Cynthia McKinney: Democracy Is Under Attack - Let's Take it Back

A Speech by the Honorable Cynthia McKinney

"Democracy Is Under Attack - Let's Take it Back"

Harlem, USA - July 31, 2003

© Copyright 2003, From The Wilderness Publications, www.copvcia.com. All Rights Reserved. May be reprinted, distributed or posted on an Internet web site for non-profit purposes only.

As the credibility of the US government unravels across the board, former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, now completely vindicated in her open questions about the government's account of 9/11, is making her presence felt throughout America. Currently in the midst of a lawsuit that may well see her returned to Congress with full seniority, she has become a living reminder for politicians around the country that there are questions to be answered and that undefeated and dedicated voices with growing strength on the political battlefield are not afraid to demand full accountability.

The truth never disappears.

In a recent speech in Harlem, McKinney offered some sobering and very direct observations about race relations in America, 9/11, civil liberties, independent media, From The Wilderness and our national ad campaign which is encountering stiff, unethical, and unconstitutional resistance from major publications which seem to be continually resetting the height of the bar we must clear in order to get the ads run. To clarify one point: While papers like The Boston Globe and The Atlanta Journal Constitution have refused to run the ad after checks were written to the brokerage firm and AFTER the papers had approved the it, no check has yet been written for The New York Times. The Times has simply reneged on a prior approval and agreement to run the ad. Each time FTW passes a new test, another one mysteriously appears. The powers that be are afraid of these ads. Yet they have seen nothing compared to the price they will pay when the stench of censorship becomes s o blatant and obvious that the people realize that the most precious right of every American has been taken away.

Such censorship is not going unnoticed. The right of free speech and equal access is not one that can be violated without a reaction. – MCR, August 5, 2003

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How proud I am to stand at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem USA!

Thank you Reverend Butts, Bob, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Sonia Sanchez, Ralph Carter, Hakim, the Coalition of Artists and Activists, and all who worked hard to put this rally together. And thank you for inviting me.

How appropriate that we gather here at this Church, with all its rich history of proud resistance and indignant defiance of a social order that relegated the giants of their day to second class citizenship.

And what an honor for me, to stand among the giants of our day, if only for a moment, and see America's landscape from their gaze.

What this rally means, is that America's vista has now become as ravaged in its pristine hillside villas as it has always been for those of us who muddle

behind the cities' shadows.

Our people are dying.

On the streets of America our people are dying.

Gathered tonight in this room are people from all walks of life; and for that reason, this is a very dangerous meeting for the powers that be.

They would like to see us divided.

I'm not just saying that. They wrote that in their COINTELPRO papers; about how they would keep blacks separated from each other, and separated from Africans, and separated from other people of color, and most importantly, separated from progressive activist whites. They wrote that they would discredit black activists so they would lose favor within their community and within our American community. They also wrote that they would replace authentic black leaders with what they called "clean Negroes" whom they had groomed to be more loyal to them than to us. Those aren't my words, they're their words.

Well, they were silly enough to write it down, and we were smart enough to read it. So we're not fooled.

But the Coalition of Artists and Activists has come together to show us that now is the time for us to get busy. And take our country back.

I, for one, can say that I am tired of burying innocent black and Latino people who die at the hands of this unjust system.

New Yorkers have buried too many loved ones and shed too many tears.

But sadly, every major city in America can probably call a roll: Ousmane Zongo, Alberta Spruill, Patrick Dorismond, Amadou Diallo; and those are just the names I know.

Not too far from here, the streets of Benton Harbor, Michigan exploded because they got tired of adding names to their roll. It wasn't enough that Terrance Shurn and Arthur Patterson, young adults, were on the list, but those names only topped off 16-year old Eric McGinnis and 7-year old Trent Patterson, who had also made the list.

I read that the NAACP called for calm and dialogue.

I'm sorry, but I can't be calm if my baby is going to be shot or hurt by out-of-control police.

I can't be calm when I drive through sections of Atlanta that look more like Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo than America.

I cannot be calm.

Dialogue must be followed by swift and deliberate action to root out racism at its very core. From a California gas station to a Mississippi Lockheed plant; from Cincinnati, Ohio to Benton Harbor, Michigan; to New York City, New York. And in Belle Glade, Florida where a young black man was found hanging from a tree, with his hands tied behind his back and the authorities call it suicide. In the 21st Century, America's trees still bear Strange Fruit.

How much injustice can any community absorb before an eruption of extraordinary proportions occurs?

And yes, we have our list in Georgia, too.

And so, placing troops in Cincinnati Ohio or in Benton Harbor to restore calm and "protect property" is about as helpful for the resolution of the problems of Ohio, or Michigan, or for that matter Black America as it is to place US troops in Liberia to resolve the problems on West Africa's oil-rich shore.

