# Covington Catholic High (in case it hasn't been mentioned already) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 20, 2019, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090 "2019-01-20T02:23:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/81 "2019-01-20T21:16:47Z")
A very good article in Reason on the issue, one which I wholeheartedly agree with. [The Media Wildly Mischaracterized That Video of Covington Catholic Students Confronting a Native American Veteran](https://reason.com/blog/2019/01/20/covington-catholic-nathan-phillips-video) ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/82 "2019-01-20T21:24:15Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > As for Smirky McSmirkface, put his name out there so that employers know who not to hire, ever. This is so extremely dangerous and troubling. This is why it’s important for people like me to insert themselves into heated debates on divisive issues. Yours is far from the only voice calling for doxxing of this kid, some of them with millions (_millions_) of Twitter followers. Absolutely irresponsible and horrifying. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/83 "2019-01-20T21:37:31Z")
> [@Dacien](#): > > A very good article in Reason on the issue, one which I wholeheartedly agree with. > > [The Media Wildly Mischaracterized That Video of Covington Catholic Students Confronting a Native American Veteran](https://reason.com/blog/2019/01/20/covington-catholic-nathan-phillips-video) Your link is whiny conservative horseshit: thanks for posting it! From the article: [INDENT] Far from engaging in racially motivated harassment, the group of mostly white, MAGA-hat-wearing male teenagers remained relatively calm and restrained despite being subjected to incessant racist, homophobic, and bigoted verbal abuse by members of the bizarre religious sect Black Hebrew Israelites, who were lurking nearby. The BHI has existed since the late 19th century, and is best describes as a black nationalist cult movement; its members believe they are descendants of the ancient Israelites, and often express condemnation of white people, Christians, and gays. DC-area Black Hebrews are known to spout particularly vile bigotry. [/INDENT] They sure are, as l0k1 discussed. Those are exactly the sort of people that you don’t confront directly: it was a volatile situation. [INDENT] Phillips put himself between the teens and the black nationalists, chanting and drumming as he marched straight into the middle of the group of young people. What followed was several minutes of confusion: The teens couldn’t quite decide whether Phillips was on their side or not, but tentatively joined in his chanting. It’s not at all clear this was intended as an act of mockery rather than solidarity. [/INDENT] I call bullshit. The smiling guy was clearly mocking, and “Several minutes of confusion” is too many. You don’t square off against urban wackos, and when somebody is attempting to be conciliatory, you don’t try to figure out whether he’s on your side – unless you yourself are inclined towards confrontation or violence. Stop whining: the media got it right: the kids were entitled ignorant pricks. If anything, the media has gone easy on them and their school. **Love thy enemy** ETA: Drumming is actually pretty mesmerizing. While the Native American Veteran appeared weird to the sheltered assholes, his drumming appears to have calmed things down regardless. Phillips was a brave man: one of the vids shows him fully surrounded by the crowd in addition to having a kid acting in a highly provocative manner, inches from his face. Phillips faced a difficult situation which he worked out with courage and compassion, an unusual combination. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/84 "2019-01-20T21:48:54Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](#): > > I don’t need to dream when I can simply watch the extended video and not edited highlights. Slurs such as ‘crackers’ and ‘school shooters’ we’re shouted by African American adults towards teen schoolkids. I suggest posters on here watch more than brief clips on CNN if they wish to fight their own ignorance. So, your entire argument is: some other group of people was being mean to the kids, so that justified their disgusting behavior toward an unrelated and innocent Native American veteran. You really are a piece of shit. Go learn some morals, shitbag. ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/85 "2019-01-20T21:49:08Z")
It scares me a lot that this is the world we live in. That the truth doesn’t matter, the agenda does. The video clearly debunks major points put forth by Phillips, and paints a much more reasonable picture. But they’re white kids with MAGA hats, so pictures have already been drawn up with all of their faces asking, “Do you know them? We want to know, too!” People are actually willing to destroy these kid’s lives over a narrative. I don’t think I’ve felt as worried for our country as I do today in a long time. ---
**Author:** ![l0k1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@l0k1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/l0k1)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/86 "2019-01-20T21:50:07Z")
I could cut the kids some slack if this weren’t an annual event. These schools have had decades to teach their kids how to behave at this disgusting yearly demonstration, they have utterly failed to do so. Instead they have persisted in sending teenage sociopaths to DC every January. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/87 "2019-01-20T21:52:08Z")
> [@Dacien](#): > > It scares me a lot that this is the world we live in. That the truth doesn’t matter, the agenda does. The video clearly debunks major points put forth by Phillips, and paints a much more reasonable picture. But they’re white kids with MAGA hats, so pictures have already been drawn up with all of their faces asking, “Do you know them? We want to know, too!” People are actually willing to destroy these kid’s lives over a narrative. > > I don’t think I’ve felt as worried for our country as I do today in a long time. You disregard clear video evidence in favor of what you’ve been told to see.\*\* You’re\*\* the problem, buddy. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/88 "2019-01-20T21:54:14Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > **Skywatcher** , I don’t hear “Build the Wall” in the link you posted. Am I missing something? To my ears, one of the MAGAts either yelled something about a wall or a war. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/89 "2019-01-20T21:55:40Z")
