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Neither this nor the previous thread about this incident have been accurate about what transpired.
There is a very informative, unnarrated nine-minute video out there- sorry, no link, I saw it linked to someone's Twitter account and I expect it's also on YouTube - that shows a small group of "Black Israelites" (I may have the name wrong) loudly testifying against homosexuality and homosexuals, citing various Old Testament chapters and verses and apparently addressing the boys in a loud, accusatory and adversarial manner just before the encounter with the American Indian gentleman.
Some of the boys responded, loudly saying things like "They're (homosexuals) people too!" "Gay people have rights!", and "I'm not listening to you...not listening..." and so on. The argument grew heated, voices were raised on both sides - it was then that the Indian man deliberately placed himself between the two groups. He said later that his chanting and drumming were spiritual, a prayer to Mother Earth for peace. He also said he was trying to separate and calm both the boys and the Black Israelites to avoid more friction.
It does not appear that the boys understood that this was what he was attempting, or the spiritual significance of his chanting and drumming. Many seemed confused or baffled by the overlapping encounters with first the Black Israelites and then the Indians.
The boys responded in various ways - some clapping and moving in time to the drum, others with nervous laughter, some with plain old laughter, some with jeers, and some imitating his chanting. A large number of them broke into a school cheer. I did not hear the boys yelling "Build the Wall!" but it has been reported by many others. After this point, there was no more video coverage of the Black Israelites, whose number was only about five or six.
Shortly after this, as the boys grew louder, and the boy who has been singled out appeared to be attempting a stare-down with the older man, a younger, apparently very angry Indian man joined in and yelled at the boys: "Go back to Europe! This is our (expletive) land! You little (expletives) don't belong here! This isn't your land, you stole it!" and so on. He definitely escalated the tension and his behavior was directly contrary to the stated intentions of the older man with the drum.
Many of the boys seem puzzled or amused by these encounters. It's a shame that no one tried to explain to them what was going on - and it's shameful that their chaperones didn't attempt to intervene, calm things down, and move the boys from the scene. The park police were probably not available due to various marches and demonstrations nearby - and their numbers were probably not the usual; due to the government shut down - the Lincoln Memorial IS part of the National Park System - but surely someone should have been on hand to restore order. Freedom of speech is one thing, but aggressive and provocative name-calling - which members of all three parties participated in towards one another - is not acceptable.
I am so thankful that the nine-minute video of the whole encounter surfaced, as it is much more nuanced and detailed and clarifies just what happened. At the end of which, the chaperones belatedly appear and start herding the boys towards their bus - where were they previously?
Even not completely comprehending what was happening, surely they must have heard the raised angry voices and profanity, and they should have realized the potential volatility of the situation. It was also not a good choice to allow the boys to wear politically oriented attire in such a location. The adults who were supposed to be in charge of the boys certainly did not do their job, and the boys - and the older Indian gentleman - suffered for it.
I hope all who have jumped to conclusions - as I did initially - will watch the video closely, for a better understanding of what happened and who was involved. The boys are not entirely innocent, not at all - but they are getting some blame that rightly should fall onto the adult chaperones and school personnel who accompanied them but who failed miserably at leadership and protection and being role models.
So what to do now? It's a complex situation. I hope the school and church authorities study that nine-minute video thoroughly - break it down, minute by minute - draw a sketch of who was where when these overlapping incidents occurred - and question every single adult who was there in a position of authority. Then question the kids. Let them tell their stories, then see the video and comment. See if their initial stories match what is on the video.
Then I'd put "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" on the required reading list, with book reports and classroom discussion to follow.
And I'd find whoever I could who has the chops and the necessary standing to conduct a workshop in chaperoning for every adult who was there, and for every adult who wants to chaperone kids from this school ever again.
You're wrong on some of the timing. The kids were already chanting before the old man came up to them. They weren't even looking in his direction-and were singing some sort of school spirit song. The old guy comes up and moves into the group, beating his drum in front of several of the kids. It looks as if he were getting into the chanting they were doing or something-it is not clear. The kids were smiling at him and seemed to encourage him, which seemed to aggravate him (my opinion only). He then moved away from that group, approached the child that was standing a little separate from the group, stuck his drum in his face and began chanting louder and beating it right in his face. While his (the old man's) entourage are making racist comments to the child. It appears as if he was singled out because he was wearing a MAGA hat. To me at least-it seems as if the old man was doing everything he could to intimidate and bully the kid and provoke a reaction. Certainly that was the case of the bigots with him. Great job on the part of the child for not responding.
