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HOLLYWOOD AND THE CIA — Film historian Ed Rampell details Hollywood’s entangled relationship with the CIA and the Pentagon; HOUSES OF THE DEAD: Nancy Kurshan exposes the cruel human rights offenses taking place inside America’s vast gulag of Control Unit Prisons; BROTHERHOOD OF SUMMER: David Macaray charts the history of the most powerful union in the US: the Baseball Players Association; TAR SANDS COME TO AMERICA: Steve Horn explains how the Keystone Pipeline debates have diverted attention from Big Oil’s other plans to transport Alberta’s oil into the US. PLUS: Jeffrey St. Clair on CONSTITUTIONAL ENTROPY; Mike Whitney on HOW THE BANKS TARGETED BLACKS; Chris Floyd on THE RISE OF BRITAIN’S TEA PARTY; Kristin Kolb on THE NEEDLE AND THE DAMAGE DONE; Kim Nicolini on the FILMS OF WILLIAM FRIEDKIN; and Lee Ballinger on POETS VS. THE ONE PERCENT.

March 24, 2004

Double Standards and 9/11 Inquiries

Where is Cynthia McKinney?

by GRAYSON CHILDS

Throughout the last few days I have watched and read the news in dismay. The congressional hearing on the intelligence of Sept. 11th has failed to call on the woman who was bold enough to ask the initial questions–Cynthia McKinney.

The more I watch CSPAN and read the articles published in daily media outlets, the more I become enraged. Former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney was the only elected official who had the guts to call for a congressional probing into Sept 11th, as well as bring President Bush’s war profiting scheme to the light. She was called "looney", by her home state’s junior senator, Zell Miller, a "bitch" by Rep. Cass Ballenger of North Carolina, a conspiracy nut, on a slippery slope and a host of other horrible and embarrassing names. The media had a field day with her remarks, and in doing so cost her the congressional seat in which she so boldly held.

While her name is still greatly mocked around the world, others gain the undo credit for what she brought to light. Richard Clarke is held as hero, Coleen Rowley was named as a person of the year, and others from John Kerry to John McCain are all gaining from the hype of "what did the Bush administration know and when did they know it."

Was Cynthia mocked, despised and rejected because she’s African-American, a woman, or something as small as being from the South? Are you telling me there is a double standard against educated southern women of color who go against voices of power–the good ole boy system, a system full of white men who call all the shots? I think that is what you’re telling me as well as the rest of the world.

Someone needs to apologize to Ms. McKinney, who had the guts, boldness, courage, wit and wisdom to recognize the wrong doings of an administration and bring the issues to light.

Shame on all of you who fell in the drenches of ignorance, when prophecy was being spoken.