People justify disrespect, deceit, and division by pointing to someone else. I get it; the end justifies the means. And the other person is always said to have done it first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But maybe the means isn\u2019t justified. And maybe that\u2019s part of current culture\u2019s huge problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Note the following recent, brief excerpt from ABC\u2019s popular \u201cGood Morning America,\u201d in which host Robin Roberts interviewed Jussie Smollett, a well-known black, gay actor, who reported being assaulted on the 29th of January:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roberts:<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019m Robin Roberts in New York. Musician and actor Jussie Smollett sat down with me for his first interview since that night in Chicago. Smollett told me how he\u2019s doing now and responds to those who doubt his account.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Smollett: <\/strong>[teary] \u201cI\u2019m pissed off.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Roberts: <\/strong>\u201cWhat is it that has you so angry? The attackers?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Smollett: <\/strong>\u201cIt\u2019s the attackers, but it\u2019s also the attacks. It\u2019s like, you know, at first it was a thing of like, \u2018Listen, if I tell the truth, then that\u2019s it, \u2018cause it\u2019s the truth.\u2019 Then it became a thing of like, \u2018Oh, how can you doubt that? Like how do, how do you not believe that?\u2019 It\u2019s the truth. And then it became a thing of, \u2018Oh, it\u2019s not necessarily that you don\u2019t believe that this is the truth; <\/em>you don\u2019t even want to see the truth.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n [emphasis mine]<\/p>\n\n\n\n Roberts then asks Smollett to share what happened that night. Smollett describes the events\u2026 having no food in his apartment, he went out \u201cfor a smoke,\u201d ran to Subway, got his order, was on the phone with his manager, when someone called out \u201cEmpire,\u201d suggesting Smollett was identified by the TV show he\u2019s on. Smollett then starts by sharing details how \u201cthe attacker, masked\u201d initiated the confrontation by using racial, homophobic slurs and talked about this being \u201cMAGA country.\u201d They started fighting \u2014 Smollett and two others \u2014 putting a rope around Smollett\u2019s neck, but walking away. He admittedly couldn\u2019t tell you much about his attackers \u2014 couldn\u2019t see much in the icy cold of Chicago at two o\u2019clock in the morning. He didn\u2019t have any measurable injuries, but said he was \u201cin a lot of pain\u201d and his clavicle was a little messed up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The media reacted immediately. Said CNN\u2019s Brooke Baldwin in response: \u201cHe [Smollett] said his attackers hurled racial and homophobic slurs at him. This is America in 2019.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Except that it\u2019s not. Yes, there are slurs and division fueled and fed by the left, right, even CNN. There are awful, awful hate crimes. But there\u2019s a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Smollett\u2019s story is not believed to be true. As more info has been released, the Chicago police no longer consider Smollett a victim; in fact, the investigation is now focused on whether or not Smollett made up the entire account, maybe even practiced, staged, and purchased the props beforehand. Note, too, that there exists no evidence nor eyewitness of the attack \u2014 even though CNN, etal. ran with the hate crime story. We thus must ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n (1) What narrative did this play into that CNN, etal. seemed wanting to promote? And (2) Where else is the media rushing to judgment because it plays into their desired narrative?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s go back to more of Smollett\u2019s actual words with Robin Roberts \u2014\u00a0<\/em>said after the incident but before the police and the public started to conclude that Smollett was once again acting\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Roberts:<\/strong> \u201cWhy do you think you were targeted?\u201d<\/em> Smollett:<\/strong> \u201cI can only go off of their words. I mean, who says \u2018f*** Empire ***** \u2014 this MAGA country\u2019, ties a noose around your neck, and pours bleach on you?\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And one more line, when questioned about some of the initial doubt, before, of course, it was believed that Jussie Smollett concocted the entire scenario\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Smollett:<\/strong> \u201cThat says a lot about the place where we are in our country right now \u2014 the fact that we have these fear mongers. These people are trying to separate us, and it\u2019s just not ok.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n That indeed says a lot. It indeed is not ok. It\u2019s not ok for any hate crime to occur; it\u2019s also not ok for any man or woman to make something up nor the media to irresponsibly run with it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hence, no man nor woman should ever be assaulted. No man nor woman should have the whole truth not believed. But no man nor woman should also ever create, share, and promote a mistruth, believing divisively, that the end somehow justifies the means. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Respectfully\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n AR People justify disrespect, deceit, and division by pointing to someone else. I get it; the end justifies the means. And the other person is always said to have done it first. But maybe the means isn\u2019t justified. And maybe that\u2019s part of current culture\u2019s huge problem. Note the following recent, brief excerpt from ABC\u2019s popular … <\/p>\n
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\nSmollett:<\/strong> \u201cI can just assume<\/em> [breaks into broad smile]\u2026 I mean, I come really, really hard against 45 [Trump]. I come really, really hard against his administration, and I don\u2019t hold my tongue\u2026\u201d
\n<\/em>
\nRoberts:<\/strong> \u201cAnd there is no doubt in your mind what motivated this attack?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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