I think Ms. McKinney may be a bit unclear on the whole concept of an improper touch. Allow me to clarify.
When Michael Jackson fondles a 12 year old boy, that's an improper touch.
When a Catholic priest gropes an altar boy, that's an improper touch.
When any female has sex with Carrot Top, that's an improper touch.
But when an officer of the law reaches out to restrain a person who has bypassed security measures designed to prevent terrorism in a government facility, that is not an improper touch.
However, to turn and strike that officer, yes, that's an improper touch indeed.
I'm reminded of a story, probably apocryphal, told about Admiral Hyman Rickover during the early days of the nuclear Navy.
As the story goes, one evening Admiral Rickover was paying a visit to the newly instituted Nuclear Propulsion School to oversee operstions. He neglected to put on his security badge, and was stopped at the entrance by the student who was on guard duty at the time. Admiral Rickover snapped the equivalent of "Don't you know who I am?" at the petty officer, and brushed past him to enter the building, whereupon the petty officer turned and tackled him to the ground.
Normally, an enlisted man tackling an officer results in a court martial. In this case, the young man was commended. After the Admiral calmed down a bit, (which probably took several hours; Rickover was known for his temper) he praised the young man for showing the integrity and dedication to duty to do his job, regardless of the potential consequences.
The guard who stopped Ms. McKinney was doing the same thing.
For many years, even after I left the Navy, I worked in jobs that required security clearances and ID badges. In one of those jobs, had I attempted to enter the facility without my badge, or if I struck one of the security officers while attmepting to breach security, I would very likely be shot, bang, dead, cancel the beach vacation, there's no way I can get a tan now.
That's the way it is in secure facilities. Guards are not allowed to go by recognition alone; to do so would render the security measures impotent. In fact, allowing congresscritters the ability to bypass security at all leaves a gaping hole in security anyway. The fuss McKinney is raising will do nothing but weaken it even more as guards become tentative in doing their job, fearing personal reprisals from out-of-control egotistical morons like Ms. McKinney.
Posted by Rich at April 3, 2006 8:04 PM | TrackBack