The Covington Catholic Smear Campaign

Posted on by beautybeyondbones

I told myself to stay away from this story with a ten foot pole. 

My father advised me against it. My peers strongly discouraged breaching the topic. 

But here I am, nose to nose with the story that has rocked the nation in an uproar this past week: 

The Covington Catholic Incident. 

Or as I like to call it: The Media’s Dumpster Fire Smear Campaign 

CNN

Here’s the thing about this whole fiasco. 

IF – and that’s a big IF – IF what the media had reported were true: that those teenage boys were mocking that Native American and shouting at him: “Build the Wall” and other inappropriate, bigoted remarks…then absolutely all of the outrage and condemnation would be merited. 

I may be a card carrying republican — but I’m not a monster. 

Acts of hatred and intolerance are deplorable and our job as Christians is to stand up against injustices and act/speak Truth against such small-mindedness. 

However —- that is not the case here. 

This was a despicable smear campaign.

There, I said it. 

This was the liberal media machine, setting out to publicly crucify this group of children because they represented the extreme left’s ultimate enemy: White, Male, Pro-Life, Catholic, Midwestern Trump Supporters. 

It’s as though someone served them a platter of absolutely everything they’ve been seeking to destroy, so they used the power of the pen to draw and quarter these teenage boys, by drafting a narrative that is completely false. 

The gross narrative, painted by our lovely media, is not only inaccurate and fabricated, but told in a way to incite outrage. To breed hatred. They struck a match in the tinderbox of our divided American country, and set fire it did.

The 15-20 second video that went viral, yeah, it was pretty damning, when taken out of context. 

A weathered, grandfatherly Native American, playing his drum, in front of laughing teenage white boys in MAGA hats — it was like one of those “Caption This” cartoons in the New Yorker, and the extreme left absolutely had a field day, painting the most horrific narrative they could muster. 

Truth: when I first saw the articles that were circulating about the incident, I fell into the camp out outrage. I was angry. What disgusting behavior by my fellow catholic brothers. 

I felt ashamed. Because here’s the thing — this hit a little close to home for me. Literally. 

Covington Catholic…that diocese in Northern Kentucky is right across the river from my hometown in Ohio. Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky are, practically speaking, one and the same. I mean, the Cincinnati airport is IN Northern Kentucky. We have friends in that diocese. 

And, let’s state the obvious here: Catholics do not need another reason for people to hate us right now. We have enough of a PR nightmare as it is, with Cardinal McCarrick and the priest sex abuse scandal, and many of the Pope’s comments. We don’t need another reason to be ridiculed.

But in those initial 24 hours after the story broke, Facebook erupted. And along with all the judgmental battlecries from the masses, I stumbled upon a few posts from friends of the boys’ parents, or diocese school board members, all shedding light on the inaccuracy of the depiction of events in the media. 

So I set aside my own judgmental thoughts for a few minutes, and began to dig into the videos and information to seek the truth. 

Turns out, these “bigoted, hateful teens” were actually in DC for the Right to Life Pro-Life march — peacefully marching to protect the lives of the unborn. Man, what a bunch of jerks, huh?

And they were just waiting on the steps for their bus, when members of the Black Hebrew Israelites – an extreme religious sect – tried to start a confrontation with the boys, calling them “crackers” and horrible homophobic slurs. They said the boys were born out of incest. And even told one black Covington Catholic student to “watch out” because his classmates were going to “harvest his organs.”

Grown men, shouting those things to children. Not even old enough to vote. Or drink. Or some of them, even drive a car. Children. 

It was at this moment, that Mr. Phillips – who yes, is a Native American activist, but who also has a history of run-ins with students – took advantage of this escalating scene, to walk into the center of the commotion, identify one student – Nick Sandmann, play his drum constantly in his face – with a video camera in tow – with the intent to start some sort of confrontation.

Reasons.com

And I get it – easy target. The boys were wearing MAGA hats. They were seemingly privileged Catholic high schoolers. And at a pro-life rally. Of course they wanted to pick a fight with them. It would have been footage gold. 

But the boys just stood there, and tried to keep the peace – by simply smiling.

I mean, what would you have done? 

Watch the videos. The entire video. Not just the 15 second sound bite that MSNBC wants you to see. 

We’ve become a culture that is so quick to condemn. So trigger happy on social media to cast judgment and join the mob of public opinion, even when it is based on lies. 

These boys and their families are receiving death threats. Covington Catholic cancelled school this week, for fear of the safety of the children, after all the death threats that they, the faculty, the principal, the principal’s family received. 

I have just one word for all of this: disgusting. 

