In response to your article, "The Media Botched the Covington Catholic Story - And the damage to their credibility will be lasting".....
I read your article. I have spent days on social media. I wrote the appropriate well-penned letters. But, your article was another reminder of the most glaring issues - those that exacerbate everything - for people of color. The specifics of the issue aside, there are two glaring issues that the reporter and The Atlantic are perpetuating:
1. Where is this level of remorse and/or call to "responsible reporting" when those involved are Black? Where is this level of "ethics for freelance...." when the subjects are Black? We - literally - never see it.
2. The article was just another opportunity for mainstream media to make these boys into angels that "fell into a situation" and they were "just responding". No - that is not what happened.
All news outlets needs to focus on the facts
1. The Black Israelites are extreme - and rude. And while they were completely out of order, the boys didn't choose to have a "stand off" with a group of Black men. So, how/why they were angry is immaterial - because they didn't express their frustration against the Black Israelites. Instead they chose a very different victim - smaller, older - but, happened to be Brown. That is a classic bully!
2. The school has a history of racism, bigotry and sexism.
.... They have a history of victimizing people of color. The one time they are on the receiving end of negative words, suddenly we give them a "pass" to act out.
.... Note the videos of "if its not rape if she doesn't scream" or whatever.
.... Note the videos in blackface
3. The boys had no reason to be in MAGA hats - because they weren't there for politics. And since MAGA carries such a polarizing connotation, they were - well should have been - okay with the whatever came as a result (to include optics when video caught them staring down an older Native American man). They don't get to claim "ignorant" to the consequences.
.... They don't get to claim ignorant to the consequences as "boys" but be adult enough to be at a march about a very grown-up issue.
4. Even if you were go excuse or try to explain how the situation exploded, how do you explain "build the wall" or the tomahawk chop, etc
As usual, even some of the most liberal and well-meaning white people can not get completely behind the fight. What we saw was enough! They were out-of-order, disrespectful, terrible young men - that is the end of the story.
- Signed: @RagingLiberal4