Or, for that matter, in the hot, oil-rich desert sands of Iraq.

And while the South Bend Tribune blared on its editorial page that Benton Harbor rioters must be held accountable, who will blare, if not us, that America must be held accountable for the sick and depraved conditions under which millions of our people now live.

Moreover, since that newspaper called for "accountability," I wonder, have I ever seen that word in the corporate press when describing the Bush Administration?

Now it is a fact that it was the Ashcroft Justice Department that gave law enforcement officials authority to use the no-knock warrant, like the one that resulted in the death of Mrs. Spruill.

But, I'm wondering where are the no-knock warrants for the Carlyle Group, Enron, DynCorp, Halliburton, Worldcom, HealthSouth, all the off-shore companies that fled our country to avoid paying taxes yet continue to get billions in federal contracts?

Where are their no-knock warrants?

And further, on this matter of accountability.

George Tenet recently "fell on the sword" as they say and took responsibility for the 16 untrue words that happened to find their way into George Bush's State of the Union Address.

But who among this Administration will take responsibility for the tragic events of September 11th and the tremendous intelligence failures that cost the lives of thousands of people who live and work in New York City?

Interestingly, I was the one who called for an investigation of September 11th asking the fully appropriate question, What did the Bush Administration know and when did it know it, about the tragic events of September 11th?

Both President Bush and Vice President Cheney asked Tom Daschle not to investigate what went wrong on September 11th. An Australian newspaper ran the headline, "Bosses so lax, agents felt they were spies." They were describing our FBI.

"Bosses so lax, agents felt they were spies."

To this day that I know of no one in any decision-making position in the whole of this Administration has accepted responsibility for failing the American people. Instead, from this Administration we have obstruction, obfuscation, dissembling, and deception.

And yet, the one who did her homework, and told the truth to the American people, that our investment of trillions of dollars in the defense and intelligence infrastructures of our country should not have all failed simultaneously four times on a single day and since they did, we deserve to know why they did. . .

Well, that's the person who got fired.

Meanwhile, George Bush and Dick Cheney, who remain in office, have the nerve to launch two simultaneous wars, at least one that is against international law; award no bid contracts to their friends in the defense industry; erode our Constitution and our Bill of Rights; put Paul Wolfowitz in charge of military tribunals (that same travesty of justice that we have excoriated other countries for in the past); put a felon, convicted of lying to Congress, in charge of our privacy; and lie about the rescue of Jessica Lynch, as well as the landing of America's top gun—George W.--on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, which supposedly was out at sea, but that was really in San Diego harbor.

And this all comes after they stole the Presidency on the uncounted chads of black and Latino voters in a scheme that was orchestrated at the top.

Republicans rewarded Katherine Harris with a Congressional seat.

In Georgia, 48,000 Republicans crossed over and voted in the Democratic Primary for the black woman Republican that they had drafted to run in my Democratic Primary. Georgia and national Democrats failed to protect the integrity of their own primary. Terry McAuliffe crows today about protecting Gray Davis from any Democratic challenge in a primary, but where was he when he could have protected this black loyal Democratic woman from a known Republican shill acting for the Bush Administration?

And it's not enough for this Administration to accept responsibility for failing the American people. So too must the corporate media. Including the New York Times.

As you may know, I'm involved with Mike Ruppert of From the Wilderness in a national campaign that is placing anti-Bush ads in newspapers all across the country. Sadly, many newspapers are saying no to the paid ad or are giving us a hard time after they've accepted the money. The New York Times is no exception.

At the top of the ad is a cartoon. It features the big corporate media being "played" from behind the curtain by the great big, huge, Wizard. Like in the Wizard of Oz. But there, ever so small, at the bottom of the cartoon, is Toto, the little dog, pulling open the curtain and exposing the truth about the big, corporate media—kinda like BAI does here. And the alternative media do all over our country. Well, in the cartoon, Toto is the alternative media--getting the truth out to the people.

The text mentions oil, missing money from DoD and HUD accounts, the impeachment clause of the Constitution, the lawsuit that has been filed against the crossover voting in my election, and a special message from me.

My special message in the ad is this:

"Beware the Land of Oz. For it is only in the land of Oz that a handful of vainglorious men could send hundreds of thousands of young soldiers off to fight in an illegal war. And only in the Land of Oz can The Grand Wizard erode basic civil rights and call it enhanced security. And where but in Oz could a felon, convicted of lying in public, be put in charge of Total Information Awareness? 75 million Americans had no health insurance in 2001 or 2002. Unemployment is at an 8-year high. Meanwhile, at the Wizard's court, men of dubious reputation gorge themselves at the people's expense. Expose the Grand Wizard; this is our America, not Oz."

Now, just a few days ago, I received a message through the ad agency placing the ad that before The New York Times will run it, I need to prove that what I say about Oz is true. Can you believe. . . The New York Times is fact-checking cartoons now?