The liberal media should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for knowingly painting a narrative that falsely vilified children. Yes, they were catholic. Yes, they were pro-life. Yes, they were Trump supporters. And white teenage midwestern boys. But that does not deem them “worthy” of a targeted, smear campaign, with the intent to destroy.

I demand to see apologies for spreading lies. From the media. From celebrities. From those bullies like Kathy Griffin, who not only passed judgement, but encouraged her followers to harm those boys. Just despicable.

This is not news. It is libel. And it’s tearing our country apart. 

We need to demand an ethical media that reports on truth. And for the love, stop with the hate-driven agenda. 

A country that breeds hate will succumb to it. 

Love your neighbor. End of story.


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290 thoughts on “The Covington Catholic Smear Campaign”

  1. Since we’re dealing with facts. The Indigenous People Rally permit encompassed the area where this conflict occurred. The legal exercise of first amendment rights come into question as there would have been no conflict had both parties respected the date. The March for Life rally was held in the other direction. So. Were they really there just, minding their business? Ohio. Illinois. Kentucky. Have their fair share of high school and sports mascots depicting Native people in our antiquity. As savages. As Redskins. Which was what our skin was valued at by local settlers had we had it removed from our bodies. Even the Covington Colonels have a symbol of the South which in their Confederate Constitution pushed racial superiority. Now. We get to the why. The why, Covington high school offers athletic scholarships at a quarter of it’s dues. The same as other institutions offer it, for diversity. The only way to get poor minorities in the door is to have them, perform. Had they been a part of an actual school district instead of SACSA a teacher couldn’t have promoted a rally. The messaging of a MAGA hat. Or other privileges offered to those innocent teens. Do I agree with the context you provided? No. It’s mostly true. It did, make the teen’s plight greater than either cause. Narcissism at it’s best.

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    1. Thank you Kenzie for sharing your thoughts on this. I can feel your passion for this topic through your words. I appreciate you expressing it. Hugs and love xox

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      1. No passion. Just facts. I’m a minority, it’s a broken record having to retell the same parts of our history to Americans. Where the law doesn’t work the same, had it worked. Both sides, could permit, could rally, and easily avoid this confrontation that helps no one. Facts are facts, you don’t have to believe me. I speak truth to power.

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      2. I agree here too. After working with kids who come from violent backgrounds, I think most American parents are naive to the realities of the world. Sheltered or in denial. I don’t care what a persona political views are, these kids absolutely put themselves in harms way and yes, where were the parents?!

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  2. I had not paid much attention to the story because, well, I don’t pay attention to stories the liberal media pushes to fit their propaganda. Thank you for clarifying what happened. Sadly we are living in a time that if anything can be twisted to attack Christians of any denomination, it will be twisted.

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  4. So glad you decided to post this. It’s infuriating that the media can take 15 seconds of video and twist it to be something it’s not, just to stir up controversy. I applaud you for speaking your mind on this. Bravo!

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      1. Yes, always remember that “our fight is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers and powers of this world’s darkness.” Keep being the light and sharing truth. This is our job and you are doing it! Keep up the great work. 😄❤

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  6. I heard just a snippet and then listened to an interview with the boy this morning. Mind you I am not a Trump supporter, I am pro life and a Christian and lean Republican. I was disgusted that they were picking on this kid instead of the “adults” that were spewing hate at kids. That’s just wrong!

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    1. Thank you Johanna for sharing your thoughts on this. Yeah I totally agree! Wrong on a lot of levels! So glad you stopped by! Hugs and love xox

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  8. I think any media, liberal or not, should uphold its values and provide the truth to its viewers. I totally understand how you feel about this, I’m not Catholic, but as a muslim I know full well what it’s like to be misrepresented and misunderstood. I hate how the media can do that, and I especially hate how people don’t see through it. They kind of just see what they want and walk away with it, not bothering to dig deeper and seek the truth. Kudos to you for calling them out on this one!

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  9. Response after reading the article and associated comments:

    Let us not talk about the machine as if we are not part of the machine. News flash. We are what generates the momentum that keeps the machine spnning.

    Each of us contributes to the life span the moment we set ourselves apart. We are not set apart by denomination nor political affilitation. Those imaginary boundary lines are the cause for not only the existence of the machine, but the condition of the factory that machine and others like it operate inside the factory we all live and work in.

    Separation is the grandest illusion mankind has ever seen. We wake up in the morning and walk by a thousand ghosts on the way to work- humans with no names just faces, falsely believing that because we have not shook their hands and exchanged meaningless pleasantries, that we exist apart from them.

    Nothing could be further from the Truth.

    We are all united together as one enormous river of stars flowing toward Almighty God.

    We are all equal points with the same weight and value.

