"What this country needs . . ."

Tragic in its own right, this story (Hat tip: Modern Tribalist) left me trying to imagine the eager young bureaucrat, deep in the bowels of the INS (or wherever) who walked into his office one morning and announced to his staff: "Do you know what this country needs? More Somalis!"

My imagination failed. I don't believe for a moment that even one of the bureaucrats overseeing immigration perceives his job as having to do with what might be in the interest of the United States as a nation.

Further, they would react in horror to the idea that an immigrant's nation of origin might help them answer that question, even if they asked it. Because, you see, that would be racist.

Though the building [where the assault took place] resident manager wouldn't provide demographic breakdowns, the tenant list in the entryway is dominated by Somali surnames -- a segment of St. Paul's population that police say is often reluctant to report crimes.

That reluctance is of such concern to police officials that Chief John Harrington has been meeting monthly with Somali elders to encourage community cooperation in criminal matters, police spokesman Tom Walsh said Thursday.

Somali elders? In Saint-frickin'-Paul Minnesota!?!