Sentenced (Judicial Officer: Hedlund, Deborah)
4. Reckless driving; Drives with willful or wanton disregard for safety
08/30/2009 (MSD) 169.13.1(a) (169131a)
Local Confinement:
Agency: Hennepin County Workhouse - Adult Corrections
Term: 60 Days
Time To Serve: 3 Days
Stay 57 Days For 1 Yr
Serve As: Sentence To Serve
Status: Active 02/16/2010
Service - Adult:
Type: Sentence to service
3 Days For 90 Days
In Lieu of
Confinement ( 3 Days)
Start: 02/16/2010 Due: 05/17/2010
Status: Active 02/16/2010
Probation - Adult:
Type: Supervised probation
Agency: Hennepin County Community Corrections - Adult Field Services
Term of 1 Yr
02/16/2010 - 02/16/2011
Status: Active 02/16/2010
How I wish the Minnesota court system website had links that work for SPECIFIC offender records. Each time one tries to create a link, you just get the "enter" page. This certainly inhibits the free sharing of valuable offender information via the internet.
52 comments:
I love this information...thank you!
Maybe when Lennie is sporting his bright yellow vest picking up trash he can do NOMI a favor and collect his so-called "campaign" signs. They are AS EASY to spot as the Natalie Johnson Lee "campaign" signs...just look for the abadoned properties, the drug houses, the party houses, the slumlord irresponsible Sect 8 houses, etc. It's a WONDER he came in LAST!
He 'beat' the domestic abuse charges.... get it.. He beat them.
lol.
He's not guilty of domestic violence. Why are you giving him a hard time. NoMi needs fewer snitches not more.
What kind of crazy remark is THAT?
Gary certainly knows what NoMi needs, he's from the burbs and was brought here by The Strib's Great Escape article. Don't all people in the burbs know what NoMi needs?
Yeah, umm Johnny, just a little bit, huh? You know, the rules of the jail do not apply in the free world. I'm just sayin'
Actually, we need more people calling 311/911 on the suspicious and illegal activity in the community.
In fact, you can report those old signs to 311. I think I do just that this week.
Who is giving Lennie a hard time? After reporting all the details of these charges, and the protection order, etc., I felt like it was really best to report how Lennie had beaten the rap.
To, uh, clear his name or whatever. His good name.
The good name of Lennie "The Heckler" Chism.
Thanks for the words of support Megan. I was worried some of my ideas for NoMi were falling on deaf ears.
We need to bring the stop snitchin' movement to NoMi:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Snitchin%27
Emasculating more Black men – your day will come.
Gary--
Are you confused or did you neglect to say "sarcasm font" so people could understand you're being sarcastic. Megan isn't supporting you.
As for the comment above...for the record, I am an equal opportunity emasculator. Why do you want to defend this behavior of Lennie?
So, I clicked on "Gary's" blogger link, and discovered that his profile is protected. Who is "Gary"? Maybe, er, "Paul" would be more accurate?
Just a thought....
Gary is just being obnoxious to get a reaction and a rise out of us. The whole negative attention is better than no attention.
If we ignore him he will go away.
Nobody respond to or acknowledge Gary and he can go back to his life in the burbs.
Gary and Megan's idea to bring the Stop Snitching movement to NoMi is a really good one. Hopefully we can get Mayor RT on board. He hates snitches.
It's pretty obvious Gary will burn in hell.
I would suggest that if people don't like "snitches," they should not live in NoMi. Times have change and certain behavior will not be tolerated any longer.
ANON 9:51 said:
"Emasculating more Black men – your day will come."
Dennis Says:
And how exactly are more black men being emasculated? Because of the blogs about Lennie?
Lennie would be emasculated regardless of his skin color, because of the actions HE took. When you make yourself a "public figure" by running for an elected office, and you say a LOT of stupid things, people generally frown on that.
Or, is it your opinion that Lennie should be allowed to say STUPID things and not get called-out for it, because he's black?
I already know your answer, so no bother replying.