    Lastly, the things we perceive with our eyes in the material world are not the way things truly exist, they originate and are born from reality- they transcend from the spiritual plane which exist underneath every material thing in existence.
    God indeed, is the cohesive glue holding everything together.

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    1. Thank you so much for joining the conversation! That’s a really great point. I love the image of the river. Hugs and love xox

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  10. Glad to see someone not blind with rage talk about this. And it needs to be talked about. People rushed to judgement before the facts were in. The director of the Twilight movies tweeted that he wanted to shove the kids into a woodchipper. He works for Disney!

    Jim Carrey drew more of sick art going after the teenagers. I don’t think I can ever watch Jim Carrey movies again.

    I saw my feed light up with grown adults saying how they were getting off on the idea of beating in the kids skulls with shovels. My own feed!

    I usually don’t block people, but that was too much. It made me sick to see.

    How could adults go this crazy to advocate violence and murder against children? They doxxed these kids, endangered them. I saw tweets from celebs wanting to a mass shooting at the childrens’ school.

    Society has a real problem Outrage Addiction. People want to feel outrage because it makes them feel a part of something bigger. Outrage has become a cult-like religion. I think that’s how this happened. All these adults just become intoxicated with the Outrage Drug and couldn’t see (still can’t) what monsters they’d become.

    They’d addicts waiting for the next big fix. And they don’t care who they destroy or what the truth is as long as they can get it.

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    1. Thank you so much for sharing your thought. I know – they rushed to judgement. I was guilty of that too! I didn’t see what Jim Carrey did! I’ll have to check it out. Hugs and love xox

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  12. Wow
    Thank you for this
    I don’t follow the media but had heard of the uproar which I guessed to be fueled by the liberal media
    Yes where are the apologies and the truth… shame on the media

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  13. Wow! I had no idea about the over the top reactions of people!

    May I offer a few catholic educator observations?
    – We strictly prohibit political messaged garments in any school activity of any type.
    – We pray for those who persecute us.
    – We withdraw ‘a short distance’ from unnecessary confrontation.
    – We teach multicultural awareness to avoid the enticement of moral error.
    – We teach the component parts of a moral decision which includes ‘Others’ – how will my action be received by others.

    Strictly speaking from a catholic school perspective the situation was not a good reflection on our catholic youth and on catholic school mandates. All other noise aside and you correctly point out the extremes we nonetheless must hold out catholic schools to the higher standards. Peacemakers are only peacemakers when there is confrontation.

    Blessings!!
    Theology Teacher
    at a Catholic School
    Reverend Deacon
    at a Catholic Church

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    1. Thank you so much Gerry. I really appreciate this powerful perspective! Yeah, as a fellow catholic I was really saddened by the portrayal too. Hugs and love xox

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  14. I also saw the headline and at first thought the kid was being a jerk, but then I read what had happened. What the media claimed to be a smirk to me was a kid that was thinking, “What in the world?” He looked a bit nervous to me, not knowing what to make of this man in his face. Our nation is in a horrible fix. We can blame politicians, media , Hollywood, but what I know is Satan is behind it all and he’s lovin’ every second. This morning I read this from Dr. Charles Stanley, “Jesus cares for those who have been born and are hurting as much as the unborn who are in need of a voice—for the wounds that have been imposed visibly as much as the invisible bondage in each heart. Let us remember that people are not our enemies, but sin divides and devastates and makes enemies of us all. Therefore, let us pray to Jesus and ask Him to make Himself known in a powerful way in our nation. Let us turn away from the earthly forms of need-fulfillment that have so fatally failed us. And let us turn to God’s ways, who brings us peace within ourselves and with others that transcends understanding. Pray to Him and obey Him. Because only God can fix what has been so profoundly broken.” That’s pretty much all that needs to be said…prayer is our strongest tool, but this country has decided to leave that tool in a rusty tool box under a bench in the garage. We are in a sad state and I never thought I would see such as this. I also realize that as a Believer, I know things are supposed to get really bad before Christ returns. It is all part of God’s Plan. We need to use this time not to sit back and be timid, but to bring people to Christ. People are searching and God is giving us opportunities to help them if we just allow ourselves to walk through the doors He opens up for us.

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    1. Thank you so much Montee. Yeah it was just totally taken out of context and then spun to the worst degree. And I totally agree – this is absolutely the evil
      one’s playground. And AMEN! Prayer is our strongest tool. Hugs and love xox

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  17. My comments on your blog tend to disappear the moment I press “Post Comment” so I’m not sure what’s happening, but I do have something to say here.

    First, both liberal and conservative news outlets are going to milk this story for all it’s worth because they’re getting a ton of “clicks” out of it.

