Treat her Black, pay $10 million

The police are insane. The TSA has lost control over its employees. The only way to reign in these blatant abuses of our rights is to sue. And the spin goes on and on.

You might have heard of this news story. If you haven’t here it is



This event takes place at Regan National Airport. It happened in February 2007.

Now I’ve seen a couple of versions of this story. The AP story is not the least biased, and I think it represents the general medias feelings best.

Now this is not about a question of rights. It’s not about government intrusion in public places while dealing with public safety. It’s about the media.

Robin Kassner describes the event as “flying”. She compares it to being “beaten up” without knowing why or by whom. The video shows her reaching for something in the bag being searched, and then the cop reacting. They “twisted my arm around, if felt like it was breaking”. “They threw me against the metal table… they took a forearm to my head, they pounded my head into the metal table.”

Listen as the reporter tells how Kassner received a concussion and permanent brain damage.

“Kassner says that doesn’t justify the brutality, … suing for $10 million dollars.”

All in all I have heard several news organizations all tell this story, over a year old, all from the point of view of Kassner. She is the presumed victim. She is the one that was hurt. She deserves (some in the media have stated) to win her case for some if not all the money. I have not seen any single media coverage that does not implicitly side with Kassner and blame the authorities for overreacting.

So why is this a big deal? Because the media is outraged when a White person is treated as if they were Black or in this case Muslim. How dare this be allowed to happen. But what happens when the media reports on a situation that is similar to this one when Blacks are involved?

May 5, 2008 - WTXF news helicopter - Philadelphia

“Like Rodney King, the men once pulled out of the car, are assaulted with extreme prejudice. Not one man in this video is shown resisting.”

Each man in the video is Black, kicked and punched. Each was assaulted by multiple officer after being on the ground. They might have permanent injuries, but you never heard about that in the media. They had their arms twisted, their head beat. They were beaten up en masse.

But where is the media calling for the police department getting sued? Where was the media saying that out of 19 officers on the scene no more than 4 needed to be punished (I do not feel a demotion – 1 - nor temporary suspension – 3 - are penalties) is inexcusable? Where is the indignation, the outrage, the calls for change?

Robin Kussner might have been a terrorist. Thats why she was pulled to have extra screening done at the airport. Alerts at the time stated that terrorists were trying to use liquid explosives, and she was reaching into a bag that was being checked. It could have been a bomb she wanted to set off. The officer was acting to protect all the people in the airport from a possible threat. But the media paints a sympathetic picture for Kassner. She is White after all.

But when Black men are involved sympathy is unnecessary from the media. Any excuse from the police – who ADMITTED this was unnecessary force – is acceptable. No matter how many times this kind of case happens the media fails to connect the dots, though there is no lack in connecting dots to any Republican that has not acted in a liberal manner or for a liberal cause. And there is no timeframe that stops when sympathy should be given to a White that is treated in such a manner.

I don’t care about the legal issue. I do care about the media portrayal and emphasis. But now thay you can see and read the comparison, what will you do? How do you feel?