Post in Does Farheen Hakeem Really Believe Zimmermann is "Innocent" and a "Political Prisoner"?

2008 Jan 05 20:23 UTC

Greetings,

     Now, I wouldn't argue that Dean Zimmerman was "innocent" or "guilty". I
would,
  however, raise the question as to whether or not there exists anything
resembling
  equity in our justice systems. None less than Supreme Court Justice Kennedy
  in his 2003 address to the ABA Hall of Delegate made it quite clear that he
found
  grounds to contest the assertion. In 1995, Marc Mauer (head of the Sentencing
  Project) noted that 90% of all those incarcerated for Federal Drug Offenses
were
  Black or Hispanic. What I would argue is that far more serious offenses than
  that committed by Zimmerman are committed on a daily basis in the USA and,
  depending on who you are, said offenses are either never charged and
prosecuted
  or they never convicted. This happens because the end result of our Justice
System
  is that "innocence is pre-determined by social standing or economic clout.
That
  much, to my mind, is bloody obvious. John DeLorean was taped handing over
  suitcases full of coke to the FBI in exchange for cash....and walked. Michael
  Milken did 6 months in minimum security for bilking millions of retired
Americans
  out of their lifetime savings.  Richard Nixon illegally bombed Cambodia,
killing
  thousands and they built a library for him in San Clemente. So, what sticks
in
  my craw is not the fact that Zimmerman was "guilty" or innocent, but that if
  the if we had tried to slide that shoe on the foot of most other Council
Members,
  said Council Member would never have crossed the Colorado State Line and
  certainly wouldn't have ended up behind bars. Hey, our Justice system sucks,
  plain and simple. If anyone seriously wishes to contend that it is not, my
deepest
  sympathies. You guys are always prattling on about flaws in our political
  candidates....but you miss the singlemost, undying flaw of all...the vast
  majority of the candidates who throw their hats in the ring lack the most
needed
  virtue of all, courage. The courage to say the one thing that we all know,
but
  few possess.
      Now, in the race in 61B I see 2 candidates and I happen to know one of
them
  very well. I have also read statements from the other. It is abundantly clear
to
  me which one of them possesses enough moxxy to maybe, just maybe, change
  the status quo a wee bit...and that is what is wanted, I believe. Now, in the
  case of Mr. Hayden, the assertion that working for the Hearth Connection
  has something to do with ending homelessness is interesting. We are talking
  about that quaint little office in Green Space where the ED gleens 126 grand
  a year to oversee the managing of homelessness, correct. Great. Let's see
  44% of the homeless stated in Wilder's 2007 survey that criminal records
  were their primary barrier to sustainability, if I remember correctly. So, if
you
  wanna make a dent you gotta do something here. Yet, I wrote 5 missives
  to Hearth asking them to join State Legislative efforts around the issue of
  records reform...no response. It would be somewhat different if they had
their
  own plan. Similarly, several years ago a number of us put together a series
  of events entiteld "Housing and Communities of Color". Again, Hearth was
  absent. Conspicuously so. On veterans and homelessness, Hearth has
  never been on the radar...26% of the single homeless adults. And I outta
  know about this one....a whole lot better than that gang of sanitized and
  timid advocates over there at Hearth.
       Hey, taking 1.5 mil to operate some vans to do what they call "outreach"
  doesn't even begin to measure up to cutting edge bench-marks for ending
  homelessness. It does, however, ensure a group of "advocates" will continue
  to live very well.
      Now, I'm a DFL'er...a DFL'er of nearly 30 years standing, in fact. I am
fed
  up with electing candidates who all sound the same. I am fed up with
candidates
  who are so busy talking "strategy" (i.e., read selling us down the river
because
  their too afraid to take a chance and jeopardize re-election) to do anything
  of substance. So, I've come to the conclusion that it's time to take some
  chances. If we don't we will continue to end up with the likes of that marvel
  of modern cosmetology, RT Rybak or the bi-polar Lisa Goodman (who asserts,
  incredibly, that kissing big buisnesses butt is somehow central to the
  ideological planks of the DFL). These guys keep wee-weeing in the lemonade
  and telling us it tastes great. I, for one, am sick of such clowns.
       I am going to support Farheen. Not because she has never made a mistake,
  but because when she does she learns something from the experience. I am
  going to support her because she doesn't cringe every time someone goes,
"booh". I'm going to support her because, in terms of the issues she works
  on, she doesn't drink the lemonade.
       Now, if all you hacks wanna fixate on carboard cut-outs for candidates,
that's
  your prerogative. But I can tell you what you get...more of the same BS. So,
  when you end up with nothing, don't complain. This is a matter of being able
  to see the forest through the trees. If you fixate on whether Zimmerman was
  guilty or innocent you forget to ask the larger questions. Conflating that
with
  whether or not Farheen is a good candidate is specious.
       We are fiddling while Rome burns and the big question on your minds is,
  "should I wear the blue tweed or the pink chiffon". How 'bout not going to
the
  ball at all, you sots.

  Guy Gambill
  Northeast

james graham <email obscured>> wrote:
  Wizard Marks says: "I don't think it's necessary to rehash, ad nauseum, the
Zimmermann/DOJ history. It's done, over with,"

Well yes Wizard, it only becomes necessary when someone is presently running
for office who also very recently publicly campaigned for another office on a
platform that claimed Zimmermann was innocent and a political prisoner. That is
NOT "attack politics", it is simply bringing very pertinent facts out about a
candidate's judgment.

Wizard uses the word "Screed" to describe Ken's post about Farheen publicly
supporting convicted criminal Dean Zimmermann. Wizard is very knowledgeable
about words so I have no doubt she intended to use that particular word.

Definition of screed: 1 a: a lengthy discourse b: a ranting piece of writing.

I wonder if Wizard is saying that Ken's post was lengthy? I did not think it
was that lengthy, so perhaps Wizard could tell us what she actually intended by
using that word. It is one that gets tossed about sometimes.

It is rather tiring to have any question about certain political people's
recent past actions and past judgments defined as "Swift Boating". This simply
does not allow for ANY questions about a person running for office. I am
certain if the opposite was used such as "Karl Rowe-ing" legitimate criticism
it would not be appreciated. Didn't most people absolutely hate when Rowe did
the spin doctoring of Bush's "Reserve" record? That record certainly should
have indicated something about the man's ability to be "Commander in Chief".

The same seems to be true of the recent actions of Farheen to support someone
convicted of criminal political activities. Any attempt to "spin it" is
ridiculous, she should admit it was a terrible mistake on her part and let such
an example of poor judgment get behind her as Wizard asks

We need to question politicians about there past decisions and associations a
great deal more, not less! The past eight years of Minneapolis and National
politics certainly should have convinced us all of that need. Redemption and
forgiveness does seem to necessitate admitting the fault. Not doing so is just
another example of really BAD judgment. Perhaps Farheen will make clear what
her position on this is.

A past mistake, or continued bad judgment? This is a legitimate question for
discussion on the "List" and for 61B voters..

Now my post, because of length (and possibly ranting), could indeed be defined
as a "screed". And I humbly admit it and ask forgiveness. Though I am weak and
certain to "sin" again.

Jim Graham,
Ventura Village

"He that cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge over which he himself must
pass if he would ever reach heaven"