Posted on 04/11/2006 11:08:55 AM PDT by Baconian
Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, D-Ga., is – as my grandmother used to say – "standing knee deep in dog [droppings], trying not to get her feet dirty." We know she broke the law. We also know that hitting a police officer under any circumstances – short of testimony that you were forced to defend yourself because a crazed officer jumped out of the bushes and began assaulting you – means a handcuffed ride downtown and the posting of bail. McKinney, however, knows she is black, and that being a sepia-toned harridan is her "get out of jail free" card.
Herein is one of my chief complaints with McKinney's behavior, and with those supporting her: Being black is not an automatic form of absolution based on melanin content. It is egregiously heinous to use race as a trump card to obfuscate the truth of one's actions.
McKinney (allegedly) struck a Capitol Hill officer as he was performing his duty. That is a criminal offense from Dubuque to Argentina. It has nothing to do with her being black. Her forcing the prosecutor's office to convene a grand jury, at taxpayers' expense, is a blatant display of arrogance and complete disregard for the rule of law.
Her flagrant disrespect of that Capitol Hill officer was beneath contempt – those men and women deserve the support of congressional members and their staffs. They do not deserve to have the likes of McKinney slander them with accusations of racism.
She isn't stupid, her frequently absurd and aberrant behavior notwithstanding. For her to inject race, where it played no part, further vitiates another burgeoning problem, i.e., the concern amongst officers that doing their job properly may result in being fired.
The Capitol Hill Police screen some 30,000 people/visitors a day – the fact that this particular officer didn't recognize her did not license her to showcase her Magdalenian character traits. To proclaim before the world that her being stopped was "much ado about a hairdo," suggesting she was stopped because of her new rag-mop style "dew" is not worthy of one in her position.
For McKinney and her attorney to claim she was the victim of a "white police officer's racial bias" is indefensible, but not out of character for her. A congressional staff person familiar with McKinney told me, on condition of anonymity:
Everything is always about her – there are always problems about her behavior and whenever she is called on the carpet, she always plays the race card.
McKinney has a record of behavior that is long overdue for modification. The fact that she finds it necessary to hide behind race shows the impuissance of her position. Though in a perverse way, it shows the power blacks have – no white person can stop an impending legal action against them in its tracks by saying, "I'm white." Color is a trump card reserved for blacks.
McKinney and those like her, are in large part, the reason race relations are strained between blacks and many in law enforcement. They contribute to the disrespect black youths have for the law and law enforcement personnel. But while she can hide behind taxpayer-provided attorneys, the young wannabe gang-banger in the street gets to hide behind an overworked, underpaid public defender, juggling about 50 more cases a week than he reasonably can handle.
Her poisonous cozened accusations send a message that anything a black person deems unfair can be blamed on their being black. It sends the message that if you are black, then you are above the law, above having to show respect and certainly above being held accountable for your actions.
Even if she prevails in playing the "it's because I'm black card," it will be a Pyrrhic victory – for the cost will be to further calcify "I can do what I want" in the minds of black youth. Respect for the rule of law demands that she be prosecuted for her actions. Respect for herself as a person and as a congresswoman demands that she show contriteness and publicly acknowledge her misdeed. It is the very least she can do for the sake of the children she boasts of representing.
Her so-called apology from the House floor last Thursday was a theatrical presentation complete with supporting cast. It was Cynthia McKinney taking center stage, drawing attention to herself. She was neither contrite, nor did she apologize for impugning the officer's character. Then again, it is Cynthia McKinney we're talking about – what else would we expect?
Mychal Massie is a nationally recognized political activist, pundit and columnist. He is host of the widely popular talk show "Straight Talk." He has appeared on the Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, Comcast Cable and talk radio programming nationwide. He is a former self-employed business owner of over 30 years and a member of the conservative public policy institute National Center for Public Policy Research-Project 21
"You Know Who I Am?"
I know WHAT you are.
I read this down to the part where it said "Mckinney isn't stupid." That was as far as I could go.
I disagree.
I'm reminded of a line from the movie "Speed", where both the police captain and the officer, Jack (Keanu Reeves), were talking about the ex-policeman turned murderer, Payne:
"Crazy - not stupid."
No arrest, no charges...
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