A funny thing happened on the way into work

Have you read about this business between the Capitol Police and Representative Cynthia McKinney? Rep. McKinney is claiming that she is the victim of "inappropriate touching" and discrimination at the hands of a Capitol Police officer. If the police sources that are providing information to the media are correct, then this is the most ridiculous case to hit the newspapers this week.

The police are saying that McKinney wasn't wearing any identification to enter a House office building and did not respond to an officer's three requests to stop. He then put a hand on her and she hit him.

The reason I believe the police is because I have been on that side of the law before, and you are constantly dealing with politicians who think they are above the law (i.e. they don't have to listen to you). On more than one occasion, I have had to make one of these "important" people uncomfortable to be able to do my job. And when you think about it, these federal officers' job is to keep people safe - they put their lives on the line to do so.

I used to live by the motto, "ask, tell, and make," which generally means that you ask nicely the first time, then you tell them, and if neither of those options works, you make them get the hell out of your way. In my opinion, that Capitol police officer was much nicer than he needed to be.

This may sound a little harsh to you, but it enables these officers to continue to offer the highest quality of protection to those who are most in danger of political assassination. If, as a government representative, you cannot acknowledge and respect the work that these people do for you, then you don't deserve the protection that they willingly commit their lives to providing.

Ms. McKinney, I highly suggest you grow up.

(p.s. Yes, I know that in the past I have lodged many a complaint about the time I spent working as a federal agent, but I would never question any of my colleagues' commitment to the protection of the American ideal. On many occasions I felt their criticisms misplaced and their open-mindedness seriously lacking, but when we were on duty and in the public eye, they were professionals and did their best to treat people with the decency they deserved.)