STREET RACING
The breakdown of law and order in my city astonishes me. The Minneapolis I grew up in had low crime, law-abiding citizens and safe streets. No more. All types of crime are on the rise. One kind of criminal mischief personifies the collapse of civil society. It’s known as street racing. Speeding vehicles pit themselves against one another in formerly peaceful neighborhoods. The police and legal authorities can’t seem to put an end to this insanity. They are failing in their primary responsibility to keep our citizens safe. The Minneapolis newspaper reports, “For residents of the city’s central neighborhood street races, crashes and speeding have turned parts of Portland Avenues into urban freeways, casting an air of anxiety over the neighborhoods. Many say they avoid walking on sidewalks, crossing the street and parking in front of their homes for fear of out-of-control motorists. Mark Schoening’s south Minneapolis front porch was damaged after a street racing driver crashed into his porch causing more than $30,000 in damage to his home.”
According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, in one year, there were 65 crashers on just 2 streets. If you raced like this when I was growing up, you would lose your license, pay a fine and spend time in jail. Apparently, that’s what’s missing now. Police need to arrest these law breakers and incarcerate them. Otherwise, this madness will continue.