Seeing Beyond McKinney's Forest

We appreciate the work that many Black Congresswomen and men have completed on behalf of the African American community and the country. The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) has, for years, spoken truth to power in a manner that is necessary, despite the ever-expanding criticism from certain members of the “impatient” (and often conservative) class of African Americans.

 Cynthia McKinney has been a valiant CBC advocate, co-sponsoring a number of important policies including H.R. 2178, The Student Bill of Rights, and H.R. 3000, better known as the Universal Health Services Act. Unfortunately, her latest stand taken against the Capital Hill Police has left us wondering if her 13 years of service have impacted her ability to see the forest for the trees.

 According to published reports,  upon entering her Capital Hill office, McKinney was stopped by Capital Hill Police because she was not wearing her congressional lanyard. She then exchanged words with a guard before striking him after he physically cautioned her not move forward. The incident seems trivial considering the rising sea of pressing international and domestic issues currently in play.  Yet, it has vaulted to the top of the headlines, engulfed by the usual political dichotomies (and curious discussions about McKinney's new hairdo- see pic above)

 We’re ok with Rep McKinney defending her position, and take no issue with her finding fault with the officer that attempted to subdue her. However, her use of the phrase “racial profiling” to describe the incident has elevated the impasse to an unfitting level of social and political relevancy. So much so, that many blood-starved republicans have seized the opportunity to use her statements to deflect attention away from their Capitol Hill Poseidon Adventure. To be sure, racial profiling is real. Unless you’re afflicted with Clarence Thomas disease, if you’re “of color”, we’re sure that you’ve had a white person mistake you for a Wal-Mart clerk at some point in your life.

 But McKinney’s use of the phrase has allowed conservative pundits and politicians to shift attention from larger political and social issues relevant to minority and majority Americans (see Delay’s comments for more evidence). While we don’t believe that there’s such a thing as “using the race card”--  racism is too real to admonish minorities that are courageous enough to name racism when they see it-- we do think that some battles (even those involving race) should be left to expire in preparation for more pressing and exhaustive conflicts to come. To be more specific, McKinney and other members of the CBC have much more pressing matters to be concerned with, and thus should move quickly to shift attention from the Georgia Rep and the Capitol Hill Police.  Of course, this would require that McKinney issue a show of humility and deference to needs of her constituents that most representatives are unwilling to offer. Her issues with the Capital Hill Police are, likely, of little relevance to the citizens she represents.

 Despite her recent mistake, we think she’s up to the task. Afterall, the trees are but one part of the forest.

 Read more here. And donate to the CBC here.