    Secondly, for a lot (most, all?) leftists, merely being white, male, and wearing a MAGA hat means you’re a racist, misogynistic, Nazi pig, so you don’t actually have to do anything other than wear the hat and be breathing. The rage against “bad orange man” is at such a fever pitch, that folks are “triggered” by the mere thought of him, even more so now because of the Government shutdown.

    So far this year, three of my short fiction stories have been accepted by small indie outfits for publications (Hooray). Now here’s the rub. One publisher has accepted two of my stories BUT he has also commented rather strongly on two of my Facebook posts about how he disagrees with my social and political opinions (in the first, I objected to New York State’s recent change in abortion law, and in the second, I held Nancy Pelosi just as responsible for the Government shutdown as Donald Trump).

    I DMed the person in question in Facebook suggesting that it’s okay to disagree and expressing concern that our differing opinions might influence his publishing decisions about my work. He hasn’t gotten back to me on this one, so I guess we’ll see.

    My point is that people who feel it morally imperative to oppose Trump in any way or fashion can behave very irrationally, to the degree that they will commit acts (such as threatening a teenage boy and his family with death) that otherwise they would consider grossly immoral.

    Today, I found out that I might just have to censor my personal beliefs on social media if I ever want to have a side-career as a published author (my textbooks are published, but the entertainment industry is a whole other breed of cat). It’s disappointing, but it’s also human nature.

    Here goes pressing “Post Comment.” Maybe they end up in your spam filter for some reason.

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    1. Thank you so much James – oh gosh hmm that is so strange, I’m sorry about that! And you’re right – both sides are playing it up and it’s really sad. I’m sorry to hear that. Hugs and love xox

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  18. Oh my gosh. This made me so angry this morning, but at least I am not depressed like I was when I found out that Catholic school boys were confronting and intimidating Native Americans…Thank you for telling the truth. It feels like a loosing battle doesn’t, it?

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    1. Thank you so much Anna. Ugh a total losing battle. It really makes me so discouraged. But there is hope in Him! Hugs and love xox

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  19. DISCLAIMER: I haven’t watched the nearly two-hour video (don’t have the time) or the five-minute one. So I might not be the best to comment here, but I think that there are a few points worth making. Namely, points around lessons that I think need to be learned here.

    I will start by saying that this is a lesson in journalism (I agree with you about the journalists really botching this). The Times and many other media outlets got this really, really wrong on all sorts of levels. It failed to include the details about the Black Hebrew Israelites, the boys’ involvement there, or even the question of whether Nathan Phillips was a Vietnam vet (even that fact, from the sound of things, may’ve been botched too). Journalists need to check their sources, verify their sources, and re-check their sources.

    I also think it’s a lesson in rushing to judgement. I will admit it–I was rushing to judgement too. I still think that the boys are not innocent in this (far from it, as I will talk about below), but clearly, what truly happened does not align with the initial accounts.

    Speaking of the boys not being innocent (which is probably the area where I will have to agree to disagree), there were some things the boys still did (even based on the longer video) that was poor judgement at best, reprehensible at worst. They still did tomahawk chops, which was reprehensible. They also wore MAGA hats, which brings more than baggage–it’s not symbolic of any “Culture of Life” (and it’s not just me saying that, it’s the Bishop of the Diocese of Lexington saying that: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/2019/01/24/kentucky-bishop-no-maga-hats-worn-covington-catholic-students/2669250002/). Finally, these kids were somewhat endangering their own safety, and maybe it would’ve been wisest for police officers (who are used to dealing with competing rallies in DC) to deal with this instead of a bunch of high schoolers who (however well-intended they may be) likely have zero experience in dealing with conflicting rallies.

    While the boys were not innocent, I also think that the adults need to be held accountable. Yes they did tomahawk chops, but are we really setting a good example when fans of many sports teams (including the Kansas City Chiefs, apparently) also do tomahawk chops? Yes they wore MAGA hats, but are we setting a good example when we view Trump as “pro-life” even though he supports the death penalty and other things that are not pro-life? Yes they got overinvolved, but did the chaperones set a good example by not being voices of wisdom somehow here (as far as I could tell)?

    As I said, many lessons need to be learned from this. Lessons for journalists, lessons iin rushing to judgement, lessons for high schoolers, lessons for adults.

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    2. Thank you so much for sharing these important points. There is bias on all sides of the line. But we need the truth. And yes – rushing to judgement always leads to hurtful outcomes. Great points. Hugs and love xox

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      1. You’re welcome! I do think that we need to have a balanced perspective on this, and the fact seems to be that this doesn’t fit perfectly into a conservative or progressive narrative.

