Kane Watch: Something missing?

Eugene Kane's column today covers the Tim Hardaway-anti-gay-remarks controversy. In it he discusses how it bothers him that, in general, the African-American community has a streak of homophobia. Overall, it's a good piece, but something is conspicuously absent.

Citing the high-profile bigoted remarks from Mel Gibson (anti-Semitic), Michael Richards (n-word) and Isaiah Washington (anti-gay), Kane completely ignores the far more pertinent and local tie-in to the story: Alderman Michael McGee, Jr.

With a long history of anti-gay remarks, one might think that bringing up McGee in this context would be tremendously appropriate. And what makes McGee's remarks even more striking is that, unlike Gibson, Richards and Washington, entertainers, and Hardaway, an athlete, McGee is an ELECTED OFFICIAL. The other four men here are ultimately inconsequential in our day-to-day lives, but McGee is someone put in office with the assumption that he serve the interests of his constituency. For better or worse, he is a community leader. And I have it on good authority that a number of McGee's constituents are, in fact, gay!

So far Kane has expended countless words in both his blog and column on four men who ultimately can do no worse than hurt feelings and embarrass themselves while he closes his eyes to the antics of someone who actually has an impact on the operation and future of this city.

I might think that odd were it not for the fact that Kane has pretty much admitted it's unlikely he'll stop defending McGee.

Goodbye journalistic integrity. Hello hypocrisy.

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