vision2020
RE: Community of Moscow
Title: RE: Community of Moscow
Tony,
Your impression of what MER was saying to City
Council during the presentation on Monday is mistaken. We are
not experienced public speakers, so perhaps we didn't explain
ourselves clearly.
I am concerned that you came away thinking there was a "game
of politics" going on.
The legal challenge spoken of is what *will
happen* if someone is actually cited according to the existing
ordinance. It's so poorly written that it will end up being challenged
in court and cost the city (read: me!) money and time that would be
better spent elsewhere. No one I know of is planning on
willingly becoming the person to challenge it, even though several
attorneys have expressed a willingness to take it on. Our
research indicated that similar language had been challenged in other
areas in the last 10 years and has ended up costing those cities $80K
plus to defend and lose.
.. I'd rather see that spent on *real* problems in my community.
The negative publicity spoken of would be as a
result of that inevitable law suit.
You're right if you felt we were making an effort to
tell them something they would care about. Personally, these are
my major concerns on this issue. I love Moscow.
Is the restorative justice you speak of
putting the pieces back together after something like that happens,
rather than trying to circumvent?
-Karri Fedale
YOU WROTE:
Mr. Hansen is correct in that restorative
justice does come to moving away from us and them. However, the
examples he gives are troubling in a couple of ways. First,
there are many working in restorative justice who do not want to see
the healing nature of justice become law. Most communities were
restorative justice is working have few, if any laws mandating this
approach. However, at the request of one politician we were able to
find an in depth look at the laws which now exist and the positive and
negative impact.
Mr. Hansen mentions Muscovites for Equal
Rights as an example of change.That they are working for change is
clear and I tend to support their effort. However, Is there approach
restorative and based on healing wounds of injustice? After listening
to their presentation to the City Council I came away with the
impression that we will do whatever it takes to get our way, including
a legal challenge and hints of negative publicity,etc.... Truthfully
this is playing the game of politics more than it is
justice.
Restorative justice looks at the reality
that law and justice are not synonmous terms. Evidence suggests that
all people do not have the same access to the law. The healing nature
of restorative justice is working to give all people access to
justice. This is one of the most important points and it is one that
is most are risk of being lost if justice is becomes a process of
systematic games.
Tony
-------Original
Message-------
From: thansen@moscow.com
Date: Wednesday, October 23, 2002
06:20:03
To: Tony C. Brown; vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: RE: Community of
Moscow
Visionaires -
Tony C. Brown stated:
"Our society has fallen into a way of thinking where we expect
the state to
solve most of our problems for us (some called this our real 911
crisis)."
Shocking news, ladies and gentlemen: We are the State! We say so
every
election year. It is my opinion (as I stated a long time ago) that if
you
do not like the way a certain law is written, you have every right
to
approach the elected officials who put that law into affect (such as
the way
that Muscovites for Equal Rights did). You can vote elected officials
out
of office and vote in those whose belief structures are similar to
yours.
You can protest. You can petition. There is no "them". We
are "them".
Take care,
Tom Hansen
Moscow
***********************************
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.
- Author Unknown
***********************************
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