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  20. I saw the headlines for this story, but I didn’t engage with it. I saw it as one more instance of media stirring up trouble. I was sure that getting into it would only cause me stress and frustration of skewed reporting and all of the anger it entails. It takes two to argue, and I refuse to engage. I try not to forget the saying, “Never argue with an idiot. People won’t be able to tell you apart.”

    During Viet Nam the question was, “What if someone held a war and no one came?” Today it should be, “What is someone reported BS and no one paid any attention?” Why reward the media by paying attention to them?

    So I saw the headline. I don’t spend any real time looking at news. I had no idea it has turned into such a freak show.

    All that being said, I admire your courage and devotion to take the time and energy to really dig into what happened and tell your readers the truth. We need you and those like you to speak truth to the people who DO engage the media and are led astray. Would that the media would actually do their job; report and not create. It reminds me of a time I saw a female reporting with her crew in tow at an airport during an American Airlines strike. She was holding her microphone in the air shouting, “Who’s pissed off and wants to be on TV?”

    Apparently she was sick the day they taught journalism at journalism school.

    THANK YOU for slogging through all of the hyperbole and slanted accounts. What a reporter you’d make!

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    1. Hey Jeff, I was really looking forward to hearing your take on the situation! Yeah not engaging was probably the best course of action. Yeah we need to demand more (read: the truth) from our journalists. Fascinating tidbits about AA and Vietnam. That really should be the question. Thanks again for stopping by. Hugs and love xox

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      1. I’m sorry I haven’t been very engaged recently. I’ve been sick and work has been really consuming my time. I still value your words and look forward to your articles, but… sigh

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  22. What makes me absolutely sick to my stomach about this story (besides all the lies and name calling and HATRED that is just seeping through it) is that the media NAMED the CHILDREN “involved”. Named them. On National News. These are CHILDREN. This boy is 16!!! 16! I am absolutely outraged at this. Even if this story had any truth to it (which it doesn’t, watch the entire video) you still don’t NAME CHILDREN! Sorry…this whole mess makes me so angry I can’t even really stand it. I can’t remember any other incident about ANYTHING where the media named the children involved IMMEDIATELY after posting the “story”. And maybe it’s just my bad memory, but I really can’t remember one. It’s absolutely disgusting how far down the rabbit hole our media and news outlets and “celebrities” have fallen. To call for violence against anyone is disgusting, never mind violence against children. But I guess what do I expect, we are a nation after all who accepts the murder of our most innocent. So why should I be surprised when they do it to others who simply have a different point of view than them? Sorry for the rant, but I am just disgusted by this whole mess (and especially by the behavior and condemnation of people who KNOW better). Thank you for posting and handling this with WAY more dignity and respect than a LARGE percentage of this country. God Bless!

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    1. Thank you friend for sharing your thoughts on this. I know! SIXTEEN years old! It infuriates me too. And that’s a great point. So telling that this coincides with the atrocious law that just passed in nyc. So glad you stopped by. Hugs and love xox

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  23. Thank you for posting this. I happen to be a liberal but I agree with what you have posted. I’m a Brit living in the mid-west and the approach of the media – of all the media – in this country is something I am still surprised by. The partisan nature. The inability for any of them – not just the liberal but also the conservative media – to report straight forward news without putting blind spin or biased opinion on the table does a great disservice to the public. It is sad that a clip was taken out of context and such horrible things have been directed to a group of boys who were only doing what they felt was right. Hopefully there will be an acknowledgment of the failure of journalism revealed by this incident. But I suspect that won’t happen.

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    1. Thank you so much Katie for sharing your thoughts. You’re so right -there is bias on alllll sides of the line. We need to demand the truth from our journalists. I hope so too. So glad you stopped by! Hugs and love xox

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  27. Unfortunately, news coverage has little to do with showing the truth. It’s there to sell advertising. And polarizing demagoguery, lies, or anything that causes a knee-jerk reaction sells advertising. And, of course we, the digesting public, are gullible. They know we won’t check into it further like you did. So, thank you for doing so and digging down to the truth. 🙂
    It’s shameful that the press, a bastion of the free world, won’t bother to do this anymore.

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  28. Amen! Thank you! It’s all about brewing hate and division. These are children. And who cares if a couple of them are wearing MAGA hats? So, they and their family support Trump. Who cares? Are people not allowed to have their own opinions and beliefs? Yes, you are right. You said what I’d been saying the past couple of days. These boys were targeted for being pro-life, Catholic, and white boys. It is the truth, and I’m a conservative progressive (sounds odd, but that’s how I see myself). The MSM has been incompetent and jumping to conclusions with many of their reports without all the facts. It’s become commonplace the past decade, and more so the past few years. I voted for Jill Stein. I didn’t vote for Trump. Does that mean I have to hate or talk nasty about people who support Trump? or Clinton (who I can’t stand)? No. Love, not hate. And learn the whole story before spilling it out on social media for clicks and views.