I have seen NO evidence that the man was trying to keep the two groups apart-only his statements. I have seen NO videos of the kids making any racist comments to him-only his statements. And I have seen no videos of the children even chanting "build the wall"-which of course would mean nothing to a native American in the first place. If ANYONE has links to video that show any of those things-please post.
The old man is Nathan Phillips. He's a liberal activist with a history of confrontation and intimidation.
There is a video out that shows the entire confrontation that runs an hour and a half IIRC. It shows the Black Hebrew Israelites shouting racist and homophobic slurs at the children for about an hour before Phillips group shows up.
Last edited by Toyman at Jewel Lake; 01-20-2019 at 09:03 PM..
Reminds me of my own experience. I shared a story of my childhood saying I heard a lot of Democrats trash talking veterans, minorities, etc. Moral of the story, just because somebody call themselves a liberal, doesn't mean they are automatically kind. One person out of nowhere calling me a coward who never served in the military. I shouldn't be demonizing Democratic veterans.
Seriously, there are a lot of very extreme people on the internet and in real life. If they think you are Daimon Hellstrom, there is nothing you can do to defend yourself.
I don't see the "harassment", not based on the video at least, but the mere fact that this old gentleman is a Native American + a Veteran, it is enough of a story to pit one group of people against another. It is very sad.
So someone who you supposed is a non Veteran Democrat, called you, who we know is a non Veteran, a coward. Do you have a point to this fable?
According to the news the viral sound bite was was aimed at making this kid look like a bad person.
After viewing the larger portion of the video it is easy to see that he was trying to diffuse a verbally hostile
segment of a self injected group by standing in place.
Just because chicken little said the sky is falling does not mean he is telling the truth.
Indeed, people who lose it over MAGA hats are idiots. And major media who support the idiots while vilifying the hat wearing kids are evil.
Would you feel the same way if some Proud Boys members lost it over someone wearing ANTIFA hats and clothing? A gang member losing it over a rival wearing their gang colors in front of them? Or someone of Jewish descent losing it over someone wearing a swastika hat and SS paraphernalia?
Now, I'm not remotely insinuating that a MAGA hat is the symbolic equivalent of neo-nazi symbols. I'm a Trump supporter.
BUT, what I'm saying here, and what many people continue to conveniently overlook, is that the boys here are hardly blameless.
Of all the hats they could have chosen to wear at this event, an event whose participants would hardly be considered fans of Donald J Trump, they chose to wear a MAGA hat. They could have chosen to wear the hat of their school, they could have chosen to wear nothing. They could have chosen to act NEUTRAL. But no sir, they deliberately chose to wear a bright red MAGA hat and station themselves near these people including the Native Americans, in order to silently taunt and bait them.
It's so obvious and transparent what these boys were doing, anyone with any common sense can see through their act. Provocation was their childish goal.
That arrogant smug look on that one kid's face says it all. That's the look of someone that is smirking because someone took the bait and he got under the old man's skin.
So someone who you supposed is a non Veteran Democrat, called you, who we know is a non Veteran, a coward. Do you have a point to this fable?
Yes, that that person was YOU. YOU called me a coward for no reasons. I've never called you any names, by the way. i don't even know you.
It looks like you came here making up stories again, I've never said "a non veteran Democrat, called me, a coward." I said "somebody came out of nowhere called me a coward, just because I said, ..."
You need to get over yourself. nobody is against you. I have a lot of friends who are Democrats/ liberals, they are also veterans. I will never attack a veteran just because he/she is a Democrat.
Because you swallow msm poo or you just hate maga hat wearing kids?
Anyone stupid enough to wear that crap in public should pay the consequences, forever. This period of American insanity will pass and all the MAGA crowd will crawl back under their rocks.
According to the news the viral sound bite was was aimed at making this kid look like a bad person.
After viewing the larger portion of the video it is easy to see that he was trying to diffuse a verbally hostile
segment of a self injected group by standing in place.
Just because chicken little said the sky is falling does not mean he is telling the truth.
Where is a link to this new video footage?
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