Another Opinion on Cynthia McKinney

Cynthia Tucker's latest article, covering the Cynthia McKinney incident, makes a lot of sense to me.

Last month, The New York Times ran a front-page story outlining the dire social and economic prospects for young black men. According to a number of recent academic studies, black men, despite the obvious successes of a few, are falling further and further behind, locked in place as a permanent underclass. "Especially in the country's inner cities, the studies show, finishing high school is the exception, legal work is scarcer than ever, and prison is almost routine, with incarceration rates climbing for blacks even as urban crime rates have declined," the article said.

I waited for somebody to call a press conference. I waited for Jesse and Al to take to the streets demanding public policies that would bring black men into the mainstream. I looked for responses from the usual suspects -- the NAACP, the Urban League and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. I heard nothing.

But a misunderstanding between a minor member of Congress and a Capitol Hill police officer has apparently become a full-blown crisis, demanding the attention of self-appointed black leaders. So maybe I'm wrong about all of this. Perhaps I just need to adjust my perspective.

Something to think about, at any rate.