> [@Dacien](#): > > The video clearly debunks major points put forth by Phillips, and paints a much more reasonable picture. …please clarify for us: which “major points” put forward by Phillips were debunked by the video? Please be specific using statements only put forward by Phillips. ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/90 "2019-01-20T22:01:47Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > You disregard clear video evidence in favor of what you’ve been told to see.\*\* You’re\*\* the problem, buddy. I think your outrage isn’t genuine, **Evil Economist**. That’s what I think. I don’t want to accuse you of anything, but when I look at how intelligent you are, and your position in spite of the evidence, I can only conclude that the narrative is more important than the facts. It’s not unique. When Newsweek published a story about white Duke lacrosse players raping a black woman, which turned out to be false, the Editor, Evan Thomas, defended himself by saying, “The narrative was right, but the facts were wrong.” Something _like_ the Duke lacrosse story happened and happens _somewhere_, the logic goes, so even if the Duke lacrosse players were innocent, it’s more important to push forward the story and start the discussion about sexual assault committed by white people. ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/91 "2019-01-20T22:08:31Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …please clarify for us: which “major points” put forward by Phillips were debunked by the video? Please be specific using statements only put forward by Phillips. That he was prevented from leaving, for one. He approached them, banged his drum in one kid’s face for several minutes, then left. He actually walks away from a clear path to the Memorial and into their midst. His destination was clearly the crowd, not the memorial. That he was “swarmed” as he prepared to leave. The video clearly shows he approached them, not the other way around. Video evidence does not show a “build that wall” chant, though it’s entirely possible that chant was made. Some audio has emerged suggesting something _like_ it, but even WaPo admits in their story that it’s not clear in the video. According to the account of the group, and backed up by the video, they were doing school chants when Phillips approached, and according to them didn’t know if he was joining with them in their chants, or what exactly he was doing. So they chanted along with him. To argue that they were “taunting” him is arguable. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/92 "2019-01-20T22:19:08Z")
> [@Dacien](#): > > That he was prevented from leaving, for one. He approached them, banged his drum in one kid’s face for several minutes, then left. He actually walks away from a clear path to the Memorial and into their midst. His destination was clearly the crowd, not the memorial. > > That he was “swarmed” as he prepared to leave. The video clearly shows he approached them, not the other way around. > > Video evidence does not show a “build that wall” chant, though it’s entirely possible that chant was made. Some audio has emerged suggesting something _like_ it, but even WaPo admits in their story that it’s not clear in the video. > > According to the account of the group, and backed up by the video, they were doing school chants when Phillips approached, and according to them didn’t know if he was joining with them in their chants, or what exactly he was doing. So they chanted along with him. To argue that they were “taunting” him is arguable. You, sir, are a fucking idiot. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/93 "2019-01-20T22:19:19Z")
> [@Dacien](#): > > …banged his drum in one kid’s face for several minutes… Did he, now? So, was he standing in front of said kid, or was he leaning forward to put the drum an inch from his nose? And maintained this posture for, as you say, “several minutes”? I trust you will understand that I find this implausible. At best. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/94 "2019-01-20T22:22:41Z")
This isn’t complicated. MAGA hat = asshole. ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/95 "2019-01-20T22:22:55Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Did he, now? So, was he standing in front of said kid, or was he leaning forward to put the drum an inch from his nose? And maintained this posture for, as you say, “several minutes”? I trust you will understand that I find this implausible. At best. It might have been a couple minutes, I hadn’t counted the minutes. It was definitely over a minute. But that’s not really the point. The point is he approached the crowd, banged his drum close to the kid’s face for some period of time (and yelled somewhat loudly in his face as well in my opinion), then left shortly thereafter. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/96 "2019-01-20T22:28:27Z")
> [@Dacien](#): > > That he was prevented from leaving, for one. He approached them, banged his drum in one kid’s face for several minutes, then left. He actually walks away from a clear path to the Memorial and into their midst. His destination was clearly the crowd, not the memorial. …I asked for specific quotes for a reason. You claim was that the “video clearly debunks major points put forth by Phillips”. Can you provide a quote from Phillips stating he was prevented from leaving? > [@The Washington Post](#): > > “It was getting ugly, and I was thinking: ‘I’ve got to find myself an exit out of this situation and finish my song at the Lincoln Memorial,’ ” Phillips recalled. “I started going that way, and that guy in the hat stood in my way, and we were at an impasse. He just blocked my way and wouldn’t allow me to retreat.” > **[‘It was getting ugly’: Native American drummer speaks on his encounter with...