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Being Manipulated for Hate

Posted By: Randy GageJanuary 19, 2019

(Note: I’m posting Monday’s blog early, for reasons you’ll see below.  For the first time, I’m writing this blog specifically for my fellow Americans.  Although I believe it may offer some useful food for thought for anyone.)

You probably already saw the video they went viral Saturday.  It showed some teenage children mocking and ridiculing people participating in an Indigenous Peoples March.  Several of the kids were in the personal space of Nathan Phillips, a Vietnam vet and elder of the Omaha Nation.  A number of the children were wearing #MAGA hats and clothes from Covington Catholic High School, a private all-boys school in Park Hills, Kentucky.  (And should be noted, the school and diocese issued a sincere and thoughtful apology almost immediately.) 

The first thing you have to look at is the irony of privileged white kids shouting “build the wall” chants to a Native American.  And not just a Native American, but a veteran.  I’ve written 12 books, but even I can’t find words to describe the irony in that.  Moving on, here are some things we should talk about as a nation, from the perspective of enlightenment and prosperity consciousness.

First these were kids.  Kids do stupid shit all the time.  They’re allowed to, even supposed to.  The overwhelming majority grow up to be good people as adults.  So their behavior was despicable.  But let’s keep things in perspective.

The real nexus of this scenario will be the parents.  How many will punish their kids, and how many will cheer them on?  Unfortunately, given today’s political environment, it’s a safe bet that a good number will choose the latter.  In either event, let’s not lose sight of the uneven way justice is still dispensed in America.  I was arrested for burglary and armed robbery when I was 15 years old.  I spent a few months in jail awaiting trial, and then was sentenced to probation.  Yet kids of color frequently receive sentences of years in prison for shoplifting or possession of a few pounces of marijuana.

Here’s the thing about this situation I find most disturbing:

You can bet the rent that the following scenario will likely happen: (I’m writing and posting this Saturday night, so let’s see how it actually plays out over the next week or so.)  The liberals will keep circulating the video, attempting to use it as evidence that every single human who voted for Trump is a bigot.  There will be some Trump voters who would normally be abhorred by the behavior in that video.  But because they feel so besieged and attacked by the media, they will remain silent or actually defend it.

I expect MSNBC and the left wing media to immediately launch investigations to discover embarrassing information about the school.  They’ll find some Catholic teacher who secretly had an abortion, discover a board member who supports gay conversion therapy, or anything that will make great clickbait and inflame their rabid followers who have lost the ability to think for themselves.

Meanwhile, the fear mongers at FOX News and the hate mongers at Breitbart, will start immediate opposition research on Phillips and the other tribe members who were with him.  They dig up an old drug bust, find someone who owes child support, or has a Hillary bumper sticker on their microbus, to inflame their rabid followers who have lost the ability to think for themselves.

And all the while, the Russian troll farms (and perhaps other countries), will amplify it further.  Both sides will react with renewed and increasing animosity – and it will widen the chasm of hate between the two sides.

And Vladimir Putin will be smiling.

-RG

UPDATE:  So a lot has shaken out in 24 hours...

There's LOTS of new narratives out on this.  In one, theCovington kids are innocent victims.  Sorry, I'm not buying that their behavior was innocent, let alone Christian.  But there are some things going on.  It's apparent that a group of Black Muslim men, who claimed to be “Hebrew Israelites” were taunting and jeering the kids earlier.  And Phillips said he went in between to prevent a confrontation.  So have to say the most shameful behavior was the Muslim men.  They're grown and their bigotry is a disgrace to their faith.  I don't think it justifies the actions of the MAGA kids, but as I said above, kids are kids.

I think this last day or so has vividly demonstrated my points above.  People were bending over backwards looking for  ways to validate the actions on "their side," and demonize the other side.   And secondly, how we all all falling into the trap of Putin and the Russian bots and troll farms. (And now that we have added Muslims to the mix, the Russians can really dial up the hate.)  We really have to do better.  I'll be doing another post tomorrow and will expand on this greatly.

