Michael McGee's "Psycho-Political Message"

Last week, Milwaukee alderman Michael McGee, Jr. said on local radio that people should throw bricks at speeding cars as a strategy to get the to slow down.

I really want to organize some of these young guys in the community. When they see people speeding recklessly and swerving down the hood man, just start brickin’ em, for real… And start bricking these cars, man, gorilla style… And they are going to learn that you can’t drive down certain blocks and feel that they can be reckless.

When the local media picked up on McGee's comments via Badger Blogger, he tried to weasel out of his proposed solution to the problem of speeders.

McGee issued a statement.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel provides the statement in full:

"Earlier this week on the "Word Warrior Report," a radio program on 860 WNOV-AM, comments I made were misconstrued and then posted on a misinformed, fledgling blog site. The site indicated that I was trying to incite violence.

"While on the radio, I spoke about a "Rock The Car Campaign" which would send a statement to speeders and reckless individuals that they would be held accountable for their negligent behavior. In light of the many hit-and-run homicides and accidents that have occurred in our city, I believe something drastic must happen. I don't truly believe that throwing rocks at speeding cars will solve the problem, but I wanted to send a pyscho-political message to the reckless individuals who violate the lives of innocent citizens.

"The Rapid Response Team and I will be enforcing the Street Code of Conduct, which advocates for healthy behavior in the community, and we will bring our message to neighborhoods such as 10th and Ring and 12th and Chambers beginning Saturday, May 5, 2007. It is our intention to bring together the leadership in each neighborhood, and to work to transform the nuisance behaviors that plague us daily. One way to accomplish this goal will be to provide summer job opportunities for youth and concerned residents to help clean our streets and alleys. We also will be performing street patrols in conjunction with law enforcement authorities, and more strategies will be released as we reach the summer months.

"Again my comments are to be taken to hold reckless individuals more accountable, and to create urgent dialogue in regard to the rising violence that's taking place in many of our neighborhoods."

Does Milwaukee really need a leader that wants to "send a psycho-political message" like throwin bricks at cars?

Of coure not.

Why can't McGee just apologize for his horribly irresponsible comments rather than playing the "psycho-political" card?

McGee says:

It is our intention to bring together the leadership in each neighborhood, and to work to transform the nuisance behaviors that plague us daily.

I don't think that suggesting people throw bricks at speeders is a sincere effort to work to transform the nuisance behaviors.

It IS a nuisance behavior.