Hello to Members of the MPLS-CR e-democracy forum.
I have received three complaints, two being very indignant and one being
understanding of the intention of my first comment on Sunday evening,
October 29, 2017.
I must first say that I am speaking, now, as a private citizen. I learned
that as a member of our senate district's central committee at the DFL, and
as a director on Senate District 60 DFL's board of directors that only
officers may post on behalf of the DFL, or the notes must first be approved
by the officers of the local DFL committee or board. I am a member of
these two bodies, but I am not an officer. Hence, my comments from the
other night do not necessarily reflect the official stance of the DFL or
members of our local unit. Importantly, this is a personal response and
not reflective of the DFL's official or agreed upon stance to anything
which I have previously said or will say in this note.
I have previously apologized to Abdullahi Bashir, in writing, for making
comments which he and one other, and possibly others, perceived to be
condescending and arrogant. That was not my intention, and I came to
understand Abdullahi's concern after not sleeping well on Sunday night. I
wrote my initial apology at 2:05 a.m, Monday morning, October 30, 2017, to
Abdullahi, a Somali American professional who supervises an important
office at University of Minnesota.
Speaking to Angie's recent comment, my intention is to get our local
participants to uniformly engage in the process of caucuses in a
respectful, orderly, and nonviolent and compassionate manner. Many of our
caucus-goers are already coming to terms with the necessary level of
formality that must exist for our caucuses to effectively work in a timely
manner for the business for which our community actually attends these
events. Our official leaders have timelines and budgets to consider; the
meeting places for our caucuses have limits on how long we may use their
facilities, and police and fire department personnel are sometimes required
to assist given both the non-violent and the disorderly and violent nature
of some of our past meetings.
One of my friends, Weli, whose uncle was one of Somalia's prime ministers
during the 1960's, and who is a prominent member and aide in the Ward
6-Precinct 3 community, agrees with me that the manner in which some of the
participants have acted during the past two caucuses, were disorderly and
not conducive to all members of our audience.
In a restated manner, it is not a matter of one or all people at the caucus
being from East Africa. The specifics of our community's ethnic heritage
is not in question, as many caucus-goers behave in a manner which is
conducive to a formal meeting. Moreover, I have lived, worked with,
served, and befriended many members of this community for nearly 25-years.
My choice of words, including the use of the word "assimilate," was
insensitive, yet does have an importance. Whether one is of Norwegian or
French or Irish, Swedish, Slovenian, Serbian heritage,as my family has in
their heritage, or from Latin American, Asian, or African heritages, there
are certain behaviors which are conducive to take part in an efficient and
presentable event; other behaviors and notions are not conducive to
respecting everyone at the event, including the time of the presenters and
the Party members who, behind the scenes, do a lot of work to try to assure
an effective outcome.
The outcome at the 2016 caucus was so bad, and so not working on schedule
that I left the caucus early, after having attended and participated as a
leader and member in caucuses in this neighborhood and in the Lowry Hill
neighborhood for, then, thirty-seven years. The outcome of our 2014 cauces
involved Ilhan Omar receiving a concussion, bruises, and cuts, after being
held down and battered by people who believe they represented former state
representative Phyllis Kahn's interests in the caucus. Several people from
that period were eventually investigated by police officials to determine
who was at fault and who may have orchestrated that violence against a
well-meaning and effective neighbor and public servant, and other men and
people who were in the audience. Ilhan was rushed to the hospital for
care, costing money that should not have had to be spent on medical care
had the caucus been orderly and nonviolent, and which upset many of us who
were leading the event or who were in the audience.
My comments were not intended to be taken personally, but my message was
not right and perceived as racist because I am of European heritage, and
not African heritage. I have worked well in the international community in
Europe, Latin America, and locally for many years. Members of our Party
who have lead and planned our local caucuses have indicated that our Ward
has recently had the most ineffective leadership and disorderliness of any
Ward in the State of Minnesota. Again, I am speaking as a private citizen
who has participated in many events, including events which involved one of
our nation's First Ladies and one of our nation's vice president's two
sons. I see the problems that have existed in our Ward and precinct as
being problematic only due to lack of experience and training by many
members of the past two caucuses. Many have not had the reason or
opportunity to learn formalities, as many other East Africans, have.
Again, this is only a matter of recognizing cultural differences and not
meant to shame or harshly blame some of the caucus-goers who are not yet
accustomed to the formality which must be in place for a civil meeting of
this sort to effectively and timely take place.
