Cynthia McKinney (Green Party) speaks on race

[ensho]

http://counterpunch.com/mckinney03192008.html


An Urgent Crisis
Confronting America's Racial Disparities


Much has been made around the edges of this campaign about the issue of race. Sadly, nothing has been made of the public policy exigencies that arise because of the urgent racial disparities that continue to exist in our country. Just last week, the United Nations criticized the United States, again, for its failure to address the issues arising from the rights, particularly the right of return, of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita survivors.

Author Bill Quigley writes in "The Cleansing of New Orleans," that half of the working poor, elderly, and disabled of New Orleans have not been able to return. Two weeks ago, United Nations experts on housing and minority rights called for an immediate end of public housing demolitions in New Orleans.

Now, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, ratified by the U.S. in 1994, further observes that the U.S. must do more to protect and support the African American community. In 2006, the United Nations Human Rights Commission "noted its concern that while African Americans constitute just 12% of the population, they represent 50% of homeless people, and the government is required to take 'adequate and adequately implemented' measures to remedy this human rights violation." In short, the United Nations has issued reports squarely calling for the United States to do more to eliminate racial discrimination and this discrimination is a human rights violation.

I am deeply offended that in the middle of a Presidential campaign, remarks--be they from a pastor or a communications mogul, or a former Vice Presidential nominee--are the cause of a focus on race, and not the deep racial disparities that communities are forced to endure on a daily basis in this country.

-long snip-

I welcome a real discussion of race in this country and a resolve to end the long-standing disparities that continue to spoil the greatness of our country. I welcome a real discussion of all the issues that face our country today and the real public policy options that exist to resolve them. That must be the measure of this campaign season. For many voters, this important discussion has been too vague or completely non-existent. Now is the time to talk about the concrete measures that will move our country forward: on race, war, climate change, the economy, health care, and education. Our votes and our political engagement must be about ensuring that fairness truly for all is embodied in "liberty and justice for all."
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as I've said before, I'd vote for her.

[onehandle]

1. Good thing she's invisible. She'd take (a few) votes from Obama in the GE. nt

[still_one]

6. why? she is the opposite of Obama on almost EVERY issue

[onehandle]

13. She'd take some ultra-left votes that may go to Centrist Obama.

She probably will take a few votes here and there anyway, but if she was covered by the MSM she'd get many more.

Nader City, USA.

[jasmine621]

16. Which issues?

She was against the war from the beginning and did much more about opposing the war than Obama's mere speech. She spoke the truth about the ME situation, something Obama nor Hillary dare to do. She has been much more active and outspoken and prescriptive about the environmental issues facing us. She truly has suffered through the "black experience" and is fighter for minority and women rights. What issues are you talking about?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

2. As I've said before...

She's an paranoid, opportunistic hack.

[still_one]

8. and based on her past comments, anti-Jewish

and no, I am not equating her comments of Israel with being Jewish, I am regarding her anti-Jewish comments on their own

[LordJFT]

12. what has she said that's anti-Jewish?

[rucky]

17. Slurs at some reporters a few months back.

I think they were caught on camera, so they'd be pretty easy to dig up.

[still_one]

21. There have been numerous incidents. In 2002, she blamed the Jews for her defeat

her father made his wonderful accusation by condemning the J-E-W-S

and then there were those security folks who worked for her who expressed degragatory "Jewish" comments to the media

The best thing for the Democratic party was when she was defeated.

She is an irrational loud mouth, who makes assertions without proof

She is as she appears, a loose cannon

[winter999]

23. Don't forget, she also came out and said 911 was an inside job.

And she puts a smack-down on DC security.

[still_one]

25. The best thing for the Democrats is that she isn't one in my view /nt

[LordJFT]

24. how can anyone on du say they'll vote for her? that is shameful

[Moderate Dem]

10. I agree.

[bluestateguy]

3. She needs to shut up

Yeah, sit down and shut up.

[stimbox]

You first. n/t

[still_one]

4. I would never vote for her /nt

[LordJFT]

5. maybe she and nader will both get 1%

[still_one]

9. Even that may be too optomistic /nt

[jasmine621]

18. That still does not make her wrong or a bad person.

I wonder what percentage of the vote would Ghandi get, or MLK, or even Jesus Christ?

[LordJFT]

20. Ghandi, MLK and Jesus Christ wouldn't make anti-semitic comments

[jasmine621]

28. Well, let's see...

Jesus criticized the Pharisees and the Saducees, all Jews. Now today, what he said might easily be considered anti-Semitic. But this is all beside the point. I was not claiming that McKinney was equal to any of those I mentioned but rather trying to point out that political mob mentality leads many to accuse people unfairly.

[LordJFT]

29. Jesus was a Jew, he criticized the pharisees and suducees because they were extremist sects

That'd be like calling a methodist preacher anti-Christian because he criticizes evangelicals. My point is just that whatever our candidates flaws are none have made comments as absurd or prejudiced as Cynthia Mckinney's.

[still_one]

22. she is no Ghandi or MLK, not even close. She is a loose cannon

without any rational thought process

[MADem]

7. Gee whiz....what..... ...... ......... ......... ....... ...... ..... .......timing.

:crazy:

[Eric Condon]

11. The fact that the Greens exist and have nominated a candidate who is not Nader

proves how full of shit Nader is. He bitches about the two-party system, but he could endorse and vote for any of the myriad third-party candidates in this race, including McKinney. The fact that he doesn't and just keeps running himself (when it's become evident that no third party wants him) proves how much of a hypocritical egomaniac he is.

As for McKinney, she's spot-on. She will be getting my vote in November if a certain New York senator arm-twists her way to the nomination. At least then I can vote for someone who I believe in and who represents my values.

Hey, I live in Indiana, so it's not like my vote matters anyway.

[UALRBSofL]

15. I've already considered her if Obama is the nominee

She has been on MSM several times. I agree with some of the stuff she talks about referencing equality, choice, Gay Marriage, etc. I believe she is from Chicago and basically the democratic party ran her out of town and now I think her home is in California. I didn't google her so I may not be accurate. I'm just posting from memory on what I saw on TV.

[jasmine621]

14. Now that is a serious and excellent speech on race, racism in the US.

It's a much more substantive speech than Obama's but, of course, it will get little play by the media. Bravo, Cynthia!!!!

[Ordr]

19. She's a jerkoff.

n/t

[KoKo]

26. K&R~

[KoKo]

27. Cynthia...another good Dem "thrown under the Bush Bus"...by Dems no less.......

Nancy refused to allow her to get her Seniority Seats back when she re-won her seat. Yet other Dems were allowed to retain their Committee Positions and Seniority.

They went after her (the Capitol Police) and brought her down. While Repug "Wide Stancers" and "Diaper Wearers" still are there...and many Dems that we know have some dark pasts themselves. :-(