Commments on the Strib Editorial

Since the Strib editorial will likely disappear beyond a firewall, here it is:


What should have been a fun day at the park has left a Twin Cities man and his family recovering from a horrible ordeal. During the July 4th weekend, the 41-year-old was severely beaten at Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee.
Also in recovery mode is our larger community, shaken to its soul by this assault on its sense of safety and security. If such random, senseless violence can happen at a family park, where can any of us feel safe?
Six young men and one juvenile are accused of taking turns kicking the victim in the head until he was unconscious. The group jumped him after he yelled at them for groping his 12-year-old daughter. Witnesses said some of the attackers punched others randomly as they left the park.
In the big picture, such brutal attacks are relatively rare. Still, that is small consolation to citizens who feel barraged by stories about beaten bus drivers, random shootings and people killed or injured in their homes.
The seven now charged with the vicious assault include one 14-year-old boy and men ranging in age from 18 to 22. All of the accused are African-American.
Thinking people know better, but when blacks commit violent crime, some will predictably use the incident to reinforce their racist views and indict all young black people. Witness the nasty exchanges on talk radio and online comment forums.
But race-based ranting won't solve the problem. Nor will knee-jerk, overly aggressive policing. Increased security at Valleyfair or any other public place should not result in sweeps of black youth just because they're black, or wearing baggy britches and oversized T-shirts.
Youth violence is a major issue for our society, and it transcends questions of race and class. The recent "mean girls" YouTube video demonstrated that young people of various races are savagely beating their peers and recording it for their 15 minutes of fame on the Internet.
Certainly part of the answer lies in law enforcement and the courts, which must do their parts to get the most violent off the streets and deliver swift and just punishment. We wonder, for example, why some of the accused in the Valleyfair incident weren't in jail for previous offenses.
Government and schools can also be part of the solution. At the national NAACP conference this week, presidential candidate Barack Obama repeated his call for increased funding for education, health and antipoverty efforts. And he challenged the black community itself to do more.
"Yes, we have to demand more responsibility from Washington," Obama said. "And yes, we have to demand more responsibility from Wall Street. But we also have to demand more from ourselves.'' That's a call to improve parenting and to support and expand groups like 100 African-American men, MAD DADS and Big Brothers -- organizations that help steer black youth away from violence.
We share the anger and outrage caused by bands of young thugs. No family should have to endure the loss or injury of a loved one in this way. Yet in the search for solutions care must be taken to properly punish offenders and address the root causes of violence -- without giving in to fear, ignorance and racism.

Certainly part of the answer lies in law enforcement and the courts, which must do their parts to get the most violent off the streets and deliver swift and just punishment. We wonder, for example, why some of the accused in the Valleyfair incident weren't in jail for previous offenses.
Government and schools can also be part of the solution. At the national NAACP conference this week, presidential candidate Barack Obama repeated his call for increased funding for education, health and antipoverty efforts. And he challenged the black community itself to do more.
"Yes, we have to demand more responsibility from Washington," Obama said. "And yes, we have to demand more responsibility from Wall Street. But we also have to demand more from ourselves.'' That's a call to improve parenting and to support and expand groups like 100 African-American men, MAD DADS and Big Brothers -- organizations that help steer black youth away from violence.
We share the anger and outrage caused by bands of young thugs. No family should have to endure the loss or injury of a loved one in this way. Yet in the search for solutions care must be taken to properly punish offenders and address the root causes of violence -- without giving in to fear, ignorance and racism.


For the most part, I think the editorial is melted Jello. The usual suspect of more government, greater this, larger more caring that and ...root causes. Bang!!! A forgettable sermon. But this, "The seven now charged with the vicious assault include one 14-year-old boy and men ranging in age from 18 to 22. All of the accused are African-American.
Thinking people know better, but when blacks commit violent crime, some will predictably use the incident to reinforce their racist views and indict all young black people. Witness the nasty exchanges on talk radio and online comment forums.
But race-based ranting won't solve the problem. Nor will knee-jerk, overly aggressive policing. Increased security at Valleyfair or any other public place should not result in sweeps of black youth just because they're black, or wearing baggy britches and oversized T-shirts." Here the Strib tells us what to think, and what not to think. I don't think they have any idea what to do with feral youth. However, immediately, it is the Strib identifying these thugs first as black, "...when blacks committ violent crime". Yeah, they have black skin. So did the UPS man who parked in front of my house on Dale, blocking the now down to one lane each way traffic because of water main work, as he asked my address. First I saw the UPS uniform. Then a somewhat long, angular gait as he leapt from the truck, "Where is 1427?" "There!" I pointed. As he put the package onto my neighbor's porch he shouted, "Thanks a lot". "Fellow American!", I replied. Nothing, NOTHING about his demeanor, language, posture, verbal skills, nothing, said, "Thug". The "Thugs" at Valley Fair might have black skin; that is irrelvant. To the extent they believe their black skin means they must dress, behave, and talk in a particular manner is their choice! (Run this experiment sometimes. Dress with boxer shorts up to your chest, pants down to the knees, doo-rags, hats, chains, floppy shoes, the entire regalia. Sooner or later someone's likely to ask, "Hey! Why you dressin' black? Ask them why they are "...dressin' black'.) As human beings, we either have free will or we do not! There is no victim class, poor creatures tossed about by fate. Sure, we all have tough breaks and make bad choices. (See God, mercy of...) Each of us is responsible for our choices, for what we have done, and what we have failed to do. I think the entire episode is tragic, for the attacked and attackers. The former hospitalized and traumatized. The latter, hopefully, on their way to prison for some elongated time in small rooms where they, more hopefully, might come to some redemption. That's up to them too. (See God, mercy of...) At the very least, they will be out of arms- and foot stomping length for some time.