# The stupid rumors about Springfield Haitians **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 13, 2024, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210 "2024-09-13T04:48:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/121 "2024-09-14T20:25:45Z")
Christopher Rufo is sharing a clip of African (NOT Haitian) immigrants in Columbus (NOT Springfield) barbecuing chicken (NOT cats) as “proof” of the blood libel. > Upsurprisingly, Vance took the bait. > ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/122 "2024-09-14T20:30:18Z")
Ugh, there’s no bottom once you start digging. William Porter (a.k.a. O. Henry) is such a renowned author there’s a literary prize named after him. But he was a horrible racist; this is only discovered deep in his collected works. In the 1890s, he published a satirical poem about a Mexican who comes to Texas to get revenge for his father’s death in the Mexican War, catches stray dogs and cats and turns them into tamales, which he sells on the street. O. Henry concluded: “You have greased us all. Greased us with your tamales.” I swear racism is as American as apple pie. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/123 "2024-09-14T21:06:51Z")
The most terrifying thing about this to me is not the racism (which is terrifying and horrible), but the fact that political leaders are fundamentally unable to exercise judgement, to evaluate truth, or show restraint before jumping to conclusions. Like… the fact that someone who assumed this was true without evidence, and who continues to believe it was true when presented with obviously false evidence is this close to being entrusted with decision making for the nation would have been unbelievable to me 15 years ago. This is the ticket some people want managing our economy? Our interests abroad? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/124 "2024-09-14T21:12:39Z")
And whom are you speaking of, might I ask? ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/125 "2024-09-14T21:14:11Z")
I don’t think Vance believes it. I think he’s just using it. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/126 "2024-09-14T21:15:39Z")
Maybe it’s cynicism, but I don’t think their inability to evaluate truth is the real issue. I heavily suspect most of them can evaluate truth (total idiots like MTG notwithstanding). The real problem is that ‘truth’ is only important to many of them to the extent it is politically expedient. If the facts don’t support a more convenient truth, the facts are ignored. Vance is a good example - his own words from the past show he knows what a total disaster Trump is. But that goes out the window once it is politically expedient to support him. And that’s on the collective us. Years of Republican primaries and subsequent general elections have rewarded the people who behave that way. It’s what the voters want. To be fair, they were led in that direction by decades of deliberate misdirection and miseducation by the likes of Hastert, Gingrich, Rupert Murdoch, and several others, but it’s the current state of play right now. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/127 "2024-09-14T21:21:12Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > I don’t think Vance believes it. I think he’s just using it. Probably true… though there’s not a lot of daylight between “believes something false and acts on it” and “pretends to believe something false and acts on it.” Particularly because the latter does not always take the form of someone collecting and understanding all the info and then choosing their own spin/lies, but is much more likely to be someone who doesn’t know or care whether something is true or not. I think those kinds of people get so used to operating from a place of intentional ignorance of the truth that they are unable to evaluate truth and importance when it really matters. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/128 "2024-09-14T21:22:13Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > but the fact that political leaders are fundamentally unable to exercise judgement, to evaluate truth, or show restraint before jumping to conclusions. They knew perfectly well what the truth was. They spread the lies because they’ve got nothing else. And continued to dig in after it was demonstrated to be true. Because their moron followers were eager to believe. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/129 "2024-09-14T21:25:19Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > The real problem is that ‘truth’ is only important to many of them to the extent it is politically expedient. If the facts don’t support a more convenient truth, the facts are ignored. Vance is a good example - his own words from the past show he knows what a total disaster Trump is. But that goes out the window once it is politically expedient to support him. Yes. And I fear that because the “convenient truth” is the most important thing, it is unlikely that Vance et al ever bother to evaluate facts. If the conclusion is pre-decided, what’s the value of spending much time trying to understand the facts? That’s the scary part. Not that they are incapable of understanding truth, but that they have shown that they don’t have time for thinking about things like facts or truth. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/130 "2024-09-14T21:42:50Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > Which is why we need a sarcasm font. yeah that’s just what we need, it isn’t as if there is a sarcam emoji 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/131 "2024-09-14T21:43:10Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > I don’t think Vance believes it. I think he’s just using it. I guess when he called Trump “America’s Hitler” it was out of jealousy. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/132 "2024-09-14T21:51:10Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > My mother called me a couple of months back because apparently the Satanists were running around Greater Boston grabbing up people for and she wanted me, an more importantly, my godless daughter, to be careful. Wouldn’t godlessness be a good plan to stay safe? I’d think your other daughter who’s a nun would be in more danger from Satanists… ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/133 "2024-09-14T21:58:37Z")
My daughter isn’t protected by the shield of Christ or something. Remember, my mother thinks that The Exorcist was a documentary. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/134 "2024-09-14T22:05:07Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > In this one instance, I’d really be more of a dog person. Many cultures have eaten dogs regularly. Cats not so much, probably for reasons. Good call. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/135 "2024-09-14T22:07:07Z")
“Stand back and stand by.” > ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/136 "2024-09-14T22:09:29Z")
I think the goal is to cause a confrontation so they can claim the immigrants started a riot. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/137 "2024-09-14T22:17:03Z")
Given what the typical Haitian immigrant had to go through to get to Ohio alive, I think they’d eat the Proud Boys for lunch. Ok, bad analogy. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/138 "2024-09-14T22:26:57Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > If the conclusion is pre-decided, what’s the value of spending much time trying to understand the facts? I think you underestimate the depravity. They, and Vance in particular, understood the facts from the moment they heard something about Haitian immigrants eating pets - they understood it was nonsense. You don’t need a lot of time to decide that. Rather than a casual disregard of the facts, they actively dismiss them. In public, anyway. You see it with the Trump team all the time. They try to keep him away from conspiracy theorists. At least the worst of them. But once he publicly repeats some dumb thing he heard from one of them, the rest of them also have to buy in and repeat the same nonsense or risk his anger. It sounds like you think they still value public acknowledgement of objective facts. They don’t. Facts are important for themselves. In private. Because, as mostly intelligent people, they understand the value of information and how it can be used. But they also don’t especially care if the hoi polloi are well informed or not. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/139 "2024-09-14T22:39:11Z")
Trump refuses to denounce the threats of violence by his fans. > ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210/140 "2024-09-14T22:39:18Z")
Wow! That weak in size…for a _“march”_ on some thing. They are just stupid. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-stupid-rumors-about-springfield-haitians/1007210.md?page=8)