# Has the media misrepresented the incident with the Covington Cathlic kids? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 22, 2019, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210 "2019-01-22T17:23:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/161 "2019-01-23T10:46:41Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > Because clearly, I have access to ICBMs and nuclear warheads. :rolleyes: Ahhh, so when you said “nobody should be threatening violence on the school” what you really meant was “threatening violence on the school is just fine so long as one doesn’t have the means to carry out one’s threat”? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/162 "2019-01-23T11:36:10Z")
> [@The\_Plutonium\_Kid](#): > > Oh, please. It’s not like your comment was worthy of Oscar Wilde or even an intelligent adult. Well, take it for what’s it’s worth, but I’m confident that the MAGA hat strongly suggests a preponderance of stupidity, at least politically. It would be easy enough to compile a basic questionnaire along the lines of: 1. Do you think the economic impact of immigration to the U.S, is a net positive, a net negative, or neutral? 2. Of the following, choose which you think is the motive of most illegal immigrants to the U.S.: a) To work b) To smuggle in drugs and/or weapons c) To draw welfare or other social benefits in the U.S. d) To commit crimes within the U.S. e) Other: \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ I figure there’s a good chance a MAGA-capper will prefer to start chanting “U-S-A! U-S-A!” than answer either of those. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/163 "2019-01-23T12:03:02Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > To paraphrase Allen Iverson “a hat, a hat, we talkin’ bout a hat.” C’mon now. No, we are talking about the message from the MAGAT. As pointed before, ignoring it is key to normalize what is not normal. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/164 "2019-01-23T12:45:53Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > And you could not pay me to click on that link, or to buy into this ridiculous conspiracy theory. It’s not a conspiracy theory you fool, it’s the exact words straight out of the mouths of the various public figures who wished harm and death on the kids. The tweets can be found directly on Twitter, or on [archive.org](http://archive.org) in the cases where the tweets have been deleted. The only “conspiracy theory” is that you’re insinuating that this isn’t true, which is only possible if you believe both Twitter and [Archive.org](http://Archive.org) are together in a conspiracy to fabricate the statements by all these people. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/165 "2019-01-23T13:03:25Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > Meanwhile, I’ll just quote myself from the other thread on this… > > Also, let’s not forget that their bad behavior was not limited to being a rowdy, racist mob. They were also horribly misogynistic and _definitely_ looking for trouble. > > Here’s testimony from someone else who was there: > > [https://twitter.com/SuperSpacedad/status/1087973430203482120](https://twitter.com/SuperSpacedad/status/1087973430203482120) > > And here’s that footage: > > ['MAGA hat boys' reportedly filmed harassing girls before stand-off with Native American man | indy100 | indy100](https://www.indy100.com/article/maga-hat-boys-covington-catholic-harassing-women-washington-nathan-phillips-twitter-video-8739981) > > And here’s one of them screaming “it’s not rape if you like it”. > > [https://millennialpolitics.co/new-covington-catholic-footage-shows-teenager-yelling-its-not-rape-if-you-enjoy-it/](https://millennialpolitics.co/new-covington-catholic-footage-shows-teenager-yelling-its-not-rape-if-you-enjoy-it/) > > Oh, and there’s the whole “blackface” thing. > > [Covington Catholic High School students ‘wore blackface’ to basketball pep rallies | indy100 | indy100](https://www.indy100.com/article/convington-catholic-high-school-blackface-students-pep-rally-basketball-8740116) > > Which one of the shitheads at that school defended by saying, “We always dress up like that for basketball games”, which, as far as defenses go, is pretty fucking weak. > > So yeah. The media fucked up. It dropped the ball badly. But it didn’t drop the ball by making villains out of poor innocent high-schoolers. [It dropped the ball by apologizing](https://rewire.news/article/2019/01/22/white-washing-white-supremacy-media-rushes-to-excuse-covington-catholic-students/), by pretending this was anything but a gang of rabble-rousing, shit-stirring, racist, misogynistic thugs out for trouble, by falling for the spin of the public relations firm Sandmann’s mom hired for her son, as if this story couldn’t get any more fucking embarrassing. And in reward for their actions, they’re getting booked to mainstream talk shows and invited to the white house. Nicely done. > > Obviously, death threats are wrong. Obviously nobody should be threatening violence on the school. But… I have trouble feeling any degree of outrage over that, because this school needs to be burned to the ground. It is the result of a broken culture actively breaking those who come out of it. There are countless stories swirling around about just how awful the culture there is - how sexism, racism, and homophobia are enabled and endorsed, how bullies are empowered, and how children there are taught to hate and never face backlash for it. > > And these kids are a result of