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/01/20/it-was-getting-ugly-native-american-drummer-speaks-maga-hat-wearing-teens-who-surrounded-him/?utm_term=.e231b7dce1a1)** > > The Catholic school the boys attended apologized, expressing concern that "this incident also has tainted the entire witness of the March for Life." He didn’t claim he was “prevented from leaving.” He stated he was going “that way” when “that guy” stood in his way, blocking him from going where he wanted to go. We saw that happen. Not a debunking. A “nitpick” at best. > [@](#): > > That he was “swarmed” as he prepared to leave. The video clearly shows he approached them, not the other way around. I’ve found paraphrases of the quote: but I can’t find the actual quote. Can you provide the actual quote? > [@](#): > > Video evidence does not show a “build that wall” chant, **though it’s entirely possible that chant was made**. Some audio has emerged suggesting something _like_ it, but even WaPo admits in their story that it’s not clear in the video. So not a debunking: gotcha. > [@](#): > > According to the account of the group, and backed up by the video, they were doing school chants when Phillips approached, and according to them didn’t know if he was joining with them in their chants, or what exactly he was doing. So they chanted along with him. The video backs up everything we know that Phillips said. It doesn’t debunk jack-shit. > [@](#): > > To argue that they were “taunting” him is arguable. “Arguable” is not a debunking. It is pretty fucking clear the truth doesn’t matter to you, only the agenda does. We can see right through you. ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/97 "2019-01-20T22:29:29Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > You, sir, are a fucking idiot. This is what I’m talking about. You saw this earlier with **[Mr. Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21441592&postcount=51)**: “Dream faster”, in response to provable claim that the racial slurs were coming from the BI people, not the kids. **[Evil Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21442026&postcount=87)**: “You disregard clear video evidence in favor of what you’ve been told to see. You’re the problem, buddy.” When presented with arguments about the details of the video, and how it conflicts with Phillips’ account, or how this story isn’t how it’s being portrayed, just quick little one-liners and insults. No explanation, no description of how it’s wrong. Just steadfast dedication to the narrative. I’d be the first one to jump on board if the video showed otherwise. The truth is the most important thing. I can only hope that an average person not too invested one way or the other is exposed to the videos and the arguments from the kids’ perspective. I think such a person would agree that these kids are being targeted and vilified unfairly. ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/98 "2019-01-20T22:35:27Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …I asked for specific quotes for a reason. You claim was that the “video clearly debunks major points put forth by Phillips”. Can you provide a quote from Phillips stating he was prevented from leaving? > > [https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/01/20/it-was-getting-ugly-native-american-drummer-speaks-maga-hat-wearing-teens-who-surrounded-him/?utm\_term=.e231b7dce1a1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/01/20/it-was-getting-ugly-native-american-drummer-speaks-maga-hat-wearing-teens-who-surrounded-him/?utm_term=.e231b7dce1a1) Phillips said, "He just blocked my way and wouldn’t allow me to retreat.” This is the same as “prevented from leaving.” Blocked his way forward, and wasn’t allowed to retreat. > [@](#): > > I’ve found paraphrases of the quote: but I can’t find the actual quote. Can you provide the actual quote? From the Washington Post: “In an interview Saturday, Phillips, 64, said he felt threatened by the teens and that they swarmed around him as he and other activists were wrapping up the march and preparing to leave.” The Washington Post claims this. Are you going to argue they fabricated this statement from Phillips? > [@](#): > > So not a debunking: gotcha. There’s no evidence that chant was made. He made a positive claim with zero evidence. I do believe some people have come out of the woodwork claiming to have been there and that the chant was made, but the video evidence does not back this up. Maybe some audio analysis would back it up, but as of yet, this is an unverified claim. > [@](#): > > The video backs up everything we know that Phillips said. It doesn’t debunk jack-shit. Not a substantive rebuttal I can really do anything with. > [@](#): > > “Arguable” is not a debunking. Fair enough. It doesn’t look like it’s definitively taunting to me, but “arguably” isn’t debunked. The most important thing is that he clearly walks over to the crowd in the extended video, bangs his drum very close to one kid’s face for over a minute, then walks away. While BI hurls homophobic and racial slurs at them. The portrayal that these kids swarmed Phillips and taunted him and hurled racial taunts at him is completely false. ---
**Author:** ![chaika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chaika/32/405_2.png) [@chaika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaika)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/99 "2019-01-20T22:36:17Z")
Those boys behaved disgracefully toward Mr. Phillips. There was no “confusion,” they were openly mocking him, with their tomahawk chops and stupid jumping around. “Tentatively joined in his chanting”? Oh, nonsense. They were jeering, it was hardly a show of “solidarity.” But I give the writer of the article quoted above some credit, he certainly created a piece of fiction very loosely based on actual events. I hope the school takes this seriously and disciplines the boys. I don’t support publicly identifying them, since they are minors. But they shouldn’t just get away with such behavior IMO. ---
**Author:** ![l0k1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@l0k1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/l0k1)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090/100 "2019-01-20T22:36:58Z")
The truth is nothing will happen to these rich private school kids. They will persist in being smug little assholes until some other smug asshole gives them a job they don’t deserve. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covington-catholic-high-in-case-it-hasnt-been-mentioned-already/828090.md?page=6)