My intention was to point out behaviors that do and do not work --
regardless of one's ethnic or racial heritage. Again, many of our
enthusiastic and well-meaning caucus-goers have not had the experience or
insight to understand the need for orderliness at caucuses. This is also a
statement in recognition of the very enthusiasm that all people are
experiencing as they seek, often for the first time in their lives, to have
a say in the democratic process.
Because of the disorderly, loud, and violent nature of some past
caucus-goers, other people in the very same community refuse to attend our
caucuses. They include people who the community in the Ward 6-Precinct 3
area look up to, and are significant in helping our neighbors find jobs and
education to advance themselves in the local and regional community.
As a private citizen, who has been a member of our political community for
thirty-eight years -- with good times and bad times behind me as part of my
personal learning curve, I encourage all people interested in the DFL and
Democratic Party to take part in caucuses and local and regional and
statewide, as well as nationwide leadership in the Party to which I belong
and hope to assist. Learning the best ways to act at caucuses may take
time, or may go smoothly with a little information and encouragement, as I
care to present in this note.
During the past twenty-five years of residence at Riverside Plaza, I have
helped many East African families with problems they were frightened to
work on by themselves, due to the nature of complaints, and due to stated
reasons for fearing eviction or violent retribution. I frequently talk to
elementary school age kids, as well as graduate student and professional
adults, and to neighbors who have not had the opportunity for much formal
education. I am very interested in promoting self-awareness,
cross-cultural understanding and acceptance, and friendship.
I am sincerely encouraging and caring of my neighbors and do not wish to be
perceived of as racist simply because I have a European name or white
coloring in my skin tone. I attended Macalester College specifically
because it had a reputation of being multi-racial and international in its
student and professional teaching population. I graduated from University
of Minnesota, with a bachelor's degree in history, and have studied over
7,000 years of leadership from around our planet and have an idea of what
does and does not work in the political process and specifically within the
ideology of having a democratic republic as the model which our founding
leaders designated after understanding the history of unkind and unfair
leadership in Europe and elsewhere.
The importance of learning to maintain a respectful and non-violent, and
orderly manner at our political meetings cannot be underscored, or pointed
out, with enough vitality. Many immigrants to this nation, and to our
state, region, and city, have come here as a result of their fear and
mourning, and loss of property and profession due to the disorderly and
violent nature of political and tribal affairs in their cities, regions,
and nations of heritage and birth. As a member of this community, whose
ancestors in Europe were not at all times formally educated and subject to
the stressors brought on by tribalism, I believe I have a responsibility to
try to engage others in a way that supports their rights and privileges as
immigrants, whether here as guests, resident aliens, or people who have now
found citizenship in this part of the world.
I greatly enjoy the diversity of our region and political ward and
precinct, but speaking frankly, firmly, and in a friendly manner, I must
remind those new to the political process that there are written and
unwritten expectations of anyone who participates in formal meetings. Had
this been true and understood during recent caucuses, our effective and
talented and highly-esteemed state representative, Ilhan Omar, and other
people -- both young and old, would not have had the experience of criminal
violence against them, or our caucuses needing to go over the allotted time
for use of the Coyle Community Center gymnasium.
For those who attend church or mosque, or their temple or community center,
or who attend classes, seminars, and business meetings, it is clear to many
that we must allow official speakers their time, and to respect their
leadership and guidance, as all continue in their development and
understanding of what it means to participate in a democratic republic,
where my political parties, the DFL and Democratic Party, have goals to
help our community live safe, healthy and productive lives with access to a
good education and medical care toward personal and vocational and
professional development.
With all of this said, I hope those who were offended by certain choices of
words of mine, in the past, will recognize that I, too, am learning how to
effectively and professionally lead and take part in our democracy, and to
support policies and ideals of our Party which lead to happy, prosperous,
and enjoyable lives for all, regardless of their race, ethnicity, heritage,
gender, financial wealth, or other unique personal qualities which people
in this diverse community bring to the table and have as vulnerabilities
and opportunities for growth.
Thank you for the time you have put into reading this message; please pass
on to others my objective observations and experiences, and my
encouragement for all to take part in our democratic process.