Or is it just this cartoon?

They didn't bother to fact-check their story about me that's recounted in Greg Palast's book, "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy." They just printed lies about me in an effort to make sure that a black Republican woman from New York City who is anti-affirmative action and anti-reparations would sit at the table of the Congressional Black Caucus and represent you in Washington, DC.

In 1776, it was King George III who drove the titans of the American colony to write our Declaration of Independence. They wrote that there are certain unalienable rights and that it is the responsibility of government to protect, preserve, and promote these rights. However, in the words of its signers,

"when a long train of abuses and usurpations, . . . evinces a design to reduce under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

And with that, a rebellion became a revolution.

My mother didn't want me to give this speech tonight. I'm sure it's hard for her to read the terrible things the corporate press and right-wing activists write about me.

In today's America, she's right. I will probably get in trouble for what I've said to you tonight. But it won't be the first time I get in trouble for telling the truth. And I'll continue to tell the truth. As I have said before, I won't sit down and I won't shut up.

I agree with Dead Prez: We need a revolution!

And it needs to start with us.

Thank you so much for inviting me to be with you tonight.


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she was punished for speaking the truth, something the Democratic Party doesn't seem to deal in anymore.

.

We need her on our team.

Here's the lawsuit McKinney mentions: Lawsuit Challenges McKinney Primary Defeat

This lawsuit was filed Oct. 4 last year. Does anyone know how to find out about its status?

<snip>
Nov. 1, 2002, 17:30 PST (FTW) -- Voters in Georgia's 4th Congressional District filed a federal lawsuit Oct. 4 that disputes Rep. Cynthia McKinney's defeat to Denise Majette in the Aug. 20 Democratic primary.

The suit's court filing contends the central issue in the case is that Republicans carried out an organized effort which resulted in "malicious crossover voting," where a disproportionate amount of Republicans from DeKalb and south Gwinnett counties voted in the Democratic primary.

Georgia uses an "open" or "blanket" primary system, where voters have a choice as to which party's race they participate in.

However, the plaintiffs' lead counsel J.M. Raffauf said, "The issue here is whether there was what we call a malicious crossover. That is, put the blanket open primary aside, can one party interfere in another party's primary? This is the first time that I've ever known there to be a planned crossover, or a crossover that was promoted by people of the opposing party."

MORE

Now THAT'S a Presidential speech!

Would make a fine running mate for someone -- if he has her guts, that is.

I was thinking that Ruppert and FTW were somewhat overconfident that they could get their full page ad published in newspapers all across the US without running into roadblocks.

I'm not surprised to see from Ruppert's and McKinney's remarks above that they are now finding obstacles being thrown in their way. To my knowledge the ad has appeared in the Washington Post, Arizona Republic, and Miami Herald (and a few more smaller newspapers as well).

I know some DUers criticized the layout and format of the ad believing that from a marketing/sales perspective it was not the best way to get attention and bring the issues to the public's attention, but I'm glad that FTW and their supporters were at least making an attempt to let the public know some of the details about the gang of corporate crooks and robber barons currently running the USA as their private fiefdom (or should that be thiefdom).

For anyone who hasn't seen the FromTheWilderness ad, here's a pdf version (you'll need the free Adobe Acrobat reader):

http://www.copvcia.com/FTW_AD_2-page.pdf

Those words needed to be said. I hope she emerges from her lawsuit victorious.

Getting rid of these Black Box Voting systems to me is the 1st step in getting this country back in the hands of the people. Georgia is 100% Black Box. And you wonder how Cynthia (and Max Cleland?) lost?

What ever she decides to do, I will suport her.

McKinney has been in contact with the Georgia Green Party and the national Green Party, and is being recruited by mnay greens to run for Prez on the Green ticket, or maybe to be VP Candidate under Nader, if the Greens choose him again.

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

She is challenging DINO Majette in the 2004 Democratic primary. GOP will be too distracted to mount the same crossover vote campaign they did in 2000.

while Cynthia is still fighting the good fight, ... it's interesting to see what the hand-picked establishment Dem that defeated her with the backing of the Zionists is doing these days -- Denise Majette:
________________

Ga. lawmakers set for visit to Israel

By MELANIE EVERSLEY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

WASHINGTON -- Three Georgia lawmakers will spend part of their August recess meeting Middle Eastern leaders and touring Israel.

Democratic Reps. David Scott, Denise Majette and Jim Marshall are among 20 Democratic House members leaving Saturday for a nine-day trip hosted by House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland. The trip is being paid for by the American Israel Education Foundation, an arm of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC.

