Living with crime: Carl Holmquist

I was coming back from running the Human Race 8K and there were police cars and news vehicles. It was almost a surreal experience. My thoughts and prayers are with the man who was shot and the family. My other reaction is that I am not going to allow fear and criminals take my neighborhood or my street. I was thinking of a vigil where the man was shot.

I prepared for the first vigil by taking a board and placing pictures of Michael Zebuhr (on it), so that we could all remember that he was a human being with a mother, sister, and friends. I hoped the board would help myself and others share their feeling by writing on board with a family that I have never met.

The police did a nice job of helping put together the first vigil and bringing the community together. Then we went to the Calhoun Area Residents Action Group (CARAG) meeting which was already planned that night with a different agenda.

I just want to make sure that the focus is on the fact that somebody died. Somebody's loved one died and hopefully that family will get some justice.

People from our neighborhood and greater Minneapolis were sharing their raw feelings about this and why it happened and also who is responsible for this happening.

It felt like the movie "Crash", with all of these questions, emotions, and people discussing the causes of this murder, who to blame, fear, race, why is this death being mourned more than others in this city? Who is to blame? City officials, cops, the governor for cutting LGA (local government aid)?

I just want to make sure that the focus is on the fact that somebody died. Somebody's loved one died and hopefully that family will get some justice.

The second vigil was an outpouring of the local block organized by one of the neighbors. It felt very real and had no pretense. It was one of those special moments to be human when true emotions are being shown.

I spoke there and I really do not remember exactly what I said just let the spirit move me. The focus of that night was on Michael, his family, and friends.

I appreciated Councilman Samuels, Councilman Remington and Rep. Ellison coming to our vigil. We ended the vigil with all of us walking the streets of Uptown with our candles making statement that these are our streets and I'm not afraid of them.

It was the beginning of my transition from grieving for the family and community and beginning to act about this violence in our city. Why?

I want us to start placing our thoughts and prayers around all acts of violence in our city. These thoughts and prayers are not just for the victims but also the perpetrators of these acts. Everyone is a child of God and is my neighbor.

It does not mean that we need to accept these acts or not look for justice for the victims. As someone said at one of the gatherings: these vigils show, "America and humanity at its finest."

After contemplating this we need to act by reaching out to our neighbors, and by helping people feel safe. We need to reach across the divide of neighborhood, race, political, and economic status. May we show humanity at it's finest each day of our lives.

I will be thinking about these things as I walk the streets of CARAG tonight doing our stroll patrol.