By Rev. Brenda Lee:
I arrived at the Los Angeles Airport at 4 a.m. and was driven up to the press area by Mr. Albert Rodriquez where I waited until about 6 a.m. I noticed a person who was on Air Force One on Wednesday afternoon. When that gentleman came near the barricade where I was standing, I asked if he would give a letter to President Obama. He said that he could not do that, but recommended that I give the letter to a staff member. He said that they would be out shortly.
A few minutes later, two men came over (one later identified himself as Secret Servicemen Warly) and asked for my information; I identified myself as Rev. Brenda Lee with the Georgia Informer. They asked to open the letter. I gave Agent Warly permission to do so and he opened and read the letter. He gave it back to me.
At that point, I sat down and started to write my article for the Georgia Informer. Another man came up and identified himself as a staff person. He offered to take the letter for President Obama. My spirit did not agree with him, and I did not believe that he would give the letter to the President, but I quickly prayed and left it up to GOD. One of the small sheets of paper fell and I opened the one that was left in my hand. It said “No” meaning that I was not to give him the letter.
I apologized and told the staff person that I would keep the letter in hopes that the President would pass by. He then told me that he could guarantee that President Obama would not be coming near me and he asked that I not wave, motion, or yell out to the President. At that point, I was offended, as I do not carry myself in that manner. I agreed to his conditions. He walked off. No one ever said that I was not to give the letter to President Obama if he were to come near me.
I started a conversation with two reporters from Watts. The staff member returned a second time; he had two men with him. Detective Martinez did the talking. He asked me to follow him from the press area. I did and once I was out of the press area, the staff person said that he heard me tell the reporters that I was doing to disrupt the photo shot. At no time did I say anything like this to anyone, and I then called him a liar, and I asked Detective Martinez to check with the other reporters. The staff person said that he would allow me to return to the press area, if he could stand next to me. I agreed because I had no plans to disrupt the proceedings.
When I return to the press area, I said to the Watts reporters, “Heavens, you are reporters, and you would allow the men to accost me without intervening on my behalf.” The older gentleman said to me, “What would you have me do?” I said, “You are right. I apologize to you.” The next thing I knew the staff person returned with three men. This time Detective Martinez request that I leave the pres area. I asked why I was being asked to leave. “I have not done anything and I want to know why I am being asked to leave.” At this point, the staff person waved his hand. (I knew what that meant because Bishop Bolam of Savannah, Georgia had me assaulted by his security people with the wave of his hand a few years early.) I made the decision to sit down to defuse the situation.
At that point someone grab my shoulder, and then the detectives were all over me and I said, “Now I am not leaving.” I screamed at the reporters to do their job because I could see that they were beginning to turn their backs. The detectives started dragging me; I heard someone say, “Get her feet.” They carried me out of the press area. Firemen thought that I had fainted and rushed toward me asking if I needed medical assistance.
I said, “No! Take a picture.” By this time detectives were trying to force me into an unmarked car. It had some writing on it, but I could not read it. I told them no way was I going to let them put me into a car. Detective Martinez stopped and said, ”We could have put your hands behind your back, hand cuffed you, put you in a black and white car and taken you off for 72 hours of observation. (My sister, Betty had worked on the sixth floor of Macon Hospital, so I knew that he was implying that I had mental problems. “Are you suggesting that I have mental problems?” He said, “No.” But he asked if I was on drugs. By this time I was exhausted and I told him that I wanted to leave, if I was not under arrest.
I requested my driver and they said that Mr. Rodriquez did not want me in his vehicle. I told them that was fine, but that I would walk back to my car because I did not trust them. They said that we were in lock down and we could not move. Once lock down was lifted, Mr. Rodriquez came over and I got into the van. Agent Warly came up and said that he had not found me to be a threat to President Obama and wanted me to know that.
His sole purpose was to make sure that the President was not under attack; he requested an interview; I declined his request and left LAX. I requested Detective Martinez’ card and the name of his superior. He said it was his job to remove me after the staff member demanded my removal. He refused to give me the name of the staff person, but I took a picture of him.
My reaction to the above event is total shock. All of it was unnecessary. At no point did I demand to give President Obama the letter; it was in an envelope and address to the White House. I thought I would save myself and stamp and I would be assured that he received it.
Nothing has changed for Blacks, especially women. I do not believe that a White, clergy with a collar would have been asked to leave the press area simple because he had a letter in his hand. I think the events were three folded. It was an opportunity for the Catholic Church and the gays to discredit me, and it cast President Obama in negative light for a Black female to be mishandled to this extent.
The staff person acted improperly and everyone knew it, but no one would stop him. It was an abuse of power."
AAPP: Hmmm... I guess a few bloggers have said it best, people just get carried away by Obama,, or better yet, that's what happens when your a wingnut African-American shock activist journalist.
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