Monday, April 03, 2006
Rep. McKinney's Tactics Are Not Helping
Rep. Cynthia McKinnney (D-Georgia) has a history of confrontations. As I mentioned last week, she seems to have a chip on her shoulder, and always seems to be looking for a fight. Unfortunately, her confrontations often have racial overtones.
Last week she tried to get by Capitol security without identifying herself (or displaying the Congressional pin virtually every other Member displays). She argues the police should recognize her, and implies they all are racists. When the security guard stopped her, she allegedly hit him with her cell phone.
Now she is seeking publicity, again. She held a press conference last week, defiantly declaring "This whole incident was instigated by the inappropriate touching and stopping of me, a female black congresswoman."
The "inappropriate touching" appears to have been when the officer touched her arm when stopping her attempt to bypass security without showing identification. It's on videotape, so we will see for ourselves at some point.
Of course the term "inappriate touching" has lots of overtones, as she well knows.
Today she is planning another press conference. Since she won't talk about the incident, which is under investigation and may result in assault charges against her, what is her objective for the news conference, if not simply to keep herself in the news?
News stories are everywhere -- from mainstream media, including print and TV, to Fox News and right-wing radio and blogs. Much of the coverage has focused on her history of confrontation and her regular accusations of racism -- like when she wrote to President Clinton and accusesd security officers who didn't recognize her of racism. Several news stories and blogs have quoted her as saying she was tired of having to have her identity "validated by white people."
Racism exists, and we should all work hard to eliminate it, no matter how daunting that task seems.
Unfortunately, Rep. McKinney's own apparent racism, attitude and tactics don't help. In fact, by providing ammunition for some to paint her as a radical or a flake, she marginalizes herself, and actually hurts the effort to eliminate racism.
If she asked me, I would suggest that she face the fact that not every single bad or inconvenient thing that happens to her -- like having to show identification to avoid the metal detector in the House of Representatives' office buildings -- is harassment by white people.
Last week she tried to get by Capitol security without identifying herself (or displaying the Congressional pin virtually every other Member displays). She argues the police should recognize her, and implies they all are racists. When the security guard stopped her, she allegedly hit him with her cell phone.
Now she is seeking publicity, again. She held a press conference last week, defiantly declaring "This whole incident was instigated by the inappropriate touching and stopping of me, a female black congresswoman."
The "inappropriate touching" appears to have been when the officer touched her arm when stopping her attempt to bypass security without showing identification. It's on videotape, so we will see for ourselves at some point.
Of course the term "inappriate touching" has lots of overtones, as she well knows.
Today she is planning another press conference. Since she won't talk about the incident, which is under investigation and may result in assault charges against her, what is her objective for the news conference, if not simply to keep herself in the news?
News stories are everywhere -- from mainstream media, including print and TV, to Fox News and right-wing radio and blogs. Much of the coverage has focused on her history of confrontation and her regular accusations of racism -- like when she wrote to President Clinton and accusesd security officers who didn't recognize her of racism. Several news stories and blogs have quoted her as saying she was tired of having to have her identity "validated by white people."
Racism exists, and we should all work hard to eliminate it, no matter how daunting that task seems.
Unfortunately, Rep. McKinney's own apparent racism, attitude and tactics don't help. In fact, by providing ammunition for some to paint her as a radical or a flake, she marginalizes herself, and actually hurts the effort to eliminate racism.
If she asked me, I would suggest that she face the fact that not every single bad or inconvenient thing that happens to her -- like having to show identification to avoid the metal detector in the House of Representatives' office buildings -- is harassment by white people.