Barry N. Peterson
1600 South Sixth Street - 334
Minneapolis, MN 55454
USA
<email obscured>
1-612-276-6266
I have received three complaints, two being very indignant and one being
understanding of the intention of my first comment on Sunday evening,
October 29, 2017.
I must first say that I am speaking, now, as a private citizen. I learned
that as a member of our senate district's central committee at the DFL, and
as a director on Senate District 60 DFL's board of directors that only
officers may post on behalf of the DFL, or the notes must first be approved
by the officers of the local DFL committee or board. I am a member of
these two bodies, but I am not an officer. Hence, my comments from the
other night do not necessarily reflect the official stance of the DFL or
members of our local unit. Importantly, this is a personal response and
not reflective of the DFL's official or agreed upon stance to anything
which I have previously said or will say in this note.
I have previously apologized to Abdullahi Bashir, in writing, for making
comments which he and one other, and possibly others, perceived to be
condescending and arrogant. That was not my intention, and I came to
understand Abdullahi's concern after not sleeping well on Sunday night. I
wrote my initial apology at 2:05 a.m, Monday morning, October 30, 2017, to
Abdullahi, a Somali American professional who supervises an important
office at University of Minnesota.
Speaking to Angie's recent comment, my intention is to get our local
participants to uniformly engage in the process of caucuses in a
respectful, orderly, and nonviolent and compassionate manner. Many of our
caucus-goers are already coming to terms with the necessary level of
formality that must exist for our caucuses to effectively work in a timely
manner for the business for which our community actually attends these
events. Our official leaders have timelines and budgets to consider; the
meeting places for our caucuses have limits on how long we may use their
facilities, and police and fire department personnel are sometimes required
to assist given both the non-violent and the disorderly and violent nature
of some of our past meetings.
One of my friends, Weli, whose uncle was one of Somalia's prime ministers
during the 1960's, and who is a prominent member and aide in the Ward
6-Precinct 3 community, agrees with me that the manner in which some of the
participants have acted during the past two caucuses, were disorderly and
not conducive to all members of our audience.
In a restated manner, it is not a matter of one or all people at the caucus
being from East Africa. The specifics of our community's ethnic heritage
is not in question, as many caucus-goers behave in a manner which is
conducive to a formal meeting. Moreover, I have lived, worked with,
served, and befriended many members of this community for nearly 25-years.
My choice of words, including the use of the word "assimilate," was
insensitive, yet does have an importance. Whether one is of Norwegian or
French or Irish, Swedish, Slovenian, Serbian heritage,as my family has in
their heritage, or from Latin American, Asian, or African heritages, there
are certain behaviors which are conducive to take part in an efficient and
presentable event; other behaviors and notions are not conducive to
respecting everyone at the event, including the time of the presenters and
the Party members who, behind the scenes, do a lot of work to try to assure
an effective outcome.
The outcome at the 2016 caucus was so bad, and so not working on schedule
that I left the caucus early, after having attended and participated as a
leader and member in caucuses in this neighborhood and in the Lowry Hill
neighborhood for, then, thirty-seven years. The outcome of our 2014 cauces
involved Ilhan Omar receiving a concussion, bruises, and cuts, after being
held down and battered by people who believe they represented former state
representative Phyllis Kahn's interests in the caucus. Several people from
that period were eventually investigated by police officials to determine
who was at fault and who may have orchestrated that violence against a
well-meaning and effective neighbor and public servant, and other men and
people who were in the audience. Ilhan was rushed to the hospital for
care, costing money that should not have had to be spent on medical care
had the caucus been orderly and nonviolent, and which upset many of us who
were leading the event or who were in the audience.
My comments were not intended to be taken personally, but my message was
not right and perceived as racist because I am of European heritage, and
not African heritage. I have worked well in the international community in
Europe, Latin America, and locally for many years. Members of our Party
who have lead and planned our local caucuses have indicated that our Ward
has recently had the most ineffective leadership and disorderliness of any
Ward in the State of Minnesota. Again, I am speaking as a private citizen
who has participated in many events, including events which involved one of
our nation's First Ladies and one of our nation's vice president's two
sons. I see the problems that have existed in our Ward and precinct as
being problematic only due to lack of experience and training by many
members of the past two caucuses. Many have not had the reason or
opportunity to learn formalities, as many other East Africans, have.
Again, this is only a matter of recognizing cultural differences and not
meant to shame or harshly blame some of the caucus-goers who are not yet
accustomed to the formality which must be in place for a civil meeting of
this sort to effectively and timely take place.
