The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports:
A Republican state lawmaker is seeking to strip U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney's name off a DeKalb County road saying she "has brought embarrassment to the state of Georgia."Later in the article, John Evans, McKinney's campaign manager, has a response to Rep. Walker's claim that McKinney has caused embarrassment to Georgia, "He must be talking about white folks or uppity black folks."
State Rep. Len Walker's resolution would switch Cynthia McKinney Parkway back its original name — Memorial Drive — partly to honor victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"Her tenure in Congress has been marked by controversies and rhetoric that has brought embarrassment to the state of Georgia," said Walker on Monday. The lawmaker is a United Methodist minister who represents parts of Walton and Gwinnett counties.
In 2000, State Sen. Gloria S. Butler (D-Stone Mountain) successfully proposed renaming Memorial Drive – from Candler Road in Decatur to U.S. Highway 78 in DeKalb County — to Cynthia McKinney Parkway. Butler said McKinney deserved the honor because she secured $14 million in federal funding for DeKalb to upgrade Memorial Drive.
plez sez: Three things enter my mind after reading this article:
(1) If you've ever driven down Memorial Drive (AKA Cynthia McKinney Parkway) lately, you will notice that not ONE DIME of that $14 million dollars has been spent to upgrade the road. Legitimate businesses have closed and have been replaced with ethnic-looking bodegas of questionable value - I was really pissed when the only golf shop in east metro area closed. All things being equal, Memorial Drive has descended into some of the worst urban blight in the county; it is one of the areas in the DeKalb County that I tend to avoid because of the plethora of obviously under-insured immigrant drivers who crowd the road!
(2) Some people would refer to me as "uppity," but any sane person of modest means would deplore the actions of Cynthia McKinney while she was a Congresswoman from the State of Georgia. As evidenced by her district drumming her out of office earlier this year during the Democratic Primary and Run-off, there must be a lot of "uppity black folks" who agree with me!
(3) It's days like this when I wished that I was a state legislator, because I wouldn't hesitate to co-sponsor this bill. Cynthia McKinney should be entered into evidence as to why streets and buildings should be named for people after they are DEAD! To be very honest with you, I have no idea why it was renamed for her in the first place.
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2 comments:
As a person who does not live in Georgia, yet has relatives who live on the west side (Columbus),and also as a man of common sense and decency, I fully support State Rep. Walker's resolution, and I urge for its passing in the State Legislature, and speedy signature by Governor Perdue.
I love how Evans calls them "uppity black folks". Yeah, as if McKinney never walked around like her sh** didn't stink.
You know, you made a solid point about the naming of buildings/roads after living people. I mean, I guess I could live with the West Va. Turnpike being named for Robert Byrd, but it is kind of embarrassing to have to drive down the McKinney Parkway, knowing what she stands for. The only way you should get a road named after you, if you're living, is if you paid the frieght of the costs to help get the road built. You want to name your driveway after yourself, that's fine.
...and Mr. Evans failed to mention the fact that this is the SECOND time us uppity Black folk have given Ms. McKinney her walking papers (she lost her seat in 2002 to Denise Majette). I pray that this will be the last time that she disgraces us with her presence; I can still hold out hope that she moves to another part of the country that may be more amenable to her "style" or lack thereof!
By the way, VC, wasn't Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) a past member or head honcho of the KKK? I don't know if I'd like seeing his name on any roads, but with the amount of pork barrel he's delivered to that state in the last 48 years, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't rename the state capitol (it's Charleston, in case you were wondering) for him!
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