that culture. And because they’re rich and white, and _their parents have a direct hand in enforcing that culture_ (who hears “your son was part of a racist, misogynistic mob harassing people and looking for trouble” and thinks, "Shit, I’d better hire a PR firm so that my kid doesn’t face any backlash from this?!), they will never, ever face consequences for their actions. Sandmann’s punishment for this was being invited to the [Today Show](https://www.today.com/news/nick-sandmann-encounter-native-american-elder-nathan-phillips-i-respect-t147217) and [possibly the white house](https://eu.courier-journal.com/story/news/2019/01/22/trump-reportedly-invites-covington-catholic-students-to-white-house/2650406002/). What lesson do you think they learned from this? Nobody should face online death threats, but as of right now, that is literally the only consequence these little shitheads are going to take from this, so excuse me if my outrage meter is running at less than 100%. Or, to paraphrase one media creator I’m a big fan of: “I get death threats on a daily basis without being a total shithead, and I’ve never been invited on national television to talk about it.” (He gets death threats for writing articles and making videos on gaming that gamergaters don’t like.) The first clip is too short and its source is a virulent racist who posts things on twitter like “Flies are poop-sucking N\*\*\*\*\*\*s” But in the medias rush to prove…what…? These MINORS ARE MONSTERS???..such places as THE FUCKING ROOT posted that clip. Obviously without checking its source out. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/166 "2019-01-23T13:24:55Z")
I’m a tad mystified by calls for praising the kids for showing “restraint”. What exactly were they justified in doing yet showed restraint by _not_ doing? Were they justified in throwing punches? Swinging baseball bats? Standing their ground, pulling out handguns and shooting? That’s a pretty low fucking standard for behavior if you want to praise them for not doing any of that. Anyway, a bunch of people yelled at other people and as far as I know, nobody got punched, arrested, shot, or run over by a vehicle. Why is this even newsworthy? ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/167 "2019-01-23T13:29:48Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I’m a tad mystified by calls for praising the kids for showing “restraint”. What exactly were they justified in doing yet showed restraint by _not_ doing? Were they justified in throwing punches? Swinging baseball bats? Standing their ground, pulling out handguns and shooting? That’s a pretty low fucking standard for behavior if you want to praise them for not doing any of that. > > Anyway, a bunch of people yelled at other people and as far as I know, nobody got punched, arrested, shot, or run over by a vehicle. Why is this even newsworthy? Well as of last night we had a sitting member of Congress still spreading lies about these kids (“They surrounded and harrassed five black gentlemen”) …so it becoming a big story is somehow the story now. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/168 "2019-01-23T13:31:24Z")
So it’s a Zsa Zsa Gabor story? Famous-for-being-famous? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/169 "2019-01-23T14:32:55Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I’m a tad mystified by calls for praising the kids for showing “restraint”. What exactly were they justified in doing yet showed restraint by _not_ doing? Were they justified in throwing punches? Swinging baseball bats? Standing their ground, pulling out handguns and shooting? That’s a pretty low fucking standard for behavior if you want to praise them for not doing any of that. > > Anyway, a bunch of people yelled at other people and as far as I know, nobody got punched, arrested, shot, or run over by a vehicle. Why is this even newsworthy? I would think that that ‘restraint’ was a newsworthy thing. As I observed early, the Native Americans deserve commendation for standing up to followers of hate in a non violent way. But I do think one big message is furiously tap danced away by the ones trying to normalize the training of authoritarians (that normalizing is in reality a bad thing for a democracy). The actual message took place at the end of the incident, I can see that the ones trying to increase division do manage to reach some young people, kids that want to be like the big MAGA guys. But in the end their education still **allows for shame to be there.** And then they folded or leaved peacefully when confronted by peaceful but stubborn opposition. Resulting in a big lesson: minorities, women and including poor working people should not be afraid to stand up non violently when the world watches, because no matter what the MAGAT says, most people do not agree with him and fear and ignorance is what he and others rely the most. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/170 "2019-01-23T14:52:20Z")
