This McKinney Thing ...

You've noticed we haven't said much about this ... because it's stupid. But, the fact we're into week 3 on this is pushing us to the edge of insanity. From a shove, to a cell phone beatdown, to commentary on Black hair - it's not the kind of press African American Members of Congress deserve. We've had big media either ignore or gloss over significant pieces of legislation introduced by CBC members on such topics as immigration reform, Hurricane Katrina and abuse of Presidential powers. But, let something as simple-minded and trifling as what occurred two weeks ago involve an African American Member of Congress, and it gets front page spotlight.

Pulling on an old school hip hop adage, Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) definitely gets the gas face for her mishandling of the Capitol Hill police debacle. Granted, there are only 14 Black female Members of Congress. But, it's unrealistic and assenine to expect any stressed and overworked Capitol Hill blue to remember several hundred faces in Congress, especially when there are many rotating in and out every two years. On top of that, Capitol Hill police are subjected to the grueling demands of millions of tourists who visit the Hill each year while performing their top mission: protecting the legislative branch of the United States government. If you're a Member of Congress (which automatically makes you a target of insidious geo-political forces looking to blow up your place of employment), biting at the people who protect you is the last thing you want to do. Plus, if Capitol Hill police were tasked with mandatory recall of every Black female Member of the House, wouldn't that constitute racial profiling? McKinney always seems more involved with the politics of race than doing what she was elected (hired) to do.