And don't forget Snitches get Stiches.
T Jaramillo
Oh look, Gary changed his name to Granda. Cute.
(For the record, I'm pretty sure Mayor Rybak hates blog trolls, too.)
Let's create the Stop Blog Trolling movement.
"Paul" will burn in hell, too.
(Baby Jesus knows the truth.)
As if Lennie The Heckler Chism didn't emasculate himself when he pushed a WOMAN from the moving car.
Hey, so what's up with his Glenwood building? Is the bank still "letting" him use it for free?
I love the comment "Times have changed and certain behavior will not be tolerated any longer." So true. If you want to live in the ghetto you better pack your bags because this is NO LONGER the ghetto.
Too Funny guys: We have political theater here that would make DC blush! You got to love it!
I agree that NoMi is getting better slowly, but surely. However I agree with Granada and Gary that snitches shouldn't be welcome in NoMi. I don't think they should get stiches, but I do think there's no place for them.
Sorry that I mistook your words for support Megan. Sometimes sarcasm doesn't get conveyed over the internet.
I'm sure if John checks his records he'll see that Granada and I are different people. I'm not sure who Paul is. If you tell me how to change my profile to public I sure will. I can't figure that out.
John, thanks for all your work and letting me post on your blog. I know from your time in Seattle, your time in Grand Forks on the student senate and on the City Council that you support exchanges of ideas, even if everyone doesn't agree.
longer. I say fling wide the doors for snitches in NoMi.
My understanding is that a "snitch" can refer to two types of people: those who talk to the police AT ALL, about ANYTHING, and those who get caught for a minor crime and share information with authorities about criminals higher up the food chain.
To anyone who argues that we don't need the former type of "snitch" in NoMi, I remind you of the man who was shot in the back a few weeks ago, right across the street from the notorious Hawthorn(sic) Crossings. He won't cooperate with the authorities at all. Now why is that? He probably knows or thinks he knows who did it and wants his own brand of justice.
So now the initial shooter is still out there, and the guy who got shot (probably his friends too) is likely trolling my neighborhood looking to exact revenge. The fact that we have two people trying to kill each other is bad enough, but all too often innocent people - KIDS, even - get hit with a stray bullet. In cases like this, yeah, BRING ON THE "SNITCH."
In fact, I wouldn't mind one bit if they started hauling guys like this in front of grand juries and saying, "Cooperate or go to prison." Or evaluate them psychologically and say that getting SHOT and not saying WHO DID IT is obviously some sort of MENTAL DEFECT worthy of being institutionalized until one is no longer so afflicted.
The second kind of "snitch," one who "rats out" crooks higher up on the food chain is often seen as somehow dishonorable. At best, he or she got out of a deserved punishment for a crime they committed. Well I think if they helped get at the criminals higher up the food chain, they did a wonderful bit of community service.
Both of these actions serve to create an environment where we make it widely known: if you come to this neighborhood and pull illegal crap, it's only a matter of time before that catches up with you.
I prefer the term "informant." It's more glamorous, you know?
NoMi is indeed turning around, and there are some things we need to stop tolerating.
1.) People who won't identify their assailants to the police. Haul them in front of a grand jury or have them detained and evaluated for psychological problems, but we need to stop letting them go to perpetuate the cycle of violence.
2.) So-called "memorials." The boulevard is not your cemetery. Sure, putting up flowers, teddy bears, and the inevitable bottle of gin might be tolerated for a week or so, but after that the debri needs to go, go, go.
3.) Street walkers. And by this I mean young people who walk down the middle of the street in the non-snowy months. (It's almost understandable in the winter months, but they still need to get off more to the side)
The police need to be making stops and making contact instead of tolerating this. Really, how long will it be before there's a terrible car versus street walker tragedy?
4.) Street walkers. The other kind. If I can drive down Penn Avenue North practically any time of day and spot 'em, why can't the police? We need saturation and stings.