While there, the group will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and other leaders.

snip

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/0803/01israel.html

why didn't AIPAC pay for Cynthia McKinney to go to the Middle East on a tour?

that I thought it was an interesting story, given that Majette was McKinney's hand-picked Democratic replacement. you don't find it to be an interesting tidbit?

it's not a surprise, that's for sure.

member of Congress when it comes to Israel. That's all AIPAC said it wanted when it bankrolled McKinney's defeat: 'balance.' And I have no doubt that Majette will be 'balanced.' Of course, AIPAC's idea of 'balance' is likely to be a little different than most peoples'.

you can be sure that AIPAC will give Majette a tour of the West Bank, Hebron, Bethlehem, Gaza City, Rafah and the Gaza Strip. I'm sure they'd show Majette the town of Jenin and all the demolished homes there. I'd imagine that AIPAC will be sure to give them a tour of the Palestinian refugee camps, with perhaps a history of how the Palestinians were displaced from their land and homes. And, they'll be sure to show them how Israel has taken and settled on the land that was left for the Palestinians. And, perhaps they will show them the water aquifers that they strategically built the illegal settlements over to control most all the water of the Palestinians. Yes, and I'm sure AIPAC will show the Congresspersons the bulldozer that was used in the murder of Rachel Corey. And, then you can be sure that AIPAC will cap off the congressional visit with a tour of Ramallah to see the destruction there, and finish it off with a sit down lunch and conference with elected leader of the Palestinians, Yassar Arafat, so that they can get a full understanding of the Palestinian side.

yes, it's likely to be real "balanced"

on DU have to turn into an I/P thread? Come on now, take it to F/A.

which is the substance of what McKinney is talking about, that and other crimes of the BFEE.

>>>In Georgia, 48,000 Republicans crossed over and voted in the Democratic Primary for the black woman Republican that they had drafted to run in my Democratic Primary. Georgia and national Democrats failed to protect the integrity of their own primary. Terry McAuliffe crows today about protecting Gray Davis from any Democratic challenge in a primary, but where was he when he could have protected this black loyal Democratic woman from a known Republican shill acting for the Bush Administration?<<<

wasn't McKinney talking at that part of her speech about her replacement Denise Majette? that's why i posted that current article/link as it sure contrasts with what McKinney would be doing. (I definitely would not see AIPAC paying for Cynthia to go to the Middle East.)

I agree with just about everything McKinney has said -- what did Bush know, and when did he know it on 9-11; the trillion dollars unaccounted for in the Pentagon, etc. She tells the truth, and she gets demonized for doing so. And, she even gets demonized by her own party members. I wonder when and even if she will ever wake up to the reality? Have you seen what her plans are? Has she said? Is she going to remain loyal to people like McAuliffe and other dems like him that sold her out? What's her plan, other than to give good speeches like this? Is she going to stick around and run in the democratic primary next time against Majette? What's Cynthia's plan?

I don't think that lawsuit mentioned will go anywhere, even though I would like to see it succeed.

and from a modest campaign contribution by Zell Miller.

just wondering if you have seen a breakdown of the support or any kind of analysis? i'm sure you recall that she was not the only congressperson targeted by AIPAC at that time, and I do know that substantial AIPAC related money from all over the country poured into Majette. I have just never seen any detailed analysis or breakdown. Have you? (there was another male congressperson that AIPAC targeted as well at that time from Alabama, iirc.)

I have little doubt that the "Christian Zionist" right-wing fundamentalist religious repugs were involved, too, in getting McKinney out. That pairing still amazes me. Was kind of enlightening to see the 60 Minutes segment on that a few weeks ago.

I don't know of a comprehensive list that's around now, but the one I saw at the time was pretty overwhelming; moreover, if Majette's campaign evolved anything like Artur Davis' (the guy who unseated Hilliard), then it didn't really take off until the AIPACites got involved, and people began taking the challengers' chances seriously. Just getting a boost at the beginning can be more important than raw dollars and cents, although anecdotally, a majority of the money for both candidates came from Israel supporters. In Majette's case, the winning vote margin clearly came from Republican crossover voters, but even the people who organized the 'dump McKinney' movement (most of them were Repubs) were quite open about the fact that, without Jewish money, they couldn't have done it. You can do a web search and still pick up some of the quotations.

the figures were posted in the FA forum of the old DU early this year. I was surprised about the amount, I thought it was much larger.

You should check the figures of what Majette has is getting now for her reelection campaign from various conservative sources.

we really need more people like her in Washington.

I'm reminded again of how good she is.

I would love to see her as Kucinich's VP


(edit) I found one error, if she meant it the way I read it. The 'no-knock' warrant was in place long before Ashcroft. It goes back at least to Clinton if not before. It resulted in the death of a 75-y.o. Black retired minister in Boston in March 1994, the Rev. Accelyne Williams. He died of a heart attack when the drugs squad with a no-knock warrant burst into his apartment rather than the one above his.