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  29. The Lord is sifting the wheat from the chaff so to speak, He’s allowing the people to see the hypocrisy & self righteousness of the left.

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      1. Indeed it is, with life and/choice I personally think its more “in your face” so to speak, here is a great video that may interest you.

        God Bless.

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  30. Staying away from the topic might make sense; but if we continue to turn a blind eye to the emperor’s nakedness, we’re contributing to the problem.

    The mainstream media is utterly contemptible — as far as I can see it is utterly devoid of any redeeming value or quality. There is absolutely no reason to give them any attention. They won’t be grateful for your views or custom, and they’ll lie to you — as this story illustrates.

    Leftist social media (Facebook and Instagram, Twitter, etc) is just as bad, and I’m glad I’m not on any of it; though I recognize it’s harder for people like you to give up given your ministry. But they’ll come for you too eventually; you’ll be banned for hate speech; shunned, deplatformed, unpersoned.

    You’re right to call them out on their actions and BS. The courage to speak up encourages others who aren’t as strong.

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    1. Thank you so much for this powerful perspective. You’re right about that – and i can already start to see that happen. Thanks for your support. Means a lot. Hugs and love xox

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  31. Sorry, but the truth is not a smear campaign. It’s also often much more complicated than we let ourselves imagine.

    Portraying the MAGA Teens as Victims Is an Extension of Native American Erasure

    https://consortiumnews.com/2019/01/23/a-tick-tock-incident-in-the-land-of-the-piscataway/

    The second link is to a much more nuanced analysis than you’re likely to see on any of the mainstream news channels, where lies, shallow thinking, and blather are the norm. But let’s not kid ourselves. Those punks showed nothing but disrespect to a man who’s served his country and been subjected to all manner of injustices simply because his ancestors were on the losing side of an invasion. We shouldn’t coddle bigoted little jerks whose parents obviously never taught them to behave as men.

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    1. Thank you so much Michael for sharing your thoughts on this difficult issue. I will check out your links. And in the mean time, I invite you to watch the full unedited videos. Hugs and love xox

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  32. Here is my comment from the News at Daily Wire regarding the hiring of a powerful attorney who specializes in libel and slander lawsuits against the Media.

    The media outlets that fed into the Yellow Journalistic temperament not only need to be sued for Libel and Slander. Those news reporters and anchors may need to be released from their employment. Remember when the Left vehemently and vitriolic called for and managed to have Rosanne Barr removed from her career as an actress?

    Yes, that ought to happen in this case as well. As for the ongoing terrorist threats by those on the Left, and utilization of Twitter and other Social media platforms – not only get the FBI and Homeland Security involved in aggressively investigating who these people are (and believe me, they have the means to uncover any leftist and radical left wing sock puppet accounts) and bring them in under the Patriot Act for investigation as domestic terrorists.

    Third, not only charge them with libel and slander, charge them for instigating hate crime and violence against Christians. THAT IS RIGHT LIBERAL LEFT WING COWARDS. HATE CRIME IS ALSO AGAINST HATRED. INSTIGATION OF VIOLENCE AND ATTACK AGAINST CHRISTIANS AND CHRISTIANITY SO DON’T THINK YOU ARE PROTECTED SPECIES OF INHUMANE PROGENITORS OF HATE.

    Fourth, investigate the passive aggressive continued vitriolic slander and libel by those who continue to perpetuate this type of hatred and vile intolerance. Those who continue to perpetuate this yellow terrorists style bullying through Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit need to be removed – banned from having any social media accounts. If refused, sue these social media mongrels corporations for allowing hate speech, domestic terrorism, and yellow journalism to be perpetuated through their platforms.

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    1. Thank you so much Timothy! What a powerful response. Yeah the Rosanne Barr situation was another really troublesome mess. So many great points here. Hugs and love xox

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  36. I left this story alone – I was ‘told’ the kid was mocking and smirking, but through my eyes I just did not see it like that. Nothing in his demeanor was menacing to me.
    I do think things could have been handled better on all sides. What disturbs me the most is that no adults intervened? The chaperones? It’s highly inappropriate that strange adults came that close to those kids – (regardless of what they were doing). This is an instance of ‘kids being kids’ – they will grow into wisdom. But, those adults…not so sure about them. They should have been wiser.
    I cannot and do not entirely blame the media – I blame gullible people who take everything at face value.
    Even as a Leftist, I check, double-check and re-check before I form my opinions. We cannot lose the ability to think for ourselves! A lesson for all to be learned here. – Jen x

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    1. Thanks Jen for sharing your thoughts on this. You’re so right! That’s an important lesson for sure – to think for ourselves! Amen! Hugs and love xox

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  38. I didn’t hear about this, I avoid the news!! It just shows how toxic things have really gotten. I feel for the kid. Thank YOU for being bold and brave to speak the truth in an increasingly hostile environment!!

