Madison Cawthorn's standup moment at RNC a 'rebuke' of protests, PBS reporter says
By Aaron Feis
New York Post
August 27, 2020
PBS political reporter Yamiche Alcindor caught flak on Twitter for describing Madison Cawthorn’s rising from his wheelchair at the 2020 Republican National Convention as a “direct rebuke” of protests against police brutality.
Cawthorn — a 25-year-old North Carolinian on track to become the
youngest person elected to Congress in modern history — capped a
stirring RNC address Wednesday night by getting up from his wheelchair
with the help of two aides while reciting the closing words of the
Pledge of Allegiance.
Live-tweeting the event, Alcindor described the move as a
counterpoint to demonstrations against police brutality and prejudice,
on a day that saw the NBA and other sports leagues cancel games in protest of the Kenosha, Wis., shooting that left Jacob Blake like Cawthorn, paralyzed from the waist down.
“Madison Cawthorn made it a point to stand, suggesting that all
Americans to (sic) should stand during the pledge of allegiance &
national anthem,” she wrote.
“It was a direct rebuke of actions by ppl — including black athletes
who are currently sitting out games — protesting police brutality.”
Shortly before standing, Cawthorn did suggest a contrast between the
gesture and athletes’ protest of kneeling during the National Anthem.
“In this new town square, you don’t have to apologize for your
beliefs or cower to a mob,” he said. “You can kneel before God, but
stand for our flag.”
Still, Twitter users believed Alcindor went too far in connecting the
two, accusing her of politicizing a moving moment during the RNC and
picking on the handicapped Cawthorn.
“Or perhaps, and I’m just spitballing here, he just did what he felt
like doing because he wanted to show his love for his country,” wrote one user in a reply to Alcindor’s tweet. “You know, freedom of expression and all.”
Wrote another,
“I’m glad my mind isn’t wired like yours to hate every thing I see. You
may feel warm and fuzzy when a millionaire kneels down but I felt
tremendous pride when I saw that man stand last night for our country
and flag. I’m genuinely sorry you couldn’t and won’t ever experience
that.”
“Going after a guy paralyzed in a wheelchair? He’s got more stamina than you,” added Jon Nicosia,
the president of News Cycle Media and a former editor at Mediaite and
The Washington Examiner. “Probably why your (sic) so mad.”
EDITOR'S NOTE: Where do these idiots get the idea that Alcindor was picking on Cawthorn? Quite to the contrary, she was holding him up as a shining example of a patriotic citizen as opposed to Colin Kaepernick and the other unpatriotic athletes who protest against police brutality by taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem.
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