Sigh, again

Remember this a few days back?

From SKB:

Tennessee fights off Iraqi insurgents
Wednesday August 04, 2004

By way of readers Janet and Peter Jung, Atrios, and about 150 news outlets, you probably heard this news about a group of Iraqis who were denied entry to City Hall in Memphis while there on official business.

It seems the State Department brought the seven Iraqi civic leaders over to tour the U.S. and learn all about democracy and how to operate their government. Memphis city council chairman Joe Brown decided they posed a threat and wouldn't let them attend a scheduled meeting with another city council member.

He said he would have to "evacuate the building and bring in the bomb squads" because they might be dangerous. What a shining example of American values.

Joe Brown is a Democrat and a highly respected community leader and activist. Unfortunately he is now nationally known for being a dickhead who pulls stupid political stunts to get his name in the paper.

OK, then.

Are we that scared?

Well, today Bubba has this:

I'm Goin' to Graceland...
Friday August 06, 2004

...where I have reason to believe that we will all be received. (Sorry, couldn't resist).

Remember the Iraqi delegation who visited Memphis to learn all about freedom and democracy? Not only were they denied entry to City Hall, two of them got robbed in the Beale St. area:

And while the Mayor's apology may have softened the blow, what started as a civil rights tour, some say turned into one slap in the face after another. Adding insult to injury, Memphis police say two of the delegates were robbed at gunpoint Tuesday night on North Main Street.

Mike Hollihan has all the details of the whole embarrassing mess, which the Memphis Chamber of Commerce is apparently and understandably trying to downplay. I was happy to see, however, that they were able to visit Graceland without incident. (By way of SayUncle).

You'd hope they'd go home with a good impression of Americans in this country, especially after we've torn theirs up, but I guess that's not to be. Shouldn't be long before they learn how to say, 'Yankee go home'.