More feedback, "Don't all stampede at once"

I was looking through my inbox for a story called "bullets in the
stucco" when I found that "lost conversation" I had about a month
ago when my column was published, "Don't all stampede at once."
I will call the person expressing these thoughts "AAnonymous"
and will just say this person is rather prominent and knows a
lot about housing issues.

My replies are posted as well.

AAnonymous said:

That's a pretty provocative piece - The aspiring Charles
Bronson's and Bernard Goetz's are loving this idea.

Not to over generalize the north side - there are good
people over there -- but it is very hard to win a war
against a population that has nothing to lose.

The other thing is, there has been zero political will
to actually enforce the law in the North side for as
long as I can remember.  I am not sure a bunch of
(predominately white?) thrill-seeking rent-a-cops
and national guard members trying to impose some
sort of citizens martial-law will be received any
better or have the resolve to win the ground war.

The people who have the skill sets for this type of
work are already in Afghanistan, and are paid to do it.

TO WHICH I REPLIED

My opinion pieces are certainly created to get a reaction
and kick start discussion, though I say what I actually
think. I never take a position *solely* for the purpose
of generating controversy, though I do have some skills
in setting off discussion. (As you've seen!)

However, in regard to "the people who have the skill
sets for this type of work," tours in Afghanistan don't
go on FOREVER. Those folks come back here and want to buy
homes! :)

Believe me, there are plenty of people with these "skill
sets" right here. And I really don't think the North Side
is so bad it requires THAT intense level of skill set
comparable to Afghanistan. Yes, I used the peacekeeping
metaphor but I also balanced that with some
humorous talk about "putting down the pastry."

I think even a bit of the "security conscious" mindset
will be adequate, and even a "rent-a-cop" has enough of
that skill set and mindset for the north side. It doesn't
take a Green Beret or a SEAL.

That column has generated more responses than many of my
columns, and the responses are all highly varied and come
from people quite involved with the issues. They range
from barely-suppressed outrage (how can I not see the
goodness in all that "diversity") to total agreement,
like, falling down in laughter because this person and
their spouse also went to the north side to shop for
homes...but sure didn't stay long.

The Vibe. I love the way people talk about The Vibe on
the north side. Like, somebody find the machine
transmitting that vibe and SHUT 'ER DOWN!!!! Then people
will buy houses.

Oh, and somebody quoted scripture at me, and though they
weren't explicit about it I was cast in the role of the
devil who would like to divide a house against itself.

And AANONYMOUS REPLIED: 

Just pushing your buttons on that one, John.

Try driving by the Kemps facility  (have you seen the gates on that
thing?) off broadway about 9:30 on a  Saturday night.  Anybody
that wants to take  on a project in North minneapolis will have to
deal with that bunch, sooner or later.

In all seriousness, your average person just  wants a stable life
and safe place to go home  to.  Hell, most people are just trying
to get through the day with as little brain damage as  possible so
they can get home. Even the not-so-average who thinks they
want a little  excitement in their life feels this way.

Last thing they want is some urban dystopia scene unfolding on
the other side of their  picket fence. I mean, pit bulls running
loose that will eat your pets out of your own yard? Random
acts of violence (remember the "passing through" doctor who
had her EYEBALL SHOT OUT OF HER HEAD by stray
gunfire?) Boarded up buildings filled with squatters. Power
hungry yet  politically hamstrung and therefore dangerously
impotent police force with a propensity for all sorts of
abberrant behavior.

It's not really about it skill sets, or thrill seekers or anything
else. It's just that very few people would willingly deal with
that sort of environment when there are other choices.  The
incentives are misaligned.  The city could offer to give the
vacant real estate away to every cop, fireman, security guard,
TSA employee, teacher, youth minister, and my pet kitty and
very few would even take that offer until they get the crime
under control.

The voters in Minneapolis have proven themselves incapable
of electing a mayor or anyone else who will clean up the mess
- they are too interested in think-tankers who's socks don't
match and  will say the right things for parents night at
the Montessori, but can't to assemble the political  will to do
the work that the northside needs.  Give it lip-service, keep
the locals quiet with a few payoffs and a news conference
once in a while, and  leave it for the next group of politico's.

Meanwhile, another generation of north side families circles the
drain.

Start with broken windows.  Giuliani has nothing better to do
now. Appoint him Mayor of north Minneapolis.

And I replied: 

But I love it when you push my buttons,
[AAnonymous]!

You should put this stuff on your blog and
push those buttons out in public where it
matters, or even submit an opinion piece to my
editor.

First of all, I think your assertion that
property can't be GIVEN AWAY on the north side
is too extreme.

Give some to me, and I'll prove that statement
wrong. And I bet there are plenty of people who
would get in line behind me. Give me some crime
to stomp out. I'm not having enough excitement
in Frog Town, Dinky Town, Stadium Village or even
the West Bank. You are making assertions about the
mindset of security personnel but you don't embody
that mindset, so how can you know what they think,
how they react?

Some people don't get ENOUGH excitement. Rent-a-cops
who want to be heroes but mostly watch for
shoplifters are an example of that. Give somebody
like that a house on a block full of vacant
buildings, and watch them appoint themselves
"block captain" out of thin air, buy themselves a
uniform, and start "patrolling" with
nobody to tell them to go on a patrol.

It might be silly, it might even be ugly and
cartoony, but if the police aren't doing anything
who-the-hell else will but the self-appointed with
psychological needs to fulfill?

You yourself said, only half-jokingly, that column
will appeal to the "Charles Bronson" segment.

Those vacant homes are just waiting to turn into block
upon block of EVEN WORSE urban decay, crack houses,
squatters...like parts of Detroit.  And you know what?
The crime incubated by that environment will find its
way as far as my University. It will jump on the bus,
find its way here, and strike at my University.

Am I writing another column in my head right now?
Maybe.

Sure, as you say, people just want to go home and be
comfortable...but what if they really want a home
in the Twin Cities and only have just SO MUCH money
available?

Then you have to make trade-offs.

And, clearly, property is being bought and sold on
the north side. Somebody is buying, and it's not
ALL slumlords.

Take this debate public, [Aanonymous]. It's about
time somebody said the stuff you told me in private
about the so-called "experts" with the mismatched
socks making the politically-correct quacking sounds
while the north side goes down the shitter because
nobody has the political will to crack the hell down
on, well, good lord, crack heads.

Maybe a column like this one helps create the discussion
and the political will to do something. I think that
discussion could be amplified if you're willing to jump
into it in a very public way. :)