A Discussion With Cynthia McKinney

Cynthia McKinney discusses her recent troubles with the Capital Police on the Ed Gordon "News And Notes" program from NPR.

A Grand Jury has been started and will investigate the incident. Charges could come at any time. McKinney is claiming race as the issue in this incident, however, I never bought that argument. I think this is a case of an arrogant Congress woman making a decision not to cooperate with Capital Police authorities. Once she knew she screwed up, the race argument became a convenient option for her.

She has a reputation for making race an issue in almost every situation. And she also has a reputation for being arrogant. She is also known for doing things to get attention. I have a feeling that if this situation involved any other Black Congresswoman, such as Eleanor Holmes Norton, Barbara Lee, Maxine Waters, or any other Congress woman of any race, this probably would not be an issue, because there would not have been an assault incident to speak of. These other women carry themselves in a different way....in a way that would not have allowed such an incident to take place. They would have responded to any calls to stop and would have gladly identified themselves. But it would not have even gotten that far because the issue started with McKinney not wearing her Congressional Pin. Most other members of Congress wear their pins.

McKinney also recently changed her appearance, so it is conceivable that the officer did not recognize her, especially from behind. All that may have been required of McKinney was to stop and turn around. But with Ms. Drama... that was too much to do.I'm tired of the race argument being used constantly...especially when it is on behalf of black folks that they claim they make these arguments. In McKinney's case, she makes the argument all the time. Make the argument 20%, 30%, maybe 40% of the time.... And you may even be right. In some extreme environments, this is not unheard of. But to make the race argument whenever anything doesn't go your way doesn't do Black folks any good. It creates the "Crying Wolf" effect. When there really is a case of racism, it causes more people to discount a victims story as just another black person crying about race.

Black folks don't need Cynthia McKinney crying wolf about racism.

Listen to program here...