Posted on 08/31/2012 4:17:18 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Republican National Convention became the scene of a racist incident involving an African-American CNN camera-woman.
The RNC condemned the act. CNN gave a terse statement acknowledging it. At first, no names were released. Finally, under pressure from the Black community, the camera-woman, Patricia Carroll, 34, gave an interview. Resistance to investigating this incident remains as disheartening as the story, itself.
The facts are scarce. On Tuesday, August 28, Patricia Carroll, a camera-operator for CNN, was on the Convention floor. She noticed debris falling around her. Carroll looked up and saw the two White males tossing peanuts toward her. Peanuts, a GOP snack follows their symbolic Republican elephant.
"What are you doing? Carroll said. “Are you out of your damned mind?”
The men responded, "Here's some more peanuts." They then approached the guardrail and hovering above her in the stands and said: “This is what we feed animals at the zoo." They began hitting her with peanuts. The men were described as adult - “older-than-middle-aged White men."
In Carroll’s interview with friend and reporter Jamila Bey, the incident was viewed as surreal but not out of the realm for Florida. Carroll said: “While his partner laughed, the thrower leaned over the railing as if he was at the zoo and snorted, 'here’s some more peanuts.'"
Two Black cameramen and a female reporter came to her rescue. CNN security happened to be in the area. The two men were escorted out by RNC security. At this point, a bizarre story of racial insult sinks to levels that question whether this country has forgotten every painful lesson learned from the Civil Rights Movement.
The RNC offered Carroll no profuse apology. Instead, the RNC asked Carroll whether the miscreants been Black or White. Outside of a testy statement calling the incident reprehensible, the RNC strategists refuse to elaborate on any actions they have taken against the perpetrators.
CNN issued a short statement confirming the incident which also declared, "CNN worked with convention officials to address this matter and will have no further comment." Were the RNC and CNN expecting this blatantly racial act against a Black woman, by two White delegates, at a political convention, nominating a U.S. Presidential candidate to simply disappear? If neither institution wanted to fan the flames of this controversy remaining silent was not the best strategy.
News organizations pry into the lives of the famous, political, and pedestrian daily for a living. Yet, CNN, like other media, can become camera-shy when faced with being part of a breaking news story. In this case, CNN resisted every effort to provide details. One can only imagine the media and political fall-out from had a similar incident occurred at an NAACP convention, with a White camera-woman, and two Black men taunting her with animal insults, and throwing food.
Without a police report the names are more difficult to find, says Roland Martin, CNN commentator. The Huffington Post, The Root, and Richard Prince’s Journal-ism have been at the forefront of prying forth details. No investigation seems likely without continued pressure from social media and everyday people seeking answers their civil rights organizations are not interested in knowing.
The RNC statement condemning this racial attack failed to reveal the names of the men or whether they were allowed to return and vote for Mitt Romney. Their State delegation remains a mystery, as well. This shameful act, and the silence surrounding it, speaks to what is deeply wrong with this country.
Patricia Carroll was the victim of a racial attack in the shadow of the stage where the RNC showcased Black Republicans Tim Scott, Mia Love, and Artur Davis. Where Condoleeza Rice, former Secretary of State, referred to the racial segregation of her youth as an obstacle overcome with hard-work negating the harsh reality of four little girls killed in the Klan-bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church, in Birmingham, Alabama.
Each speaker regaled the GOP before an audience of over 4,000 delegates;where about 46 were African-American. To date, CNN and the RNC remain silent. However, remaining silent in the presence of racial ugliness will not make racism disappear. Racism only festers in silence.
The Republicans may be the party of Lincoln. But, they refuse to accept how the vestiges of the slavery Lincoln ended bedevils this country even into this 21st century. _______
Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, an Associate Professor of Constitutional Law at John Jay College in New York City, is author of "Race, Law, and American Society: 1607 to Present," "The U.S. Constitution: An African-American Context," and a journalist covering the U.S. Supreme Court. She is reporting from the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.
"Speaking Truth To Empower."
Okay, if this actually happened, where's the film? Isn't she a camerawoman? Who and where are the other witnesses. This supposedly took place in a crowded hall in front of thousands of people. What are the two men's names? Which delegation did they belong to? Or are they trying to manufacture an incident like they did in the photo above?
Patricia Carroll, a camera-operator for CNN... Two Black cameramen and a female reporter came to her rescue...
Her rescuers are also cameramen. And still no video. Maybe if the news reporters check they can find some security video.
From the unverified tale of two apparently arrogant and rude white males, the whole country is villified by waving the bloody shirt for political gain.
It there were so many camera people around, why did they not photograph this?
Not only her but her rescuers were camera people. Until I see video, and names/delegations are named, I'm going to consider this a false flag operation. Either made up by her, staged by activists who got into the arena, or maybe even a couple Paul supporters trying to stage something to discredit the GOP.
And the longer this goes without proof, the more convinced I'll become this is a staged event.
they really are so desperatre .
Its time for the GOP ot mention who walked on a civil rights march, who was the KKK, who was slavery.
I’m sick of this S###
and what rag os this ?
I this a typical left wing fringe rag?
If this happened at all it could have been staged by these people....If it were such a big deal they would have taken steps at the time to record it not wait three days later.
I’m not buying this load. Just more commie bull****.
hang on are they trying to say CNN is in a cover up with the RNC
Did they carve nutty phrases all over her body?
This reeks of the same stench as the lesbian who lied to police and staged her own assault.
If someone assaulted the camerawoman, there would be names of the perps taken. No names, no assault.
IMHO of course.
I don’t believe a word of it, and I’m sick and tired of racists playing the race card.
“What are you doing? Carroll said. “Are you out of your damned mind?”
It is obvious that Carroll was rude and insulted the two delegates you questioning their sanity and using the D-Word.
For that, Carroll should have been thrown out of the convention and not the GOP delegates who were simply defending themselves and exercising their Free Speech.
It’s a black newspaper in NYC run by African immigrants.
Instead, the RNC asked Carroll whether the miscreants been Black or White.
&&&
Ebonics?
Either it (a) didn’t happen or (b) the perps were dem plants.
Our delegates don’t behave that way.
Throwing bananas would be racist but how is throwing peanuts racist? Jimmuh was a peanut farmer, so he was racist?
The RNC should have photo ID’s of all the participates. It would be easy for this woman or CNN to pick them out...If that’s not the case....it never happened.
So two people act like jerks and everyone at the convention is a racist? I’ll never understand the liberal mindset.
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