Just as I was about to say good night and Happy New Year, someone sent me the latest from Shelbyville, TN. Yes, can you believe it there is more!
Times-Gazette reporter Brian Mosely responded today to the criticism and the praise for his series on Somalis in Shelbyville.
Also mixed in with the comments and criticism were several messages from refugee advocates and Somalis themselves [all from out of town, some in other countries] who want to help me “understand” our new neighbors. One of them said that the Somalis “are some of the friendliest, most inviting people I know.”
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Now they want to talk to us. This is months after the failed efforts of this paper and local officials to get members of the Shelbyville Somali community to sit down with us and communicate. We repeatedly offered the chance to get their story told to the public and we never got an answer. Not even a “no, thank you.” Just silence.
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Well, I will do a follow up with their input now that this issue is fully out in the open, but it will have to wait until next year.
This was just the warm-up! Go to the article here and read the rest, and don’t skip the comments.