Rep. Hank Johnson made some questionable comments during a House Armed Services Committee meeting. He was addressing the issue of extra troops being added to Guam later this year. He asked if the Committee was worried about the island "capsizing". The media of course took these comments out of context and made it appear as if Rep. Johnson was asking if the island itself would literally capsize. Rep. Johnson had instead been trying to make the metaphor that an influx of troops added to the island could "capsize" or over whelm the infrastructure and ecosystem of Guam. I feel that if these comments had been made by a white Representative they would not have been played over and over again on the news. They would also not have been the butt of so many jokes. I feel it was another way to unfairly treat African Americans in the media. He was trying to talk about his environmental concerns and also express his opinions about added troops to an already over crowded island and he was looked down on for it. Yes it might not have been the best metaphor to use but his intentions were nothing to make fun of.
To view video of Committee Hearing Click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs23CjIWMgA&feature=related
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