A university is just a group of buildings gathered around a library. ~Shelby Foote

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Huh

That's all I can really come up with for this story. It's just so ridiculous on so many levels, that the mind kinda boggles. I mean, cries of racism when there's no racism, cries of sexism when there's no sexism, and unrepentant anger from a member of Congress who flaunted the very security rules that exist to prevent her from getting blown up.

If you really want a bit more head-shaking, "Huh?" moments, read some of the comments to the above linked post, and feel your headspin as many of the folks try to justify McKinney's actions. My favorite (I by no means read all of them) is from George:

Yep, we should just kill her. Doesn't matter what she has done during her career- nope - we got to react in O'Reilly style.

What I HATE about our culture is that we have our knees cocked ready to jerk if someone screws up. This happens on the right and the left. If this member of congress screws up 10% of the time, and assuming that these screw-ups are not grave, and the rest of the time they have been great, then their final score is 90% - or an 'A' grade.

Back off - take a pill if necessary. Bush is fleecing the country, destroying our rights
and turning the entire world against us. Some sense of priority is in order.

You sound just like a Republican complaining about a presidential blow job. Bad form
on the part of the president? YES. Important in the sceme of things? NO!

Yikes. The important point-- this would all be a non-issue if McKinney wasn't going ballistic about it. I don't mind that McKinney reacted to being grabbed as she did-- I'm sure she didn't realize that she hadn't been recognized and didn't have on her pin. Fine. Everyone says they're sorry, won't happen again, and life goes on.

But to hold a press conference and claim that the incident was racism, sexism, or politics is just ludicrous and pretty well defines Not Being Able to Let Things Go.

Labels:

Posted by: Nick W. / 2:31 PM
Comments:
What was so amazing from this: it was right out of the 1980’s Race Card playbook. Her lawyer’s rhetoric was so old, so tired, so trite, as to be a farce.
She screwed up, she should just admit it and move on. Instead she reacts with manufactured righteous indignation that is so phony that somewhere Jesse Jackson is shaking his head in dismay.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 11:50 AM
 
Brilliant Insight #1:
“He definitely should have addressed her correctly: "Congresswoman" springs immediately to mind.”
Maybe, just maybe, he didn’t know who she was? Maybe the guard didn’t know she was a member? There’s only 500+ of them, plus staff and what nots, going through those doors. Plus the congress changes personnel, somewhat, every two years.

Brilliant Insight #2:
“She might not have realized he was yelling at her. I have a title and don't hear Mrs. or Miss. It's not I. But this lack of proper address happens to women all the time, which is why NOW was there.”
Of course! That explains it! NOW was there because a man was rude. NOW must be on a mission to instill manners in all us Neanderthal men.

I write fiction, but I’d never make up this episode; it’d be too cliché to be believed.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 12:06 PM
 
Check this out excerpt from AP story:

...

McKinney has drawn little support from her House colleagues, particularly Democrats who are launching an election-year campaign that revolves around the party's commitment to national security.

Her lawyer, James Myart Jr., issued a statement on Friday saying several members of Congress would join McKinney at a press conference on Friday at Howard University.

None did. D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton issued a statement of concern about the incident and urged the parties to come to an agreement. A spokesman for Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said he has no comment.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 12:32 PM
 
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