Yesterday, while providing grassroots media coverage of the murder of Haywood Eaton near (the notorious) Hawthorn Crossings Strip Mall, I ran into a television crew from WCCO and chatted, briefly and off-camera, with the camera man.
At that moment, who should come sidling up but Fifth Ward Candidate Kenya McKnight?
Kenya was obviously trying to finagle some face time with the camera and...
...in fact, verbally admitted that when an offhand remark was made, like, "Oh, look, here's Kenya. She's running for city council and trying to get in front of the camera."
So there was Kenya, and while the warmth left the body of Haywood Eaton on the sidewalk Kenya discussed her qualifications for Fifth Ward City Council member. Kenya said she knew "the language" of the streets and jobless youth, because of where and how she grew up.
With politician and public figure Kenya McKnight actually talking to me instead of trying to hide behind James Everett to avoid having her picture taken (like the camera would steal her soul) I thought it was a perfect opportunity to ask what I feel is the most pertinent and pressing Kenya McKnight question in the Fifth Ward race.
"So Kenya," I asked her. "I'm told you believe the Queen of England has some kind of influence over US electoral politics? Such as presidential elections? Is that true?" (Click here for an article I wrote after these reported beliefs of Kenya McKnight first came to my attention)
Kenya responded by giving me that blank, angry look--the same serious, unpleasant, pissed-off expression that Kenya sees fit to put on her campaign flyers--and answered, "Have you STUDIED the Queen of England?"
At that point, it seemed like the lights were on and somebody was indeed home...but the person home behind the pulled-down blinds just happened to be a nutty conspiracy theorist. I read Kenya's tone to say something like this: "You are the stupid one, Johnny Northside, because you don't know what I know about the Queen of England."
What can you do at a moment like that? I figured the best course of action was to BACK AWAY SLOWLY from the nesting grounds of the loon.
At that moment, who should come sidling up but Fifth Ward Candidate Kenya McKnight?
Kenya was obviously trying to finagle some face time with the camera and...
...in fact, verbally admitted that when an offhand remark was made, like, "Oh, look, here's Kenya. She's running for city council and trying to get in front of the camera."
So there was Kenya, and while the warmth left the body of Haywood Eaton on the sidewalk Kenya discussed her qualifications for Fifth Ward City Council member. Kenya said she knew "the language" of the streets and jobless youth, because of where and how she grew up.
With politician and public figure Kenya McKnight actually talking to me instead of trying to hide behind James Everett to avoid having her picture taken (like the camera would steal her soul) I thought it was a perfect opportunity to ask what I feel is the most pertinent and pressing Kenya McKnight question in the Fifth Ward race.
"So Kenya," I asked her. "I'm told you believe the Queen of England has some kind of influence over US electoral politics? Such as presidential elections? Is that true?" (Click here for an article I wrote after these reported beliefs of Kenya McKnight first came to my attention)
Kenya responded by giving me that blank, angry look--the same serious, unpleasant, pissed-off expression that Kenya sees fit to put on her campaign flyers--and answered, "Have you STUDIED the Queen of England?"
At that point, it seemed like the lights were on and somebody was indeed home...but the person home behind the pulled-down blinds just happened to be a nutty conspiracy theorist. I read Kenya's tone to say something like this: "You are the stupid one, Johnny Northside, because you don't know what I know about the Queen of England."
What can you do at a moment like that? I figured the best course of action was to BACK AWAY SLOWLY from the nesting grounds of the loon.
13 comments:
if Kenya has pertinent information about some plot that the Queen of England is involved in, and is withholding these details from 5th Ward residents, then i think she owes us an explanation BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE TO SAVE OURSELVES from said Queen of England.
i believe that the upcoming 5th Ward debate will provide an excellent venue for Kenya to share this information for all of us, that is, if she really cares about our safety.
as usual JNS you trying to Bash Black People who do not support Uncle Tom Don Samuels
I'm confused. Don's real name is Tom? And why did you capitalize the word "bash?"
But seriously...
If Kenya has kooky views about the Queen of England, it has nothing to do with her race. The fact she's running for public office makes persistent reports and evidence of these kooky views highly pertinent.
For the record, Kenya is not the only Fifth Ward Candidate with kooky views. I have it on good authority that Chipper The Entrepreneurial Squirrel believes in something called the "Winter Witch," an entity having dark magic powers to steal nuts.
Anon 10:38 says:
Bash Black People who do not support Uncle Tom Don Samuels
The NOMI Squirrel asks:
What exactly has CM Samuels ever said that leads you to believe he's an "Uncle Tom"? Or, is it just that you're also black, don't agree with his policies and decided to just label him an "Uncle Tom"?