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  39. Hi Caralyn: Topics for you to write on just seem to be coming in daily. I am not saying the topics are good, or uplifting, but it is always good to read a Christian’s perspective on what the news reports to all who listen.
    As an aside, you seriously did look stressed, depressed, troubled, in the picture in front of the fire place holding your laptop. With some of these events you have written about recently, and the abortion issue you are thinking of, it is a good thing you can get out on your skis ⛷🎿 and fly down those hills for a while.
    Sometimes it seems like each of the news people / reporters are in competition in order to keep their jobs. They look at situations from their own angle / perspective, or what they think their Editor, manager is looking for, rather than at the entire picture of the two or three individuals / groups involved.
    After hearing and reading about these troubling situations, it is always good to sit back and think about the collective actions, how they came about, and why the interaction took place.
    Then, I like to read the truth in fairness that is in your words. From a distance, it sounds like the Black Hebrew religious people may have instigated the confrontation, but the MEGA hats, and the drum in the face also added fuel.
    If each or any of these would have thought, they probably would have stopped before things went as far as they did.
    Obviously, two thoughts come to mind, on being, if those involved would have thought, “What would Jesus do?”, or secondly, as a wise and good friend of mine write recently, if the people were listening at all, they would have known the best advice, “Do what Jesus tells you.”
    At that part I may lay blame at the student’s sponsors feet, as they should have known to do that.
    Caralyn, so sorry, I so often write on so long, but it is just like sitting down with you having a coffee,
    God’s Blessings,
    Enjoy your time with family,
    Have fun and be careful on the slopes,
    Luv, 😀🌹❤️😘

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    1. Thanks George. Yeah lots of disappointing news this week for sure. Yeah the skiing has been tremendous therapy for sure. WWJD – amen. We all need to think about that for sure! On a daily basis! No need to apologize! I love hearing what you have to say! It always makes me think 🙂 Hugs and love xox

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  41. I watched the full and unedited videos. Everyone present, with the exception of that elderly, indigenous veteran behaved shamefully and without a hint of Christian charity or compassion. Both the school boys and the Israelite’s fed off each other’s hatred and created an ugly situation that they all should be apologizing for, and learning from. But more importantly —- What was this Catholic school trying to accomplish by sending young men to protest abortion wearing polarizing, political attire? Is that what Jesus would have done? How was them being there acceptable in the first place? How is it appropriate for 15 year old males (who in all likelihood have never even entered the sexual arena nor have the vaguest understanding of it’s complexities) to speak on this? To dictate to me what I can or can’t do with my body, if a pregnancy is no longer viable and threatening my life? Are they also sending the female students to rallies that advocate mandatory castration? Because the degree of relevance is the same.

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  42. Caralyn, yesterday I posted this verse on my personal Facebook page — The whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
    ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:14‬ . I hear your outrage and indignation over the media coverage of the story but don’t let any anger overcome your spirit. Love is the only way, as Jesus showed us with his life and death. And it’s the one commandment He left us. Ted Okon

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    1. Yes. Amen to that. Loving is our neighbors is the absolute key. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Ted. Hugs and love xox

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  43. For me, this was an interesting learning experience. I, like you, fell into the media trap in the beginning. These terrible Trump lovers with MAGA hats threatening people. I let it go because this is the norm nowadays. Then I saw the headlines change about, causing me to look into it more deeply finding that the story had been so skewed to where it didn’t make any sense at all.

    Then came the death threats and hate speech toward the kids. I remember being their age, in Catholic school, still trying to figure out the social order of things, Joining in with the others. Supporting those kids that seemed to lead the way. Sometimes it was not the most wise thing to do, but it was the way of kid social order. Kids, even if some of them did say some things that might not have been the right thing to do, have the right to be kids and shouldn’t be condemned as if they are adults. It’s never right to threaten to kill or hurt another person simply for their opinions, whether those opinions are right or wrong.

    My lesson came from trusting anything the media presents today. I believe in a free press, but it is no longer free. It is bias one way or the other. There is no middle, objective ground anymore. Simply report thoroughly on what happens in life and then allow us to make up our own minds as to what it means. Now, news is nothing more than bias commentary meant to inflame and incite anger.

    I fell into the trap, if only for a day, then saw the light. It also brought to light the strangeness of today’s tech world. The fact that everyone has a camera and social media is so accessible for people to just blurt out whatever they might think at the moment. Just think, if I used social media as my frustration outlet, I would have blurted out condemnation toward these kids at first then felt a fool when I saw much more of the story.

