I don’t know about you – but these days, when a accusation of a “hate crime” gets massive, immediate coverage, I’ve started to assume it’s a hoax until proven otherwise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don’t get me wrong – hate crimes exist. But the more publicity the unproven allegations get, and the more lurid the charges against someone in a MAGA cap, the more likely it seems the whole story turns out to have all the substance and integrity or a Ryan Winkler presentation on Black History Month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jussie Who?:<\/strong>Three weeks ago, I had not heard of Jussie Smollett. I’ve never had occasion to watch Empire<\/em>, and I doubt I ever will. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But when I heard the story of the “Hate Crime” that reached out and, per his story, caught him a few weeks ago, nothing, even to my rather cursory listening, seemed to add up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kyle Smith – not a cop, but rather a writer at National Review<\/em> – noticed the same things, and has 27 questions for the “journalists” <\/a>who presumed Smollett’s story – of “MAGA”-screaming rednecks who attacked him without really <\/em>attacking him – was unassailably true. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 8 . How likely do you think it is that attackers would shout, \u201cThis is MAGA country\u201d in Chicago, a place that no one thinks is MAGA country?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n There are 26 more – the sort of thing “journalists”, ostensibly being the curious sort, should have asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 13. Don\u2019t you think it strange that his attackers fled without much harming Smollett or robbing him?<\/p> 14. Related to (13), did it not occur to you that the whole alleged attack looked a bit like the criminal equivalent of a press release, meant to send a message rather than accomplish anything?<\/p> 15. If you were beaten up, would you somehow remember to pick up your Subway purchase afterward?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Goalposts Moved: <\/strong>Over the weekend, as Smollett’s story began to collapse, the narrative changed; Smollett’s actions weren’t themselves a publicity “hate crime” against deplorables; they were “starting a conversation”:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t let anyone say this latest hate crime hoax was okay because it \u201cstarted a conversation.\u201d
This episode SHOULD start a conversation – about the outright bigotry of the media and those who hate Trump and his supporters so much they will do things like this.<\/p>\u2014 Ashe Schow (@AsheSchow) February 17, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n