That only seems significant if we have the expectation that Trump supporters are thugs, and are then surprised when they turn out not to be. That is a pretty sad assessment. Not entirely unfounded, but sad. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/171 "2019-01-23T14:54:47Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > It’s not a conspiracy theory you fool … This is a warning for personal insults. If you feel you must, the Pit is right around the corner. [/moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/172 "2019-01-23T15:15:36Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Well as of last night we had a sitting member of Congress still spreading lies about these kids (“They surrounded and harrassed five black gentlemen”) > > …so it becoming a big story is somehow the story now. Not to mention the a former democratic governor and democratic presidential candidate [Howard Dean called for the school to be shut down](https://twitter.com/GovHowardDean/status/1086869687609290752). Really says alot about democrats. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/173 "2019-01-23T15:19:13Z")
And who says those hand motions were “tomahawk” gestures? Could have been karate chops! Like in that movie, where Chuck Norris totally kicked Bruce Lee’s butt! ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/174 "2019-01-23T15:20:11Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > I would think that that ‘restraint’ was a newsworthy thing. > > As I observed early, the Native Americans deserve commendation for standing up to followers of hate in a non violent way. But I do think one big message is furiously tap danced away by the ones trying to normalize the training of authoritarians (that normalizing is in reality a bad thing for a democracy). > > The actual message took place at the end of the incident, I can see that the ones trying to increase division do manage to reach some young people, kids that want to be like the big MAGA guys. But in the end their education still **allows for shame to be there.** And then they folded or leaved peacefully when confronted by peaceful but stubborn opposition. > > Resulting in a big lesson: minorities, women and including poor working people should not be afraid to stand up non violently when the world watches, because no matter what the MAGAT says, most people do not agree with him and fear and ignorance is what he and others rely the most. Stand up? How? By beating a loud drum in some kids face? How is that “non-violent”? It’s pure provocation. Ever heard of a thing called “words”? The kids showed TONS of restraint. I wouldnt let that jerk beat that damn thing in my face nor would I allow ANTIFA thugs to blow whistles and air horns in my face. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/175 "2019-01-23T15:21:59Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Not to mention the a former democratic governor and democratic presidential candidate [Howard Dean called for the school to be shut down](https://twitter.com/GovHowardDean/status/1086869687609290752). > Really says alot about democrats. Yeah - we have an intense dislike of shitty schools that breed racist, misogynistic, homophobic bullies. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/176 "2019-01-23T15:25:16Z")
“You’ve got to be carefully taught.” ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/177 "2019-01-23T15:26:42Z")
So what is so wrong with hiring a PR firm and getting a lawyer when jerks in the media spread lies and whip up hate so much you start getting death threats? Would they have apologized and backpedaled without it? ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/178 "2019-01-23T15:28:46Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Stand up? How? By beating a loud drum in some kids face? How is that “non-violent”? It’s pure provocation. > > Ever heard of a thing called “words”? > The kids showed TONS of restraint. I wouldnt let that jerk beat that damn thing in my face nor would I allow ANTIFA thugs to blow whistles and air horns in my face. Not to mention that while apparently at some point some of the kids were doing chants, the photo/brief video snippet that set this all off was of one particular kid just standing there doing nothing while the Indian guy beat a drum. Of course, we have people in this very thread claiming that simply wearing a MAGA hat is an act of aggression. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/179 "2019-01-23T15:32:49Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > The fact that a child was doxxed and threatened with violence and death on social media because of a hat and a smirk is madness. It’s absolutely absurd and insane that people on social media are overreacting, in many cases disingenuously mind you, over this. If I were Russia or China I’d be pouring _billions_ of dollars into stirring the pot. Social media and a hyper partisan atmosphere are far more dangerous to the West than a few more nukes or a carrier. > > People need to ask themselves if a hat, a flag, or a party affiliation is that triggering or that threatening do they feel comfortable being the desired audience for Russian and soon to be Chinese psy-ops? Great points. I totally agree. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/180 "2019-01-23T15:42:43Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > And what the fuck is this “People on the bottom of the victim hierarchy” nonsense? Those students in the MAGA hats from the private school that got bused in to harass women, got a right-wing publicity hack with ties to a powerful Republican congresscritter, and have been invited to the White House to be praised by the President are victims? Following the Republican approach to Christine Blasey Ford, we can now positively assert that this proves that the kids were there as part of a deliberate political stunt and can’t be considered victims because they have received post hoc benefits from the event. Also, all death threats can be safely disregarded. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210.md?page=10)