This is from the "You've gotta be shitting me" pile...
The Cynthia "The Fist" McKinney story took another hop and skip into the realm of bullshit today.
Here are some snippets from
various articles and my response.
- McKinney said she would be exonerated and that "this whole incident was instigated by the inappropriate touching and stopping of me, a female, black congresswoman."
Response: Actually, Ms. McKinney, the whole thing was instigated by you, a female, black congresswoman when you did not show an ID, wear your congressional pin, or stop when the officer repeatedly asked you to. (
AP Story: Several police sources said the officer, who was not identified, asked her three times to stop. When she kept going, he placed a hand somewhere on her and she hit him, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.)
- civil rights attorney James Myart said his client was "assaulted" by a Capitol Police officer
Response: As I'm sure Mr. Myart knows, the legal definition of assault is the threat or attempt to strike another. I'm sorry Mr. Myart, your client was the one doing the assaulting, NOT the one being assaulted.
- "Because she was assaulted and placed in impending fear of her safety, she responded," he said. "This case has just begun and we're going to fight, and we're going to use the U.S. Constitution."
Response: A few things here: 1.) She was not the victim, the cop was. 2.) "we're going to fight"...isn't this what got her in this mess in the first place? 3.) Where in the constitution does it allow people to hit cops and face no consequences? I checked and didn't find a Minority privileges clause in there anywhere.
- Myart said McKinney would seek a criminal investigation against the officer, and a civil lawsuit against both the officer and the Capitol Police is being explored.
Response: Well, here's a good idea...I mean it's not like you're wasting enough taxpayer dollars by using office supply funds to purchase a plane ticket and hotel room for Isaac Hayes.
- Myart further called the incident racial profiling and said there was "no excuse" for Capitol Police not recognizing his client, and Raffauf said she was stopped solely because of her race, gender and politics.
Response: First of all, there are 535 members of congress. Perhaps she was stopped because she just changed her hair style (from cornrows to an afro) and wasn't doing anything or wearing anything that would identify her as a member of congress.
Also, with respect to racial profiling...I'm not sure a 51 year old woman, dressed professionally would pop up if you were doing profiling. It doesn't quite fit with the 18-35 year old Arab men. I know Democrats are harmful to our national security, but I can't believe she would have been stopped solely for that either...not to mention she was stopped repeatedly when Clinton was president as well.
- Representatives of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and National Organization for Women also spoke on McKinney's behalf.
Response: Wow. The NAACP got involved. I am SHOCKED...are you?
At first I just thought this whole thing was kind of being blown out of proportion (and it probably still is), but after reading some of the comments of hers (she still has not apologized) and her "play the race card" lawyers, I have to admit that I'm hoping she gets charged with something...ANYTHING. Of course, now that the NAACP is involved anyone who says anything about Rep. McKinney will be branded a racist, so this will probably not go anywhere. It will actually probably help her raise money...it has certainly raised her national profile. Who before this incident even knew she existed?
If she was smart she'd do the Sunday talk show circuit and she'd utilize her 15mins for more than just this topic. Talk about something that means something and hope that if/when the Dems take back the house that you'll get a chairmanship or some other perk.
