I wrote yesterday:
...She should have worn proper identification and there would have been no problem. There are 435 members of Congress and the police can't be expected to know them all on sight. If wearing a pin was all that was needed or, in lieu of that, her being asked for ID (which I believe the cop was trying to do), this situation never would have arisen...
Ah, but I have to rebut myself:
In August 1993, during her first term in office, a Capitol Hill police officer tried to prevent her from bypassing a metal detector, as members of Congress are allowed to do. For years afterward, The Hill reports, the Capitol Police pinned a picture of McKinney to an office wall, warning officers to learn her face because she refuses to wear her member's pin. (And because officers are innately suspicious of a black woman with braided hair and gold shoes.) Five years later, she blasted White House security after guards thought her 23-year-old white aide was the congresswoman. [my em]
So, the cops should have known McKinney on sight, probably more than any other Member of Congress. She still shouldn't have whacked the cop, but reading this, it looks like the cop was either stupid or trying to fuck with her (that wouldn't be unheard of).
My bad.
But then it begs the question, why is the DCPD taking particular pleasure in messing with this woman? Because she's black, a woman, a black woman, a Dem, or a pain in the ass who's a bit eccentric? Or was this just a case of a cop not getting the memo (although a 13 year history makes that unlikely)? I don't know but I would like to. I'd like to hear what the cops say about it besides this:
...
Capitol Police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider said only that senior officials have been made aware of the incident and are investigating.
...
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