[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > If the question of student membership in > neighborhood associations is the only issue > that Cam Gordon supporters can come up > with in regard to trying to gain votes on > Paul Zerby, we might as well go to the polls > tomorrow. I'm personally convinced that > Paul Zerby will support students fairly and > equitably when he becomes the Second Ward > Council Member. But, why are we spending > time discussing issues that are not really > relevant to governing this city?
If this were only an issue of student representation then I might agree with you, but this issue is much more fundamental. You are on a slippery slope when you legitimize the exclusion of a group of people because of some peripheral attribute. Should we also exclude renters? Or poor people because they are less likely to own homes? Or African Americans because a larger percentage of them are likely to be poor? The Constitution guarantees us "equal protection" under the law. When students are excluded from an organization allocating tax dollars are their rights equally protected? When a candidate takes such a position it says something very basic about their attitudes towards the rights of people outside of their own group. Another action, or non action on the part of Mr. Zerby also speaks to his character. PPERRIA's president posted a response to a statement I had made and declared it to be false. When I asked Mr. Zerby to provide the truth all we heard from him was silence. That's the same lack of vocal defense for minority rights that I've heard in my neighborhood for the last three years. Rather than speak up for the fairness, Mr. Zerby once again choose to remain silent. Whereas, I hear Mr. Gordon urging his supporters to: "... work to keep these last days positive, focused on issues, focused on the future and focused on all the good we can do working together for our ward and our city," Mr. Zerby bits his tongue while our neighborhood association president distorts the facts by selectively reporting them. Do we really want to perpetuate this kind of politics in City Hall? Don't you think that it's time for a real change? I haven't been able to single-handedly improve my neighborhood association, but working together we can make Minneapolis a much nicer, more pleasant and a fairer place to live. I believe that we should elect someone who will stand up for the rights of minorities and speak up for the truth. Please consider voting for Cam Gordon. Michael Atherton Prospect Park _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