My intention was to point out behaviors that do and do not work --
regardless of one's ethnic or racial heritage. Again, many of our
enthusiastic and well-meaning caucus-goers have not had the experience or
insight to understand the need for orderliness at caucuses. This is also a
statement in recognition of the very enthusiasm that all people are
experiencing as they seek, often for the first time in their lives, to have
a say in the democratic process.
Because of the disorderly, loud, and violent nature of some past
caucus-goers, other people in the very same community refuse to attend our
caucuses. They include people who the community in the Ward 6-Precinct 3
area look up to, and are significant in helping our neighbors find jobs and
education to advance themselves in the local and regional community.
As a private citizen, who has been a member of our political community for
thirty-eight years -- with good times and bad times behind me as part of my
personal learning curve, I encourage all people interested in the DFL and
Democratic Party to take part in caucuses and local and regional and
statewide, as well as nationwide leadership in the Party to which I belong
and hope to assist. Learning the best ways to act at caucuses may take
time, or may go smoothly with a little information and encouragement, as I
care to present in this note.
During the past twenty-five years of residence at Riverside Plaza, I have
helped many East African families with problems they were frightened to
work on by themselves, due to the nature of complaints, and due to stated
reasons for fearing eviction or violent retribution. I frequently talk to
elementary school age kids, as well as graduate student and professional
adults, and to neighbors who have not had the opportunity for much formal
education. I am very interested in promoting self-awareness,
cross-cultural understanding and acceptance, and friendship.
I am sincerely encouraging and caring of my neighbors and do not wish to be
perceived of as racist simply because I have a European name or white
coloring in my skin tone. I attended Macalester College specifically
because it had a reputation of being multi-racial and international in its
student and professional teaching population. I graduated from University
of Minnesota, with a bachelor's degree in history, and have studied over
7,000 years of leadership from around our planet and have an idea of what
does and does not work in the political process and specifically within the
ideology of having a democratic republic as the model which our founding
leaders designated after understanding the history of unkind and unfair
leadership in Europe and elsewhere.
The importance of learning to maintain a respectful and non-violent, and
orderly manner at our political meetings cannot be underscored, or pointed
out, with enough vitality. Many immigrants to this nation, and to our
state, region, and city, have come here as a result of their fear and
mourning, and loss of property and profession due to the disorderly and
violent nature of political and tribal affairs in their cities, regions,
and nations of heritage and birth. As a member of this community, whose
ancestors in Europe were not at all times formally educated and subject to
the stressors brought on by tribalism, I believe I have a responsibility to
try to engage others in a way that supports their rights and privileges as
immigrants, whether here as guests, resident aliens, or people who have now
found citizenship in this part of the world.
I greatly enjoy the diversity of our region and political ward and
precinct, but speaking frankly, firmly, and in a friendly manner, I must
remind those new to the political process that there are written and
unwritten expectations of anyone who participates in formal meetings. Had
this been true and understood during recent caucuses, our effective and
talented and highly-esteemed state representative, Ilhan Omar, and other
people -- both young and old, would not have had the experience of criminal
violence against them, or our caucuses needing to go over the allotted time
for use of the Coyle Community Center gymnasium.
For those who attend church or mosque, or their temple or community center,
or who attend classes, seminars, and business meetings, it is clear to many
that we must allow official speakers their time, and to respect their
leadership and guidance, as all continue in their development and
understanding of what it means to participate in a democratic republic,
where my political parties, the DFL and Democratic Party, have goals to
help our community live safe, healthy and productive lives with access to a
good education and medical care toward personal and vocational and
professional development.
With all of this said, I hope those who were offended by certain choices of
words of mine, in the past, will recognize that I, too, am learning how to
effectively and professionally lead and take part in our democracy, and to
support policies and ideals of our Party which lead to happy, prosperous,
and enjoyable lives for all, regardless of their race, ethnicity, heritage,
gender, financial wealth, or other unique personal qualities which people
in this diverse community bring to the table and have as vulnerabilities
and opportunities for growth.
Thank you for the time you have put into reading this message; please pass
on to others my objective observations and experiences, and my
encouragement for all to take part in our democratic process.
Barry N. Peterson
1600 South Sixth Street - 334
Minneapolis, MN 55454
USA
<email obscured>
1-612-276-6266