5.) Unsuitable candidates for public office. People who have criminal records shouldn't even be running. That goes not just for Lennie Chism, but for folks like Raymond Dehn, who was an unsuitable candidate no matter how personally NICE he was to everybody, and the fact he has undoubtedly turned his life around and become a good citizen.
All the same, when people who possess criminal records run to represent our neighborhood, we should all feel insulted, and say so LOUDLY.
This whole "no snitchin'" thing is just a pathetic way for cowards to escape the consequences of their actions by intimidating other cowards into silence. Keeping your mouth shut when you know something wrong has happened is like letting your neighbor's flatulent, obnoxious Labrador take a dump in the middle of your yard, and letting it sit there like a little stinky shrine, then inviting the dog back for more... Sure, maybe you can put up with the sight of it for a little while, but eventually, you'll find your own backyard has turned into a minefield of festering crap. North Minneapolis is cleaning up its backyard, and so what if some crybaby cowards want to whine about snitching when they're called to account for the things they do! Here's a way to prevent snitching; don't do the kind of stupid, pathetic crap that somebody could snitch about in the first place, the people in North aren't afraid anymore, and we are not about to protect somebody who hurts our neighbors and our neighborhood.
No one will ever stop me from reporting problem properties or illegal activity in NoMi. I mean no one.
If you stop and loiter in my neighborhood you will have the cops paying you a visit.
If you fail to pick all the trash and liter you have on your property, including the boulevard and street in front of your house, I will call 311.
If you don't like it, move. Period. End of story. Times, they are a changing.
It's too bad someone couldn't come up with a clever T-shirt design using the word "snitch" It would be fun seeing lots and lots of people wearing these all over the Northside.
Probably too dangerous though.
BAD PEOPLE KILLING GOOD PEOPLE, BUT LETS NOT BE SNITCHES NOW.BE SURE YOU FOLLOW THE SO CALLED STREET CODE OF LETTING A KILLER STAY ON THE LOOSE SO HE CAN MAYBE, MISTAKENLY OR NOT, KILL YOUR MOTHER SOME DAY,OR YOUR DAUGHTER, OR YOUR SISTER OR YOUR AUNTIE OR YOUR FATHER OR YOUR BEST FRIEND.EVERYTHING IS COOL, YOU SEE, UNTIL IT HAPPENS TO YOU.NOT SNITCHING IS THE BIGGEST SICK JOKE-LIE EVER CAST UPON OUR COMMUNITY BY THOSE WHO DO NOT GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YOU,THEMSELVES,OR ANYBODY ELSE!!!!TIME FOR A CHANGE?
If somebody gives me a shirt like that, I'll wear it. And I'll get away with it. And everybody will see they have more latitude than they thought.
Or, better yet, the shirt should say, "We Watch, We Call."
Now there's a great idea. Can we get SHIRTS like that?
John, I'm going to have to disagree with you at least in part about the elected official thing. Dehn's criminal record was a non-issue to me, and I felt he was a rather qualified candidate. His biggest fault was being a "rather qualified candidate" running against a supremely qualified incumbent.
I'm not advocating that people with criminal records should be running for office immediately upon release. And if there are two similarly qualified candidates, and one has a criminal past, go ahead and elect the one with the squeaky clean record.
Or maybe--JUST MAYBE--if someone pushes a woman from a moving vehicle DURING THE CAMPAIGN ITSELF, that person ought to drop out. But the mere existence of a criminal record, especially decades after the fact, should not preclude someone from at least RUNNING for office.
On the other topic, I would LOVE to get some "We Watch, We Call" t-shirts.
Dehn did choose to run against a supremely qualified candidate and to further damage his credibility he associated with supremely BAD people who have BAD track records and BAD intentions and we have to stop allowing BAD people to have a place at the table. There is no more room for BAD actors in NoMi.
I'm a black man in N. Mpls and I can say resoundingly that I hate snitches. It's easy for a white guy who gets out of speeding tickets to say that you love snitches, but what I hear is you want more black people behind bars.