8 comments on “Being Manipulated for Hate”

  1. If I know right, you read Adam Smith. Therefore you should know that every single human who voted for Trump IS a bigot. But it can be any politician, there is no significant differences. If this video is real and not a pre-set scene (which we are unable to know if we weren't there) the most embarrassing thing is that nobody punched this guy on his face in the front of the camera. Meaning, there were no significantly expressed opposite opinion at the time. But maybe it was, just the camera doesn't captured it. We are just unable to know it. You see what the operator wants you to see and this is always, always, always a subjective opinion.

    And agree, most likely they going to do a hate-generator machine and spread it widely to the public as bones to chew. In my opinion, the most important thing is to be very sceptical with this kind of shits. You have no way to know if this is real or just an anti-Trump movement, unless you were there. The media is full of lies.

  2. There are 2 sides to every story and this story is flipped on it's head. These kids were waiting for their bus after the March for Life, chanting schools cheers to pass the time, when this group of native american activists approached them and moved into the middle of the students. I see no "mocking". It was the native american activists who approached the students, not the other way around. Perfect way for the media to spin the story as privileged, catholic, male white kids mocking and hating someone. The story is FAKE NEWS.

    1. Actually what you suggest is one narrative, but having seen two other videos, personally I haven't seen any evidence of that. There is another narrative, in which the kids were taunting a group of Black protesters and Phillips stood between them and that’s when they began taunting him. I haven't seen evidence of that either.

      But here's the thing: In either case, it doesn't change what I find most disturbing: the way the Kool-aid drinkers on each side will use the incident to demonize the other side. The hate chasm gets bigger and Putin advances his agenda yet farther. -RG

  3. The absence of humanity...in All political activity is so embarrassing in this current culture in which we live. We WERE better than this...and now we project the opposite to the world. We represented the hope of a safe, all encompassing , thoughtful country as a place to offer a better life for ALL.
    To your point Randy....the dictators of the world are watching this debacle and planning on preying on the weaknesses we are projecting. On this journey we are on...this superhighway to our individual destiny.. let's all stay in our own lanes...follow the rules of the road and get there peacefully .In this way we all stay strong.

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  • 8 comments on “Being Manipulated for Hate”

    1. If I know right, you read Adam Smith. Therefore you should know that every single human who voted for Trump IS a bigot. But it can be any politician, there is no significant differences. If this video is real and not a pre-set scene (which we are unable to know if we weren't there) the most embarrassing thing is that nobody punched this guy on his face in the front of the camera. Meaning, there were no significantly expressed opposite opinion at the time. But maybe it was, just the camera doesn't captured it. We are just unable to know it. You see what the operator wants you to see and this is always, always, always a subjective opinion.

      And agree, most likely they going to do a hate-generator machine and spread it widely to the public as bones to chew. In my opinion, the most important thing is to be very sceptical with this kind of shits. You have no way to know if this is real or just an anti-Trump movement, unless you were there. The media is full of lies.

    2. There are 2 sides to every story and this story is flipped on it's head. These kids were waiting for their bus after the March for Life, chanting schools cheers to pass the time, when this group of native american activists approached them and moved into the middle of the students. I see no "mocking". It was the native american activists who approached the students, not the other way around. Perfect way for the media to spin the story as privileged, catholic, male white kids mocking and hating someone. The story is FAKE NEWS.

      1. Actually what you suggest is one narrative, but having seen two other videos, personally I haven't seen any evidence of that. There is another narrative, in which the kids were taunting a group of Black protesters and Phillips stood between them and that’s when they began taunting him. I haven't seen evidence of that either.

        But here's the thing: In either case, it doesn't change what I find most disturbing: the way the Kool-aid drinkers on each side will use the incident to demonize the other side. The hate chasm gets bigger and Putin advances his agenda yet farther. -RG

    3. The absence of humanity...in All political activity is so embarrassing in this current culture in which we live. We WERE better than this...and now we project the opposite to the world. We represented the hope of a safe, all encompassing , thoughtful country as a place to offer a better life for ALL.
      To your point Randy....the dictators of the world are watching this debacle and planning on preying on the weaknesses we are projecting. On this journey we are on...this superhighway to our individual destiny.. let's all stay in our own lanes...follow the rules of the road and get there peacefully .In this way we all stay strong.

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


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