While any citizens on the Greenway is a good thing,--- the Guardian Angels?
What a joke!
The Guardian Angels started out as a great idea, and brought a huge amount of
effort from young highly motivated people in Minneapolis, but in my opinion
then the Angels became little more than a carny scheme to send money to New
York. In the process using those young people and discarding them. This is
not just my opinion, someone might ask Margaret Fuller, the lady who helped
bring the "Guardian Angels" to Minneapolis, about her opinion of the Angels.
The Aim Patrol was far, far more effective when it was running, and before it
became little more than security for bingo. So Wizard was correct, when viewed
from history in South Minneapolis. Citizens patrolling and taking control of
their OWN communities is very effective. Out of town cons take the money and
then leave. A resurrection of the old "Aim Patrol" that actually "Patrolled"
would be a good thing.
Three or four Citizens traveling together, armed with cell phones, just scare
the hell out of criminals. One of them type in 911 speed dial on the phone and
walk or bike along. All that is needed is to hit one button and hopefully the
cops come swooping in.
Of course strolling along with a walking stick is also a little comforting to
some people with the will to demonstrate a little soft shoe to entertain the
would be criminal until the police arrive. I have found that a little Fred
Astaire does wonders for the criminal mind. You just have to know where to
place the feet while you do the tap dance.
Some Saturday and Sunday mornings I do what I call a photo safari, or "Deer
Hunt". I take someone along to either drive or take pictures and then hunt up
some drug dealers. It is just like deer hunting, you show up with the
equipment (camera and binoculars and they scatter. After the first shot you
almost can't find one. A mountable trophy is a picture of an actual exchange
taking place, but those are hard to get. The easy ones are the ambushes, where
you pull up like you are a "customer" then snap the picture when the
pharmaceutical distributor comes up to the window. That is fun of course, but
not nearly as gratifying as getting an actual trophy.
One of my favorites is a picture of a young drug dealer who I watched do a
deal, then ran home for my camera. I tracked him all over the neighborhood but
being incredible wily he always kept his face turned away when I was in camera
range. Finally I remembered a trick from four legged deer hunting. When the
deer is going away you simply whistle and the deer will often stop and look
over its shoulder and thus give you a chance for the shot. So as he once again
eluded me I simply whistled as I began to squeeze the camera trigger. Sure
enough, he looked over his shoulder just as I snapped the picture. Good full
face shot. Another fun one was at 5th and Franklin. Two people were
exchanging money for what appeared to be a couple of "rocks". I pulled up, put
in park and leaned the camera on the top of the car and asked them to smile.
The drug dealer asked, "What the - - - - do you think you are doing." I
laughingly answered, "taking
pictures of drug dealers." Wow, you should have seen that guy take off across
Franklin. Unfortunately, he was too quick for me and I did not get the trophy.
Butt-shots just do not count. Never count the ones you should have got....
It's called hunting, NOT fishing!
I am sure stalking the "Greenway Lurkers" would be just as rewarding and fun.
Good exercise too! Perhaps we need to build a fund for some small monetary
reward for a photo or call that gets a criminal successfully prosecuted. Just
for a little more fun and reward for the "Hunters". Maybe we also need a
place to post the pictures for bragging purposes.
You know Little Earth has some great programs for kids. Perhaps someone should
talk to them. Those young people could be organized to do some positive things
in the community. Which is really good for the kids. I think one of my own
boys received a scholarship in part due to writing an essay on his activities
in the Community while helping when we were organizing to drive the street
criminals from our Community. (He is older now, but he still occasionally
accompanies me on one of the Sunday morning "deer hunts")
Of course when the drug dealers were thick and threatening, it was not the
young people who got out and confronted them on Franklin Avenue and Bloomington
Avenue. Funny, but it was mainly some good neighbors who easily qualify for
the "Geezer" discount at Perkins. The Carol and Brad Pass, Shirley Heyer, and
others, and yes the Grahams and others who have not seen age 21 in far more
years than that. I do not remember too many young people having coffee on the
corner of Bloomington and 25th, or going out side to try to drag a drug dealer
into the Church he was standing in front of.
Yeah, come to think of it, the people who should be organized is the older
citizens in the community. Perhaps a walking club at various times of the day
and night. Maybe the "Silver Foxes", and for the more aggressive maybe the
"Gray Wolves Walking and Protective Association". Since many of us have a hard
time getting to sleep due to pain, a good walk and a little adrenalin in the
evening might be therapeutic. Who is going to organize it? I'll commit to
walk a couple of times a week as long as I have a couple of ladies to protect
me (and call an ambulance if the unfamiliar exertion and exercise causes me to
have a heart attack!)
Wasn't that what the "Heart Of The City" parties was all about? There is NO
place in OUR City where good people can not be, and enjoy it. We OWN it!
Jim Graham,
Ventura Village
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. . . it's about learning to
dance in the rain to the sound of the thunder."
“We can only be what we give ourselves the power to be” – A Cherokee Feast of
Days