I don't get out of speeding tickets no matter how short my hair is. I get harassed about what I am doing in a nice car and get called "boy" by kids young enough to be my children. Remember, the Stasi and the Gestapo were full of snitches. I trust your motives are good, but you need to understand the perspective of people with dark skin. Maybe you don't want to whiten my neighborhood and create a new uptown, but it sure seems like it.
@ Anon 1:04
I'm glad you said "but what I hear is you want more black people behind bars." (emphasis mine) Because that's what you HEARD, not what I SAID.
It sucks that you as a black man get treated differently by the police than I do. However, you failed (in my eyes, at least) to show in any what whatsoever that that has anything to do with informants. (I'm going to use John's word because it sounds better, and it's easier to bring about change when a word is more palatable.)
When someone is going around with a gun shooting people in my neighborhood, yes indeed, I want that person IN PRISON. Their skin color or ethnic heritage has no bearing on that. When someone is dealing drugs in my neighborhood, I want that person caught. And if that person, once caught, can identify dealers higher up the food chain, thus having a bigger impact on illegal activities in my neighborhood, so much the better.
By all means, we've got to stop short of the Stasi, Gestapo, Big Brother, and the thought police. Rest assured, we aren't ANYWHERE close to that right now. I'm not talking about turning over people with politically unpopular views. This is about a lack of cooperation with the authorities in regards to things like murder, assault, weapons, and drug dealing.
I'm not stupid when it comes to police/authorities and race relations. So I'm willing to accept your statement that I fail to see things from the point of view of a person of color. However, you (so far) have failed to convince me that such a cultural hang-up is somehow good for my community.
I don't care the color of the people's skin. I just want good neighbors. I don't want people who deal drugs, litter, act disruptively or any other type of annoying behavior in our neighborhood.
While I agree racial profiling sucks, I don't like the statement that I am racist or any other thing like that.
While I am sure that I do not understand all of the aspects related to the dynamics of the issue at hand - "snitches".
I do understand that the typical definition of the word is - "tattletale or informer".
To me, this terminology seems somewhat incongruous with what society would generally expect as acceptable behaviour in a neigborhood by neighbors.
If someone lives in a neighborhood, whether they be an owner, or a renter, they should have not only the right, but the social obligation to step-up and report crimes against others within their own neighbrhood. That is one of the basic elements of a civilized society.
To even allow the term "snitch" to be utilized within the parameters of the discussion is well, absurd.
ANON 8:59PM is completely right. Snitch should be removed from the JNS dictionary. We pay taxes, raise our children, attend neighborhood functions just like our suburban counterparts except we were smart enough to decide to live close to our jobs, school, etc and not spend a small fortune on transportation and housing. North Minneapolitians have the right to clean, safe, attractive neighborhoods which is why we have laws and ordinances. If things are happening in our neighborhoods that are illegal and making anyone feel unsafe it is our duty as part of the human race to stand up for what is right and report all illegal behavior. It is so easy for folks in the 'burbs to say "you're just snitchin'" because they live in their little cookie cutter neighborhoods. Their ticky tack box houses are all on the same lot with the same tree in the same spot in the front yard. They can only pick between tan and khaki vinyl siding. Their lives are controlled for them, they are not forced to deal with the bad characters as those folks have already been weeded out for them. So when people like this tell me to stop snitching, I say "Nay". I am not a bad person nor are my neighbors. Regardless of race, creed, sexual orientation, we need to all look out for each other. I am so sick of hearing people in the same breath say that we need to rebuild North but still defend this idea that we should all just turn away or close our blinds to the problem for fear of "snitching". You want better neighborhoods?! Then its time to be a damn neighbor!
People who are doing things they should not, label the victim as a "snitch" to further degrade the victim and coerce the vicitim into parcitipation in their own victimization. Prime examples of this are victims of domestic abuse.
I refuse to play that game.
Well, it looks like we may have a "snitchin' to the city" type snitch in our midst and I don't mean in regards to this blog. We don't like that kind of snitch.
