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The behavior in and around these health care reform town hall meetings is really getting out of hand. A gun-toting protester is scary enough, but now even diminutive (and deceased) civil rights icon Rosa Parks isn't safe. After a raucous town hall meeting organized by Sen. Claire McCaskill (D, Missouri) in Hillsboro, Mo. on August 11, mainstream media reports showed an angry black woman being hauled out of the event to audience applause. What caused her to act in such a stereotypical, angry, black fashion, you might ask?
Thanks to Hating Not Debating for showing the full context of what happened in a YouTube video.
In it, you see that a white participant James Winfrey, 67, got out of his seat and grabbed a poster of the late Mrs. Parks being held by black participant Maxine Johnson, 52. Posters were not permitted in the venue, although Johnson's was rolled up until a photographer walked over to her and asked to look at it. After Winfrey crumpled up the poster, Johnson rushed to retrieve it and a tussle ensued. Some mainstream media reports that evening showed Johnson being hauled out by police, although it turns out that Winfrey was later arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor assault.
Below are two videos for comparison. rosa parks bus
One depicts a disruptive, angry black woman being hauled out of the town hall to audience applause. SOURCE: TPM
The other which shows the act of aggression that made her angry in the first place.
It's unclear whether Winfrey was provoked by the image of Rosa Parks or the presence of the poster. What is clear that there are some ugly social dynamics at play in these town hall meetings, and when making quick decisions under deadline, journalists (like the rest of us) too often fall back on stereotypes to interpret what they see.
We'll see whether the charges end up sticking on Winfrey.
Comments: (55)
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By: zroiand on 8/17/2009 2:40AM
I think it's YOU who forgot your history, or choice not to recall it. Rule the world since the dawn of time??? Please, come again. Most people of the world were civilized and enjoying a thriving culture while you were still living in the caves and trying to catch and eat wolves. You didn't even have the sence to take the hair off before you ate it!!! It was Blacks, Indians and others who taught you any form of civilization. Couldn't even grow food until others taught you how. Now, what you did have and still do is a diabolical nature unlike which the world had ever seen before. While others were living in peace and harmony with their land, you were plotting and planning. After learning of other people, you quickly learned you were the odd man out with your freakish skin color, or lack thereof and you went on a "preemptive strike" against everyone else as a means of protectionism. Being diabolical, you will alway seek to deviour others, but make no mistake, if no one else is available, you will deviour each other. That's how diabolical you are. In fact, you were so uncivilized that you didn't even know how to bath. Africans and others who came in contact with you often would pass out at the smell coming from your filthy skin!!! Others passed out after seeing your ghostly pale skin thinking they had seen a ghost of some sort. Please don't try to espouse that white supremacy b.s. on here. Now get back to the cave where you belong!!!
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By: teris205 on 8/16/2009 5:48PM
Hmmm, I originally watched this story on CNN ("Rick Sanchez"). Now, I consider myself a beautiful, educated, intellectually-minded woman...However, if that "man" so much as TAPPED anything within my general vacinity...I would've torn that a** UP! The cops would take me away, while the paramedics wheeled him away. That man wouldn't be able to pick up a NAPKIN w/o having flashbacks...
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By: roy on 8/17/2009 10:55AM
Thats what cowards do, he attacked that women for no reason, she did nothing to him, or no one, for him to snatch something from her and rip it up.this man came there with that hate.
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By: sam on 8/17/2009 10:56AM
you notice, just one cop escorted the trouble maker out, and the lady got swooped by at leat three cops and arrested, for being attacked.
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By: roy on 8/17/2009 12:28PM
any black folks going to those town hall meetings are putting themselves at risk of being assulted or locked up!
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