Cynthia

Did anyone see her concession speech?

It was beautiful.

I know McKinney has been under fire a lot from the conservative and moderate Democrats, and especially from the Republicans -- but seeing this speech brought me back to why I vehemently supported her in the primary campaigns and really since 2004: she speaks truth boldly.

She is at the side of anyone being beaten down or destroyed, anyone been oppressed. She spoke of peace and justice in a way I've seen no Democrats do that, save for maybe Kucinich.

There was no negativity in her concession speech; she spoke of hope for an America that embraces the world, that stands by working people and the unemployed across the planet and not for "Halliburton and the Carlyle Group." She spoke up for the Lebanese, and the "hundreds of thousands of Iraqis hurt or dead" because of what we did. She thanked the friends, family, the activists from across the 4th District who helped her so much (I've never seen Hank Johnson at any antiwar rally, or seen him travel to foreign countries to assist people being hurt by our policies as McKinney has).

And lastly she said she "wishes well" to Hank Johnson. She gave an overt hope to the massive crowd around her that Johnson would follow in her footsteps -- to become the quintessential "peace and justice Democrat" she declared herself to be. With his hawkish indifference to the dying poor in Lebanon, I doubt he can do that. But maybe the 4th District can compel him to.

After meeting Congresswoman McKinney in June and seeing the Sundance award-winning film in which she is a central character, American Blackout, I can heartily say she is a hero. She is a relentless fighter truly in the vein of Martin and Malcom, and I say that without a hint of hesitation.

I don't know what she will do now. In 2002 she lost to a coalition of GOP voters (at least 30,000 Republicans crossover voted in the Primary to beat her) and pro-Israeli groups (complete with people saying she took money from "Islamic terrorist groups"). She regained her seat easily in 2004. Maybe she'll regain in 2006 after the non-incident with the police officer is forgotten. Maybe she'll go on to be a powerful activist, which she had been in her 14 years in Congress and before that in the state legislature where she made her mark by lambasting the bombing of Iraq during the first Gulf War.

Wherever she goes, she will be missed by those who knew her -- who stood with her as she denounced the war against poor people here and abroad, who attended her events and festivals. She will be missed by the poor and disenfranchised who didn't enter politics because they deemed it the realm of only the "rich white man."

I wish her well and I know that she will act positively for the world wherever she goes.

thanks to Blackcommentator.com

Zaid