Let's keep the discussion going for a while! If we get twenty more comments here, this thread will have more comments than first-choice votes Lennie received in the Ward 5 city council election!
Those of us who remember the FBI infiltrating our civic groups in the '70s don't have such a glowing view of snitches as do some of the people around here. But I suppose when you're not harassed by the police on a daily basis you have a different vibe for the cops.
John, I thought with the protesting you did in Seattle and around the GOP convention that you'd have a more nuanced view of law enforcement.
http://minnesotaindependent.com/21846/texas-activist-turned-rnc-informant-pleads-his-case
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St1-WTc1kow
This isn't a black and white issue. If someone is murdered in front of you then you have a civic duty to report what you saw. But, if you're a witness to petty crimes like drug dealing, underage drinking or things like that, then there is no place for snitching. The police aren't always there to help.
I have to say that I dislike "informants," but not for the reason you're thinking; I hate that a good portion of the ones who committed a crime, themselves, don't get charged because they ratted on other people.
Example: I grew up with a guy who went off to college, got busted with kiddie porn (I'm not talking about pictures of teenage girls; I'm talking little girls under 10) on his computer (thousands of folders and pictures, not just a few!), and didn't get charged because he told on some other people who had pictures. Instead, his case is "on hold" in Indiana; if he gets caught again, he'll get tagged as a sex offender.
That's great that he'll get charged the second time around, but what irks me is that this guy is married (his wife doesn't know or doesn't believe the story, apparently), and they just had a girl. I hope that "second time around" doesn't happen again soon and on his own daughter.
Demarcus,
As a white male who grew up middle class, I know that there are some aspects of racism inherent in the police/judicial system that I won't be able to fully understand. That being said, such accounts thus far have failed to convince me to significantly change my stance.
For instance, are you saying you're comfortable with drug dealing happening in front of your house? Is that preferable to calling 911? If you find open-air drug markets in our neighborhoods to be more palatable than the MPD, then I'm afraid we don't have much to talk about. If drug dealing is a problem but you don't call the cops, then what is the alternative manner in which the issue gets resolved?
There's a whole spectrum of what "underage drinking" means. But a few weeks ago there was a house party with upwards of 60 people, many of them underage. I'm going to go ahead and assume alcohol was present and consumed by minors. If someone had called 911 to report underage drinking, Alisha Neely might still be alive today.
I'm afraid I'm simply not going to be convinced that past or present racial tensions with authorities should interfere with efforts to make my community safer and save the lives of our children. So let me pose a question to those commenters with whom I've disagreed: if informants and persistent 911 calls are not the answer to the problems we face, then what solutions do you propose?
In regards to Demarcus, I am white but but I still believe that I am treated different because of my North Minneapolis address. While I am sure that the treatment I have received from the MPD is not anywhere equal to that Afr. Ams. receive, esp those involved in civic groups of the 70's, I believe that many officers accept the stereotype of "everyone in North = BAD", not even black vs white, although this does indeed play a role.
I have been pulled over numerous times since I moved to North and have always been treated as a common criminal. In every instance I been talked down to, accused of being on drugs or alcohol, treated as though I was already convicted of some heinous crime and always received a ticket, never a warning (3 tickets in 3 years, all of which were dismissed after I was forced to take time off from work and go to court). Honestly, my driving habits haven't changed since I moved to North so I can only assume cops are harder on people in this section of town.
Although I don't always agree with MPD's practices I believe they a necessary evil, so to speak. Selling drugs in front of my home, large disruptive parties, people who employ behaviors that are meant to intimidate or threaten me and my neighbors are absolutely unacceptable. The more people who can understand what is acceptable in our society and are willing to stand up for their opinions the sooner we will all see progress made in our neighborhoods.
