Who is Cynthia McKinney? Cynthia McKinney is a brave woman. Cynthia McKinney is the Georgia congresswoman who stood up on the floor of the U.S. Congress last Friday and, behind mounting evidence, proposed an inquiry into the notion that the Bush Administration had prior knowledge of the Sept. 11 attacks, but took no action to stop them. You wouldn’t find out this from mainstream news sources.
On Friday, I heard a snippet of this story on the radio: a basic outline of McKinney’s proposed investigation. Armed with a mind for conspiracy, and the teachings of former policeman turned public advocate Michael Rupert, I went online in search of a more full representation of McKinney’s sentiments.
Reuters news wire: nothing in regards to McKinney. “Well, the Times ought to have it.” New York Times Web site: nothing. The Associated Press: nothing. NPR – where I’d originally heard mention of the story: not a word. National Public Radio: sponsored by Exxon Mobil. Undoubtedly, these organizations played the safe hand: a king and an ace instead of a risky pair of 3’s. In their attempts to dodge public ridicule, and cater to Capitol Hill’s wealthy arm, these Pulitzer Prize-winning news sources failed the public, so much for objectivity. Because they refused to document McKinney’s statements, there is little knowledge of last Friday’s proceedings. So much for checks and balances and so much for the press being the fourth estate.
Finally, I found my way to Portland Indy Media (indymedia.org and copvcia.com) – the first source I’d consulted that isn’t controlled or funded by a major corporation. On their Web site, I found a front-page article regarding Cynthia McKinney’s proposal. I found a link to a copy of McKinney’s complete statement. And I found a poll, in which 46 percent (roughly 11,000 people) of participants believed that the Bush Administration had early knowledge of the attacks.
Also at Portland Indy Media, I found statements from a Bush spokesman calling McKinney’s views “ludicrous,” and confidence that the “American people know the facts.” We know what NBC news has shown us. We know the biases of papers like the Oregonian and the NY Times. But until I sought out certain details of the situation, I had no idea of how deep this conspiracy ran.
With the push by McKinney, and the help of Michael Rupert and Indy Media, I was able to discover the following things: since Sept. 11, the Carlyle Group, an oil conglomerate, has experienced significant profit. Stockholders of the Carlyle group include George Bush Sr. and members of the Bin Laden family. And, as reported by a French newspaper, a top CIA official met with Osama Bin Laden in July while he was laid up in a hospital for a kidney infection.
After doing a minimal amount of research, and copious amount of reading, I was able to find substantial evidence supporting Cynthia McKinney’s hypothesis. In addition, I was disgusted with the government’s ability to thwart free speech. The American people do not know the facts, and politicians without corporate ties, like McKinney, want us to know the truth. They want others to see the dangers of an incurring corporate feudalism in which the Bush Administration would control both policy and world trade. I’ve seen it. Now it’s your turn. Go home, do some research and don’t let some corporate rag define your thoughts. This is a free country …