I just don’t get it. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney was stopped on the way into the Capitol building because she walked past security guards (as all congresspersons and senators are allowed to do, so long as they display proper identification) who did not recognize her. Feeling that this was an egregious affront to her status as a VIP, she attacked the police officer who had stopped her. Sounds like a perfectly logical response to such an unwarranted and obviously racist act to me.

Am I the only person who wants to see criminal charges brought against this elitist bitch? Admittedly, I don’t know much about the law, but what I do know is that if you or I – John Q. and Jill R. Public – slugged a cop inside the Capitol building, we would be sitting in a jail cell right now awaiting arraignment. Frankly, I am appalled that she is still allowed in the building, let alone allowed to make laws affecting us all.

And now she’s trying to turn this whole fiasco into a racial issue. Of course it is. That officer had no right to ask you, Cynthia McKinney, to show proper identification, since you failed to wear the pin identifying you as a congresswoman, as opposed to any other self-righteous idiot walking through the doors to the Capitol. And how dare he not recognize you as one of the five-hundred-plus people granted immunity from the metal detector. You’re absolutely right, he singled you out because you’re black, not because you refused to stop after he called out to you three times. 

Let’s look at a “what if” scenario for a moment, shall we? What if a person (be they black, white, Hispanic, or any nationality for that matter) walked through those doors. And what if they were wearing no identification whatsoever, and then attempted to bypass security. And what if that security guard said “I think that might be congressperson what’s her face, but I can’t be sure, oh well, I don’t want to cause a scene.” And what if that person opened their coat, displaying a t-shirt made of TNT, and they pushed a button, thus killing you and numerous other senators and congresspersons, not to mention every other once-living soul within the lobby of the Capitol. That security guard would be responsible for the deaths of countless people, would he not? Of course he would. His job is not to inconvenience you, or to belittle you Ms. McKinney. His job is to protect you. And now you want to tie his hands, making it impossible to carryout his charge. 

Shame on you. And shame on us all, if we buy into your ridiculous accusations that you were singled out because you’re black. Congratulations Ms. McKinney, now the D.C. police will think twice before they stop anyone who’s not white, no matter what they’re doing. “What’s that you got there, Mr. Black, an A-K47? Bring it on through. How about you, Mrs. Perez, a machete? No problem. Quick, tackle that white baby! I think she’s smuggling heroin!” Maybe we deserve another attack, because it seems that’s the only thing that opens our eyes to the real dangers in this world anymore.

You’re right Ms. McKinney, racism is alive and well in this world, and it’s as close as our own back yard. But could we all please not trivialize it by screaming racism every time our feelings are hurt? I guess I’m just a racist, but I applaud that officer for stopping Congresswoman McKinney, and I hope he sues her for every dime she’s got. It’s high time we take a collective stand in this country, against people like this, who think they can skirt the law then just walk away without so much as a slap on the wrist.

Personally, I think they should stop everybody who walks through the doors to the Capitol. No profiling, no special pass for VIP’s; mandatory searches for all. Hell, strip-search them for all I care. And do it right out in the open. And call it the McKinney security clause, so everybody knows whom to thank. Then again, does anybody really want to see Ted Kennedy or Nancy Pelosi naked? Eeww!

-Freddie Banjo