The Voice
Last week, perhaps for the first time in a long time, people were admittedly a little ashamed to be Georgians.
In an act of pure foolishness, Rep. Cynthia McKinney brought the spotlight of racism back to the south.
On March 29, McKinney attempted to skirt a security checkpoint on Capitol Hill. Congress members are routinely let through such stations, but are required to wear an identifying lapel pin. McKinney, sans pin, was asked three times by a police officer to stop. After McKinney ignored these requests, the officer placed his hand on her shoulder, at which point McKinney struck the officer.
After the incident, McKinney’s office released an apologetic statement, saying “I know that Capitol Hill Police are securing our safety, and I appreciate the work that they do.” But, within hours of the statement, McKinney had changed her tune. In retrospect, the police officer was a racist. The only reason that she had been stopped was the color of her skin. Some of McKinney’s supporters have even gone so far as to say that her political opponents planned the incident.
Give us a break.
Race was not an issue until McKinney made it an issue. After assaulting a police officer for doing his job, McKinney, backed into a corner, fought back with the most powerful weapon she had: the race card. By leveling these unwarranted charges against a person of another race, McKinney singled herself out as an active practitioner of racism.
In our times, where political correctness is a standard held above all other, it was refreshing to see people of all races denounce McKinney’s charges. This resolve crossed even the seemingly impenetrable party lines.
Most people are not blind to the fact that racism is still very alive and active in this country. It may not be as blatant as it once was with the horrors of slavery and lynching mobs, but racism still exists. People of all races should be outraged by McKinney’s actions. In her desperate act of self-preservation, McKinney has hurt any active fight against racism.
A few weeks ago, the GCSU community was challenged by New York Times reporter Tamar Lewin to take a hard look in the mirror and consider how we treat others of a different race.
For most of us, the answer was disturbing. For a simple litmus test, take a look around the room the next time you eat at Sodexho. The pattern is obvious. You won’t have to look hard to see the dichotomy of the room. We segregate ourselves without even realizing it.
In light of the setbacks imposed by people like McKinney, it is even more important for us to recognize our prejudice tendencies, and to do all that we can to alter our feelings and actions appropriately.
We only hope that our generation, unlike Ms. McKinney’s, will be intelligent and mature enough to make the race card irrelevant.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Apr 7 2006. Filed under Our Voice.
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