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The Media Wildly Mischaracterized That Video of Covington Catholic Students Confronting a Native American Veteran


Muda69

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Investigation finds no evidence of ‘racist or offensive statements’ by Covington Catholic students during Lincoln Memorial incident: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/diocese-reverses-course-clears-covington-catholic-high-school-students-of-wrongdoing-after-investigation-of-viral-incident-on-mall/2019/02/13/c11195f8-2fa7-11e9-8ad3-9a5b113ecd3c_story.html?utm_term=.75f601726b0d

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An investigation released Wednesday into an encounter between Covington Catholic High School students and Native American activists at the Lincoln Memorial last month largely supports the students’ accounts of the incident, which prompted immediate and widespread condemnation of the boys after a video of the encounter went viral.

A short video clip showed Nathan Phillips, playing a traditional drum, in an apparent standoff with student Nick Sandmann, who was wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat. The Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School, which arranged the trip, were among those who initially condemned the boys’ actions in the video.

The report, prepared by Greater Cincinnati Investigation, Inc. and dated Feb. 11, employed four licensed investigators for approximately 240 hours to take statements from students and chaperones, as well as to interview third-party witnesses and review about 50 hours of video. Investigators were not able to interview either Phillips or Sandmann in person and instead reviewed the student’s written account.

The investigators said they found no evidence that the students responded in an offensive manner to the black Hebrew Israelites or that they chanted “build the wall.” After asking chaperones, they performed a school cheer, according to the report, to drown out the black Hebrew Israelites.

Other key findings include testimony that the students felt “confused” when Phillips approached them. Investigators said they found no evidence of “racist or offensive statements by students to Mr. Phillips,” though some performed a “tomahawk chop.”

According to the report, one of the chaperones told students that if “they engaged in a verbal exchange with the Black Hebrew Israelites, they would receive detention when returning to school.”

According to the report, most boys bought the red hats bearing President Trump’s MAGA slogan in Washington on the day of the March for Life, an annual antiabortion rally that they attended. In previous years, some students bought “Hope” hats in support of President Obama, the report says.

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7 minutes ago, Muda69 said:

Investigation finds no evidence of ‘racist or offensive statements’ by Covington Catholic students during Lincoln Memorial incident: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/diocese-reverses-course-clears-covington-catholic-high-school-students-of-wrongdoing-after-investigation-of-viral-incident-on-mall/2019/02/13/c11195f8-2fa7-11e9-8ad3-9a5b113ecd3c_story.html?utm_term=.75f601726b0d

According to the report, most boys bought the red hats bearing President Trump’s MAGA slogan in Washington on the day of the March for Life, an annual antiabortion rally that they attended. In previous years, some students bought “Hope” hats in support of President Obama, the report says.

It doesn't matter, they were wearing MAGA hats and were at an anti-abortion rally......They are guilty...

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4 minutes ago, swordfish said:

It doesn't matter, they were wearing MAGA hats and were at an anti-abortion rally......They are guilty...

I wonder if blue or green hats with "Make America Great Again" on them are also now viewed as a vile symbol of racism and misogyny?

 

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36 minutes ago, BARRYOSAMA said:

MagaMan

The only connection this disabled individual has to this thread is his red MAGA hat.  His discussion is solely aimed at his disagreement with LGBTQ affiliated groups.....Not Covington Catholic, the Hebrew Israelites, or the drumbeating Indian......Not getting the point of this post other than verifying a stereotypical assumption of a guy wearing a MAGA hat.....

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1 minute ago, swordfish said:

The only connection this disabled individual has to this thread is his red MAGA hat.  His discussion is solely aimed at his disagreement with LGBTQ affiliated groups.....Not Covington Catholic, the Hebrew Israelites, or the drumbeating Indian......Not getting the point of this post other than verifying a stereotypical assumption of a guy wearing a MAGA hat.....

And the big question is how does he know the hat he is wearing is a MAGA hat?

 

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4 minutes ago, swordfish said:

The only connection this disabled individual has to this thread is his red MAGA hat.  His discussion is solely aimed at his disagreement with LGBTQ affiliated groups.....Not Covington Catholic, the Hebrew Israelites, or the drumbeating Indian......Not getting the point of this post other than verifying a stereotypical assumption of a guy wearing a MAGA hat.....

You got the point!

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With adults, the wearing of a MAGA hat simply brings to mind the old saw (from the "Urban Cowboy" era) about what hemorrhoids and cowboy hats have in common.

