Your turn, human rights office debate: Critics offered limited solutions

Your turn, human rights office debate: Critics offered limited solutions
By Mike Landy • St. Cloud • September 19, 2009

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Del.icio.usFacebookDiggRedditNewsvineBuzz up!TwitterAs a result of my participation in policymaking for 10 years in the city of St. Cloud, I feel compelled to address the two Your Turns published Sept. 12 focusing on the city’s human rights services.


One was “Department would help create community that is more inclusive” and the other was “We need to all work together.” The authors are associated with St. Cloud State University.
These articles expressed an abundance of negative sentiment about race relationships within our community, border on racism in and of themselves, and did little to demonstrate the need for a full-time human rights office as opposed to the city attorney and his staff functioning in that role.
The city is experiencing a funding crisis and efficiencies are necessary. The two articles limited their solution to a full-time human rights office and director.
Shouldn’t the most important justification be the result as opposed to the process and players along the way? I think it should. The commentaries missed the real issue as they never clearly shared their aspirations or end game, nor provided further alternatives.
During the past decade much has been done to educate the public about race and gender equality and law that prohibits discrimination. The city has been front and center and has accepted its responsibilities to do its part.
However, the city itself has not been the focal point on the educational front. Diversity education has primarily been carried out by numerous nonprofits and other groups. My hope is that all of this work will continue and be funded from nongovernmental sources as it should be. The sizable influx of Somali immigrants gives great cause to continue this work, not to mention the notion that the work is simply not complete.
The Your Turn “Department would help create community that is more inclusive” cites St. Cloud’s “sordid racial history.” It recounts the 1857 arrival of Mary Butler, a slave as an example. The 1857 example is not relevant in 2009 and does nothing to support a proposal for a stand-alone human rights office
Further, it cites two decade-old studies conducted by consultants Elsa Batica and Betty King to support the view that people of color do not feel welcome today in St. Cloud. The piece also cited a 2003 study to imply that today’s St. Cloud Police Department does racial profiling.


The other piece, “We all need to work together,” states St. Cloud must maintain a “full-time human rights office, with a full-time human rights director period.”
It would be unfair to suggest that there is no racism in the city. However, it would be just as unfair to discuss the racism issue without commenting about the hard work expended and improvements made by a number of entities and individuals. Honestly, both communities have come a great distance fully realizing we certainly need to travel on.
However, it is no service to the community for these two authors to suggest that reassigning the duties and responsibilities from the former human rights director to legal staff within the city attorney’s office equates to abandoning the cause. It does not. It solely demonstrates the continuation of an important priority more efficiently.
Tough economic circumstances are facing the mayor and the City Council, and I applaud their willingness to identify better and more efficient ways to serve us as city residents.
This is the opinion of St. Cloud resident Mike Landy.