Ever stop and think than maybe, just maybe, Obama was elected because he put the good of the country before the good of a percentage of his constituents first? Should CM Samuels base all his decisions upon what's best for blacks? Isn't THAT discrimmination?
Inquiring squirrels want to know....
I looked at Kenya's website yesterday and there was nothing there that listed her education,
what she has been involved in, what her accomplishments are. There was nothing there that I could look into to find out what her qualifications are for public office. That portion of her site is "under construction". I will never vote for someone who I cannot research to find out how qualified that person may or may not be for office.
It's up to her to sell herself, it's not up to me to just dumbly
believe whatever she says.
I like Kenya and James Everett's idea to have North Minneapolis secede from Minneapolis and form its own city, like North St Paul. Perhaps Al Flowers could be our chief of police.
Hey veg*nation and chipper and Carey Joe Howell,
Isn't it great we live in America, where a person can decide to run for public office just because THEY CAN?
Isn't it great that we don't have RULES about what a person should believe before they run for said office?
Isn't it great that you can sit on your lazy asses and criticize someone with the courage to step forward and risk facing ridicule from people like yourselves, while using their REAL NAME?
Isn't it great that you don't have to present any thoughts of substance or meaning to this campaign, just blind allegiance to (some might say 'dumbly believe') the most TOXIC individual (JNS) on the Northside?
Isn't it great?
See you at the debate. Or probably not.
@Anon 6pm - wouldn't Al Flowers want to be the Mayor? Then maybe he can construct an intersection at Broadway & Colfax so that next time he needs to have a press conference, the intersection is actually there.
To Anon @ 10:38; and what are you doing? Bashing CM Samuels for being black and not thinking like you! We understand the "Tom" comment. Perhaps a critique of his performance as a councilmen would be more apropos? But it is easier to snipe, snide and debase when you are devoid of true reason, i.e. you dislike him because he has actually accomplished something for all NOMI, not, just your style of like minded thinking folks.
Carey Joe,
When Kenya first set up her website, it was replete with grammatical errors and among her accomplishments was a list of CLASSES she had taken at a 2-yr college. (but oddly enough, no degree was mentioned) Whoever is calling the shots on her website NOW has clearly realized that having no accomplishments actually listed is better than admitting a lack of accomplishments.
Henry Coates;
Yes it is great that in America you can run for just about any office with no prerequisite of accomplishments or beliefs. That does indeed help maintain a vibrant democracy. But voters get to evaluate a person's qualifications for office. And a candidate's accomplishments or beliefs often are what help them win votes.
To Henry Coates-
Of course anyone can run. But running for office and actually being elected are two different things.
Furthermore, I did use my real name and are you really alleging my post has no substance or meaning?
I didn't call anybody names or make disparaging remarks about anyone.
Why do you need to be so nasty to me? I wasn't nasty to her. I simply want information. I don't have to agree with you but I don't have to be nasty to disagree. I guess some people do.
If a person wants a job they need to sell themselves and part of that is putting forth information on their job qualifications.
"Isn't it great we live in America, where a person can decide to run for public office just because THEY CAN?" Oh, I agree. I love the freedoms. But just because you have the ability to run don't mean you should do it. There is a lot of responsibility that come with a public life in office, and not everyone is cut out for it or qualified.
"Isn't it great that we don't have RULES about what a person should believe before they run for said office?" Okay, I'll bit, I am with you on the broad idea -- but when you are representing other's interests publically, you should be able to explain your point of view, otherwise, I will just vote for the candidate who did tell me what they believe.
"Isn't it great that you can sit on your lazy asses and criticize someone with the courage to step forward and risk facing ridicule from people like yourselves, while using their REAL NAME?" Hmmm...okay, YES, it is great to be a "lazy anonymous critic"!?!?!? Obviously, the point is off topic, but when you decide to insert yourself into a public decision, in America, some will disagree with you, and may think your position is "dumb," "uneducated," or "ridiculous". It comes with the territory.
"Isn't it great that you don't have to present any thoughts of substance or meaning to this campaign, just blind allegiance to (some might say 'dumbly believe') the most TOXIC individual (JNS) on the Northside?" I know what you mean, I visited Kenya McKnight's website just now -- talk about no substance and over the top -- I mean really, MLK?
"Isn't it great?" Yes, we established that...
"See you at the debate. Or probably not." You will see me there. You just won't know who I am -- Because I CAN!
I have some relevant info to add...
Chipper called me from what's left of the phone booth near Uncle Lennie's, moments before it was disabled and/or removed, and had this to say:
"Have you STUDIED the Winter Witch? Well, have you? When you know what I know, we can ch-ch-chat."
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