So let me get this right....DeMarcus who was a live and breathing participating concerned citizen who claims to have attended civic community meetings in the seventies claims that if people would ignore the pusher, A.K.A. drug dealer to those who cannot relate to seventies jargon, that the surrounding criminals who are ripping off your family members to get their drugs should be ignored too,,,, unless, according to Marcus, they accidentally murder someone.So attend marcuses seminar on how, who, and what to snitch on and when it is proper to do so.The status quo has worked well hasnt it!?!?
boathead,
I think drugs should be legal. Like prohibition in the 20s, drug prohibition just creates more crime and gives these gangs the money and purpose they need to thrive. It also leads to a ghetto where people come to buy drugs. What's worse, drug prohibition allows the police and power structure to keep a permanent underclass.
Sobriety is the best way for anyone to live their life, but drug prohibition just creates more crime and finances criminals.
http://www.leap.cc/cms/index.php
Calling me a troll isn't quite applicable here - but whatevs - I've been called worse and coming from you, whoever you are, I'll consider it a compliment if I've gotten under your skin. You are probably someone who has either tried to sue me in the past, stolen money from my neighborhood organization, someone who has come up short against me and my fabulous co-campaigners at the election polls - or in some other way you have a grudge against me - it's fine. I'll continue to post my comments and opinions and obviously the more controversial a topic the more of a passionate response I'll contribute. But mostly, I'm usually asking and requesting my friend John to write about more fun and positive things in my community that I love - and I forward on a ton of info to J&J that sometimes makes its way here to the virtual pages of JNS. But you can call me your troll, I don't mind. :-)
Now.. back to the REAL issues at hand (not Spanky Pete's hand... no, no, not that hand)
To anonymous March 17, 2010 1:04 PM
First: What the hell do snitches or informants or whatever have to do with speeding tickets and getting pulled over by the police? It doesn't take an informant to know that people around here drive completely crazy-nuts. I know because I'm one such driver and I've got my tickets and sky high insurance rate to prove it. In my many experiences, I've found that so long as you keep your license valid, your insurance current, your truck in good running order, your answers short and at least a little honest, and your damn hands on the wheel, the police can be nice enough people to have to deal with in those situations -nice might be a stretch, but at least they can pass for tolerable. Plus, we can always contest that crap when its a BS stop in the first place, so why don't you make the system work for you and try that?
There's nobody deserves to be stereotyped, and it sucks big time when you feel like that is what has happened. But crying like a baby because somebody has the nuts to speak up when something wrong is happening is sad and stupid. Your post makes it seem like you think a black man can't be expected to do any better than to deal drugs and run around shooting up his own town, which is the saddest and most one of racist things I've come across.
We have to set higher expectations for ourselves -Me included. I'm working on driving a little slower and pausing a little longer at stop signs and such. No tickets for nearly 6 months.
We have to call out anybody whose fixing to put hurt on our friends and neighbors even if you think it is snitching.
We have to take down those stereotypes ourselves by calling out those who are embodying them... because when we ignore it, the stereotype only grows and covers more people in its shadow.
I don't want the young people of North Minneapolis to become the next bunch of drunk, idle losers who sit on the block wall outside of Merwin all day long.
The only reason I see as to why the next Obama couldn't come from North is that most anytime one of our young folks does get ahead, they get the hell out of here and don't look back. And with attitudes like yours, anonymous, it's no wonder why. Your definition of no snitching appears to mean that you think we should protect people who deal drugs instead of studying and going to school, and shelter people who run around with guns and shoot up anybody or anything for some truly dumb reasons. Why would anybody who has worked so hard and actually achieved high standards of success want to stick around when they know they've got to be surrounded by people with standards so low that we think it's okay to waste your life dealing drugs and hurting other people, and we'll even go so far to keep our traps shut and protect them.
We can do better. Our young people can do better. If we don't set our own standards high, we don't get to sit around and bitch when others hold us in low esteem.
Now, from one anonymous to another, go gather your tickets and get yourself to the government center to contest some of them -those fines are a real pain on the pocketbook. Remember my advice about the traffic stop thing too, it really does work unless the police who pulled you over is a real douche.
Thanks 314. That's a good post.
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