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Tragic Tale of Twin Cities
My mother, a high school English teacher, told me about a writing assignment she once gave her class. She read them a story about a drunk father who punished his son for arriving home ten minutes late, by killing the kid's beloved dog. Then she asked her students to write about who had behaved badly in the story.
The top vote-getter was the child (who after all was late), followed closely by the dog (who, the students thought, should have run away). Only a few students named the father as the one with behavior problems.
Here in the Twin Cities, in the aftermath of the Republican National Convention, I'm living inside that story.
Over 800 people were arrested during the RNC earlier this month. Protesters, journalists, bystanders alike. Many were hurt --tasered multiple times, shot with bean bags, beaten, dragged face down, kicked and punched. Many of the charges against those arrested have already been dropped and many more will ultimately be dropped--the now sober father looking at the dead dog the next morning, saying, "Gee, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that." And then adding, "But next time don't be late."
I listened to the Ramsey County Sherriff and the Mayor of St. Paul on the radio describe exactly how late the child was and what the dog should have done differently (run away faster). That those arrested falsely were regrettable but necessary. That we don't have to worry about paying for all the inevitable lawsuits for wrongful arrest with tax dollars because the RNC bought $10 million worth of insurance to cover these. That the police did a fantastic job protecting good people from "criminals." Here in this progressive center, I have heard no official, elected or appointed, speak up about the abuse of power. It is frightening to name an authority figure, upon whom you depend for your very life or livelihood, as being completely out of control.
I don't have the bruises, cuts, concussions, or other physical ailments that many are tending to now. My pain is of a psychic nature. The city I love, for five days, emerged clearly as a police state. Now things look normal again. The out-of-town protesters and conventioneers, news media and politicians, are all gone. The traffic barricades are down.
One recent morning I went to a church, not my own, simply because they were holding services on Harriet Island, a tiny island in the Mississippi directly across from downtown St. Paul. I wanted to look at the city, to reclaim it. I wanted to sing, pray, meditate and finally take the deep breath I've been unable to take for over a week now. I sang, prayed, meditated, laughed and cried, but that deep breath still didn't happen.
My life is busy like everyone's, and as the days go by, I'll slowly put out of conscious memory just how scared I was by violent police, inhuman looking as Darth Vader in their riot gear, just how clearly I saw their willingness to hurt innocent people in the name of public safety. I'll forget that I'm not breathing deeply, and accept a new fear as normal and permanent. My friend's nine-year-old daughter's nightmares about the police will stop.
I am grateful to brave journalists and lawyers who will do their best to tell the stories about the reprehensible behavior of the authorities. I will work to hold those officials accountable. I will know, even more clearly, who my people are, and who they are not. And I will know, even more clearly, how important it is to use my voice in this shadowed democracy.
The Rev. Meg A. Riley is a Unitarian Universalist Minister and chairs the board of Faith in Public Life: A Resource Center for Justice and the Common Good. The opinions expressed in this reflection are her own and not representative of any organization with which she is affiliated. Riley also volunteers small amounts of time and money as a volunteer supporting various Democratic candidates for office.
By Meg A. Riley |
September 19, 2008; 2:00 PM ET
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Posted by: Elissa Raffa | September 25, 2008 9:55 AM
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Update: St. Paul City Council member Dave Thune will hold a listening session at 5:30 pm, Wednesday, September 24th in Council Chambers in St. Paul. 15 Kellogg Boulevard.
There is a three hour agenda of journalists, protesters, etc. expected to speak.
Posted by: Ralph W., Minneapolis | September 23, 2008 2:27 PM
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My long time friend, ally and UU minister writes clearly here of the horrors of police state violence.
I was a civil rights demonstrator in Birmingham, Selma, Atlanta and elsewhere, and we faced the same police state violence, then in the name of racism.
I was the Chair in Boston of the anti-war movement in the 60s and we faced the same police state violence. In Boston also, the famous riot there was started by racist police state violence.
The police state violence we faced then, which was publicized by the corporate media, is now the norm in America, and the media ignores it. Even when award-winning journalist Amy Goodman was brutalized and arrested they carefully ignored it.
While America hasn't changed over these 50 years, the media has. The media has begun to resemble Pravda -- all the news that the government wants printed and broadcast.
The wise possum, Pogo, used to say, "We have met the enemy and they are us!"
Posted by: Rev. Jack Zylman | September 22, 2008 1:04 PM
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Thank you, Meg, for responding so movingly about the situation at the RNC. I was arrested while I was in seminary at Pacific School of Religion on a Good Friday for blocking the entrance to Livermore Laboratories for their pro-war research. I felt it was the right thing to do, and reading the Good Friday story in jail with 40 of my fellow-protestors was a blessing. Yesterday I spoke with a delightful young lesbian mother who was among the police donning riot gear--she said she wished she had been able to crack some heads of those "anarchists." None of my peace-loving friends has seen the police response as anything other than necessary. Some have at least said they were sorry the peaceful demonstration didn't get more coverage. We must wake up and really see what is happening in the country we love.
Posted by: Nadean Bishop | September 22, 2008 11:38 AM
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Thank you, Meg, for this piece, for telling the truth. We have to remember that we owe the Patriot Act for much of this behavior - that anything can now be called "terrorism" and receive harsh police action. Our right to assemble and engage in free speech has been seriously compromised.
Posted by: Loey Powell | September 22, 2008 11:10 AM
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The organization I staff, the Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance has taken a position on this very serious and under-reported issue.
Our board has publicly called on the mayors and city councils of both St. Paul and Minneapolis to hold public hearings into police actions. The reports ordered by Mayor Rybak and Council President Jordan of Minneapolis will not provide the level of accountability we believe all of us deserve.
At least two city council members I have talked to -- Cam Gordon and Gary Schiff -- agree that this issue needs serious examination. As a small step, they attempted to build in further accountability at their Wed, Sept. 17 committee meeting, but the majority would not support giving any direction to our police chief while ordering even these inadequate reports.
I also want to publicly recognize council member Dave Thune in St. Paul, the only official in St. Paul that MUUSJA is aware of who has expressed his anger and deep concern over excessive police force.
MUUSJA urges other Twin Cites people of faith (and supporters outside the metro!) to rise up and demand basic accountability from our officials -- those few who support accountability and the many who are ducking behind the "fantastic job" rhetoric.
-Ralph Wyman
MUUSJA Director/Organizer
www.muusja.org
Posted by: Ralph Wyman | September 22, 2008 10:57 AM
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Thank you so much for this conversation--and in particular for the metaphor of the dog! As a person who resides part of each year in the Twin Cities and part in Greece, I looked on in pain as the RNC protests and brutal police response unfolded. Had I been there, I could have easily been swept up--simply documenting this police "work" is a crime under the so-called Patriot Act.
Living outside of the US brings me into contact daily with people who have been raised and schooled to love American ideals. They ask me every day what has become of my country. It would be easy to blame all of this on the current Administration, but most painful of all for me was the astounding silence that followed the RNC. Where are our liberal leaders?