    If this would have happened 30 years ago, it wouldn’t have made the news. The people who might have observed it might have simply said, “Wow! That was a crazy thing we experienced today.” Life would have moved on and this experience wouldn’t have gained national and even worldwide exposure. A strange place the world has become. Lost in making superficial experiences into spectacles in order to make a statement no matter who gets hurt.

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    1. Hi Alex, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this tough issue. That’s a great point – we need a media without bias or agenda — and that goes for both sides. hugs xo

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  44. Thanks for being courageous for posting this. You expressed what many of us are feeling about the liberal media. It’s skewed, biased and no longer reporting the truth. Like millions more, I no longer trust the liberal media like CNN, CNBC. I do think of them as “fake news”, a legit term today. I compare what they’re saying on Fox and make my judgment. Blessings. Carry on Caralyn.

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    1. Thank you for taking the time to read it. Yeah all news needs to be taken with a grain of salt for sure. Hugs and love xox

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  45. BBB, it’s good to trust your gut (i.e. spirit) when commenting on stories like this. I keep thinking about the scripture that says “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” It’s the latter part of that scripture that sticks with me. Most people who act in ways that seem hateful and harmful are not acting with pure evil intent. They are simply being deceived. Love, compassion, forgiveness… those are the true “weapons” in this battle. And the only ones that will have a godly impact. Would that more people would use them.

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  46. My dear friend

    We are living in a time in which real ethic values are written in small letters – what are our today’s values? To be after sensation that mass media present? – They are doing it to keep people devided and plant even hate into them. But why are they doing such disgusting things? Our whole society is on the wrong track – we have forgotten what it means to live for: We have forgotten to help each other in general (as one of those noble values), instead ego and selfishness are promoted (rich become more rich, while poor ones get more and more poor…) We see violance of every kind in our society, violence starting in our heads and perform ugly things in all kind of directions. We see in Europe and USA tendencies of splitting groups and political parties, instead of working together only money and power seems to have value for them, instead of unity and harmony. The root of this all lies in our own mind. We see people on power who have not even learnt the ABC of human respect, of honesty and dignity – the result is chaos – this is what we exactly have to face. But there is hope, my dear friend, if more and more people become aware of these monster-like behaviours the ship of mankind can still overcome this fierceful storm of life. Ignorance is abused for own purposes and blind people follow a blind leader…

    Our whole society should have a change and the best change is when we start with ourselves… for a better world, a world of respect and love, a world in which information has not become a hunt to plant hate into people’s mind, but whose main task is to promote humanity and goodwill, harmony among people.

    Friedrich Nietzsche once said: “They puke out their gall bladder and call it newspaper…”

    We should develop compassion and live the truth of God… to become an example in this decadent world, a beacon that people find back a way of orientation on the rough sea of life, a yearning for truth and God… to give sense to our life…

    Truth must come on the table – it cannot be concealed…

    Hugs and love to you
    Didi

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    1. Thank you so much Didi for sharing your thoughts. I so agree – compassion and following the truth of God is essential to raise society to a higher standard. Hugs and love xox

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      1. …and each one of us can contribute to it, to bring harmony into our society. Its a matter of becoming more conscious, thoughtful and responsible.
        Thanks, my dear friend 🙂
        All good wishes and hugs from my heart
        Didi

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  47. The Native American stated from the beginning he was trying to keep the peace and put his back to those that were harassing the students by playing a peace song. I understand your passion in this situation. The gentleman said this from his very first interviews with the press. The truth came out about the two hour video that showcased the entirety of how it started and ended within 24 hours. Sadly one young man was caught on camera about people taking another’s land as “just the way it is”. Sadly this is was around the area where the Native American march had just wrapped up and most of the crowd had left. Just had to update that though I am sure you meant well. Peace be with you in this trying time.

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    1. Thank you for sharing that insight. It was a difficult situation all the way around. I appreciate you joining the conversation! Hugs and love xox

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  48. i will never, ever be a Trump supporter or a Republican but I have to say what you say is valid. We’re a divided country and wolves will attack a fence to find or create a weak spot to find any way in, and that’s what has happened here. I am in no way defending or condoning what happened. The media is, it seems to be by most, a Democratic machine and they will say anything to stoke the fire. What was done here was wrong and I hope that the children involved in this will be able to move forward and not be scarred, like most of America when something happens, by this horrifying incident.

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    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this difficult issue. Yeah, this was definitely a stoking the fire situation. hugs xo

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  49. So well said. I had the same reaction; I really wanted to guve the boys the benefit of the doubt, and I’m sure glad I did.

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