BY ED FELIEN Just before sunrise on Feb. 2, the MPD SWAT team bursts into a downtown apartment: “Police!” “Search warrant!” “Get on the ground!” Amir Locke is asleep on a couch, under a blanket. They kick the couch. Amir gets up, turns to the officers. He is holding a…
BY JOHN STUART Quaker social justice values are embodied in “Testimonies,” adherence to peace, equality, community and integrity. A year ago, members of the Minneapolis Friends Meeting began to talk about the policing of our city in the light of these Testimonies. Too often, we had seen violence in policing.…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Why keep small and unusual pets? Not everyone can keep a dog or a cat in their living space. For reasons ranging from disabilities to allergies to rules for renters, sometimes if one wants an animal companion, they have to look for other alternatives. I have…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE The outlook for the third summer of COVID In 2020, virtual summer camps were born. But when we published our piece on summer camps in early March 2020, we had no idea what was to come. And neither did the organizations offering summer camps, many of…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Resisting diet culture If you feel the alluring pull for a dietary “renewal” every January and have a vague feeling that you’re being played, you need to read this excellent piece by dietitian Christy Harrison in the Eater – “How to Avoid the shameless creep of…
BY CAM GORDON On Jan. 10, the new Minneapolis City Council met for the first time, elected new leadership and approved new committee assignments. It also revealed an interesting council divide. While the historic election of former vice president and Ward 8 council member Andrea Jenkins as the new council…
This letter is written in response to the statement that Walz running for governor in 2022 would be helpful to Democrats. Many Minnesotans will not vote for Walz again. I’ll first note the many voters he lost after his state police froze 640+ anti-police brutality protestors that cold November night…
The Jones Day law firm is the fifth largest law firm in the United States. They mostly represent large corporations, but in the last election they represented the Trump campaign in lawsuits trying to overturn the election results. Jones Day has virtually taken over the government of our city, working…
As you certainly know, Winston Smith was killed by officers under the supervision of the U.S. Marshals on June 3, 2021. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension conducted a Use-of-Deadly Force investigation, resulting in a report of over 1,000 pages, submitted to Crow Wing County Attorney Donald Ryan. Mr. Ryan then…
BY ELINA KOLSTAD At a press conference in early January, Mayor Frey argued that schools should remain open in order to combat violent crime and increased carjackings often carried out by juvenile offenders. He specifically said, “When we don’t have that [schools open], boredom sets in. And boredom is no…
BY JOHNNY HAZARD The recent history of immigration through Mexico to the United States is one of “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss,” of the realization that the arrival of liberal or moderate presidents in both countries has not led to an examination or reversal of the…
BY TONY BOUZA Grinding poverty concentrates the mind powerfully. If you’re so smart, why aren’t you rich? Money talks … We live in a merciless capitalist society. You’re either at the table or on the menu. My reaction to such cruelty? Bravo! There’s never been a more generous economic idea…
BY ED FELIEN The following is correspondence between Mel Reeves and me. On Aug. 2, 2013, I wrote to Mel, “We’re planning a demo at the MPD Federation headquarters under the slogan: ‘Get rid of bullies, racist thugs and murderers!’ Would you like to participate? Speak about Terrance Franklin? Can…
Email sent by Chuck Turchick to the new City Council: Dear City Council Members, For too long now, I have been urging the Minneapolis City Council to hold public discussions about what lessons were learned by the MPD and by the City from MPD officer-involved killings that resulted in large…
BY STEPHANIE FOX So! What’s love got to do with it? What does love have to do with Valentine’s Day? Today, Valentine’s Day is celebrated with gifts of chocolate and flowers and sentimental love poems. It is not, as some like to claim, an invention of Hallmark and greeting card…
