Ken Berwitz
Let me preface this blog by reminding you that Hillary Clinton has enthusiastically endorsed #blacklivesmatter.
When constituentscomplain about their elected representatives’ behaviour, you would think they’dbe obliged, as public servants, to listen.
Not so for Alondra Cano, City Councillor for Minneapolis’ 9th ward. Whenher constituents wrote to complain about her participation in a disruptiveBlack Lives Matter protest in the city, her response was to reveal theirpersonal details on the Internet.
Cano, along with other Black Lives Matter supporters, took part in anunauthorised protest at Minnesota’sMall of America on ChristmasEve – one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Police ordered theprotesters to disperse and made 13 arrests. Protesters then moved on toMinneapolis-St.Paul International Airport, where they caused “significanttraffic backups,” according to employees.
A number ofconstituents subsequently emailed Cano to complain about her participation inthe unlawful and disruptive protest. Instead of engaging with the people shewas elected to serve, Cano instead took to Twitter to publicly shame them infront of her 1,900-plus Twitter followers.
The screenshots sheposted included the personal details of her constituents, including full names,addresses, and phone numbers.
After being called outon her behaviour by other Twitter users, Cano deleted the tweets, but she hasyet to offer an apology to her constituents. Instead, she complained aboutbeing “targeted” and contended that she was merely “exposing racism.”
Fascinating.
alondra cano, A Minneapolis councilperson engages in illegal activity – first, in a mall and then in an airport – which disrupts the lives of all people, regardless of skin color. And when constituents object, she exposes their personal information on the internet….then whines that she has been “targeted”.
Targeted for what? For damaging store sales at Mall of America and causing flight delays at the airport? For giving out personal information about your critics which your fellow disrupters can now use to torment them?
Who did YOU target, alondra?
I doubt that it would do much good to try reasoning with someone like this. But I think it would be very reasonable to ask Hillary Clinton, who supports the group she was with, and ask her to comment on what was done, and on other similar activities over the holiday season.
Will Ms. Clinton be asked? or will mainstream media give her a free pass on #blacklivesmatters\’ actions and on alondra cano? Will she be challenged to either endorse or criticize what was done?
Suppose a group enthusiastically endorsed by a Republican presidential hopeful disrupted people\’s lives this way for a conservative cause. Do you think that Republican would be asked about it? Would be challenged to either endorse or criticize the group\’s action…thus be subjected to the consequences of his/her words? You can bet the Republican would immediately have to speak out.
I talk a lot about media bias in here. Let\’s see if, this time, they show me to be wrong.
It\’s possible. But I wouldn\’t bet on it.
To be continued.
