One is based in reality and the rule of law and the other is grounded in a culture of perpetual victimhood and race-baiting.
MILWAUKEE -- Supporters of Milwaukee Alderman Michael McGee, Jr. showed their support and blasted state and federal prosecutions at a news conference at Coffee Makes You Black on N. Teutonia Ave. Tuesday, a day after the embattled alderman pleaded not guilty to all federal charges against him.
"There's no integrity there," St. Timothy Baptist Church pastor Mo Fuller said to a cheering throng of about 100 people, many of whom stood behind the podium in a show of solidarity. "There has been just plain, overt racism and everybody knows that."
..."Take note of what is happening to this man," Fuller said. "There have been inconsistencies. There's has been no code of judicial justice. I want every black person in the city of Milwaukee to stand up and take a stand against the injustice."
Fellow Milwaukee Alderman Ashanti Hamilton also spoke at the event, calling the McGee prosecutions evidence of "a system gone astray."
"What we are witnessing now is a manifestation of the mistreatment of an elected official," he said. "Let's correct this, and let's not stand to let our system of justice to be perverted, because it's all of ours. If we don't correct it, then we stand to be in that position, too."
Milwaukee County Supervisor James White spoke at length about what he called "unfair" prosecutions targeting African-American politicians and institutions, from the investigation into fraud at the Opportunities Industrial Council to the redistricting that led to Michael McGee, Sr.'s defeat.
"Many people believe that [the McGee, Jr. prosecution] is revenge against Michael McGee, Sr. for exposing Milwaukee's atrocious record of racial segregation and segregation to the entire country," he said. "It is revenge against Michael McGee, Jr. for standing up, speaking out, organizing, and advocating for justice and fairness both for his constituents and the constituents of other African-American elected officials who will not stand up, who will not speak out, and will not publicly advocate on behalf of justice."
What was disturbing about this rally was that community leaders have taken up McGee as their cause.
Rather than rallying to work on the problems facing people of the 6th District and other troubled areas of the city, they're devoting time and energy to presenting McGee as a victim of injustice.
The comments from Wanda Montgomery, McGee's sister-in-law, were stunning.
She said:
The first thing that happened is he was detained.
The second thing that happened, he's been defamed.
The third thing that they're trying to do is destroy him.
Regarding McGee's detention, she claimed, "It is a violation of due process. We want to see him free."
Detained, defamed, and destroyed.
Montgomery wasn't the only one to act oblivious to why McGee is under arrest and what he's done while in custody.
Rev. Mo Fuller fumed, "We cannot have any political prisoners in this city. We cannot have that. We must have justice and integrity and that's it."
Political prisoners?
Good grief.
From the Nation of Islam, William Muhammad declared, "Ald. Michael McGee Jr. is a victim of character and political assassination.
"He's not a thug. He's a warrior for justice. He's an advocate for peace and he's an advocate for the poor."
I'm sorry. That's just a load! An absolute load!
There will be more to come. This isn't the end of the Free McGee movement.
William "McGee's not a thug" Muhammad, minister of Muhammad's Mosque No. 3., is organizing another rally.
The mosque will host a rally at 2 p.m. Saturday at Mercy Memorial Baptist Church, 2477 N. 36th St., where Abdullah Muhammad, a Nation of Islam leader over the national prison reform ministry, will speak.
Frankly, I'm not surprised that the NAACP and McGee's relatives would back him, ignoring the charges against him.
However, it's truly an embarrassment to the city that elected officials and religious leaders have decided to very publicly voice their support for McGee and decry the justice system.
I think it would be appropriate for Mayor Tom Barrett to comment on their accusations.
Barrett is the city's chief executive, right?
He should say something, anything. It's not OK for there to be a gathering of community leaders claiming that an elected official is being held as a political prisoner.
Is Barrett just going to let that slide?
This group wants to get the Department of Justice involved. They want it to investigate the violation of McGee's civil rights.
I think Barrett should tear himself away from his disastrous streetcar plan and his power struggle with Scott Walker to tend to this matter, for just a few moments. That's not too much to ask.
It seems that the McGee Freedom Fighters are trying to redefine McGee's case as a matter of racial and political persecution, in an attempt to deflect attention from his alleged crimes and their own failures as leaders in the central city.
That doesn't help the community.
It's an irresponsible thing to do.
In effect, McGee's supporters are rallying in support of Milwaukee's Thug Culture.
It's an embarrassment, a very enlightening embarrassment.
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