With kids, like those in this Covington Catholic kerfuffle, the wearing of a MAGA hat is about as "meaningful" as the wearing of a Che Guevara t-shirt. Imputing anything more to it than that the kids appreciate it annoys some adults, is a waste of mental effort. 

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Nick Sandmann Sues Washington Post for $250 Million: http://reason.com/volokh/2019/02/20/nick-sandmann-sues-washington-post-for-2

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As multiple sources report, Nick Sandmann--the Kentucky student known as the "MAGA hat teen" whose recent confrontation with Native American activist Nathan Phillips on the National Mall made headlines--is suing the Washington Post for its coverage of the event, to the tune of $250 million. Sandmann's attorneys reproduce their complaint here. While the complaint is quite the mix of non-legal accusations and legal claims, the main legal basis at this time is alleged defamation. Some of the claims are as follows:

The Post published its False and Defamatory Accusations negligently and with actual knowledge of falsity or a reckless disregard for the truth.

As one of the world's leading news outlets, the Post knew but ignored the importance of verifying damaging, and in this case, incendiary accusations against a minor child prior to publication.

The negligence and actual malice of the Post is demonstrated by its utter and knowing disregard for the truth available in the complete video of the January 18 incident which was available contemporaneously with the edited clip the Post chose because it appeared to support its biased narrative.

Instead of investigation and publishing the true story, the Post recklessly rushed to publish its False and Defamatory Accusations in order to advance its own political agenda against President Trump.

In doing so, the Post lifted the incident from social media and placed it in the mainstream media, giving its False and Defamatory Accusations credibility and permanence.

Other claims involve failure to investigate and use of biased sources, among others. Some expert practitioners are skeptical of the lawsuit's merits. They emphasize, for example, that who got in whose face between Sandmann and Phillips is a matter of opinion rather than a verifiable fact.

What happened during the encounter is a story that developed over several days, with more video footage and testimony surfacing along the way, and I would be surprised if the court held the Washington Post to the standard of knowledge and investigation that Sandmann's lawyers seem to expect. It is also not too clear who the "unbiased" witnesses (is there such a thing?) are that the Post should have interrogated before printing any story. To this day, the Internet debates what exactly happened on that day. It is doubtful that a newspaper will be held liable for essentially failing to take the plaintiff's side in the controversy.

Yeah, this will be a tough one for Mr. Sandmann to win.

 

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2 hours ago, Muda69 said:

Nick Sandmann Sues Washington Post for $250 Million: http://reason.com/volokh/2019/02/20/nick-sandmann-sues-washington-post-for-2

Yeah, this will be a tough one for Mr. Sandmann to win.

 

If characterizing a kid's (self-described) smile as a "smirk" is defamation, then I need to get Bobref immediately to file my defamation case against Muda, who has falsely imputed all sorts of mean and negative intentions to my gentle commentaries on this forum.  

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18 minutes ago, TrojanDad said:

Yea...I'm sure that this is what its about.......a smirk.🙄

Well, I looked through the allegations for some negative statement of fact specifically about Sandman that was made by the Washington Post,  and calling the look on his face a "smirk" was the closest thing I could find. All the other stuff appears to be statements made by the old dude in the video, which the Post quoted. And most of those statements sound like matters of opinion, not factual assertions, as pointed out in the article.  

Unless they invent a new legal cause of action for shoddy, one-sided reporting, I don't think the Post has much to fear in terms of actual liability here.

Which in no way means they won't still settle the case just to make it go away.

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15 hours ago, Wabash82 said:

If characterizing a kid's (self-described) smile as a "smirk" is defamation, then I need to get Bobref immediately to file my defamation case against Muda, who has falsely imputed all sorts of mean and negative intentions to my gentle commentaries on this forum.  

Gentle?  I often find them cutting but insightful, and written in a prose that a mental midget like myself can only dream about.  It may be that elite Wabash education vs. my lowly Indiana State education................

 

 

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5 hours ago, Muda69 said:

Gentle?  I often find them cutting but insightful, and written in a prose that a mental midget like myself can only dream about.  It may be that elite Wabash education vs. my lowly Indiana State education................

 

 

Well, you may be right in blaming your education.  But before besmirching a fine institution like ISU, we should probably consider some alternative theories.... 😉

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17 minutes ago, gonzoron said:

 

Such as why you didn’t choose an alternative that was available at the time.

There wasn't.  ISU was the only school that accepted my application, and the only one I could afford.   

 

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