We talk a lot about bullying. We talk to kids in school about bullying on social media, especially now that bullying has moved from the school yard right into the homes of our children. Yet, when it comes to protecting our children, we too often leave them hanging. The Covington Boys are the prime example of the failure to protect. These Kentucky students were at the March for Life in Washington, January 19 (that I am sure was enough for the vultures to go after them) when a video was taken and disseminated that showed the boys in a dark light. This led to a nationwide media frenzy and the boys were falsely accused of mocking a Native American, prompting hundreds of threats against the school and the school’s students from across the country by phone, email, and social media. Condemnation also came from the Covington Catholic, the Diocese of Covington, and even March for Life President Jeanne Mancin.l media
But for me, the number one failure goes to the Bishop of their diocese, who attacked his own students without asking them what happened or viewing the evidence. He left them hanging. He joined the chorus of hateful #PCGroupThink. He chose not to trust his students; which means he did not trust that his school had instilled morals and values in its students.
The only adult in the room was 16 year old Nick Sandmann, the Covington Catholic High School junior.
“We’re a Catholic school and it’s not tolerated. They don’t tolerate racism, and none of my classmates are racist people.”
It wasn’t until late January 25, amidst mounting pressure, that Bishop Roger Foys issued a new statement admitting that the Diocese “should not have allowed ourselves to be bullied and pressured into making a statement prematurely, and we take full responsibility for it” and “especially apologiz[ing] to Nicholas Sandmann and his family as well as to all CovCath families who have felt abandoned during this ordeal.”
He had allowed himself to be bullied? He was bullied? He is the adult in the room. He is a Catholic Bishop. And he put his students, his wards, his children under a bus. And I cannot ever forgive that. A Catholic Bishop represents God to his flock. Our children need to know that those closest to them will protect them. And in this atmosphere of #PCGroupThink, and identity politics, and feeling based everything, they need our protection more than even before.
These students were exemplary in their behaviour; faced with a Native American; and I mean faced. And a group of nasty, hateful black people from an obscure “religious” organization, who spewed hateful comments. How did we get to a place where we believe a Native American and black people just for being Native or black? Is that not the definition of racism? Is that not what happened for decades in America;a white person was believed over a black person merely for being white!
Yet, nothing was going to stop media personalities like TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie, another adult very adept at bullying children. She had the audacity to ask on January 23 when truth had been exposed, whether Sandmann felt he owed anyone an apology or had assumed fault for the clash. WHAT?
And then she asked Sandmann about the expression he wore on his face as he faced off against Phillips. Some have characterized the look as a smirk, but Sandmann describes it differently.
“I see it as a smile, saying that this is the best you’re going to get out of me. You won’t get any further reaction of aggression. And I’m willing to stand here as long as you want to hit this drum in my face.”
Sandmann said it was unfair to have his character weighed up by one look.
“People have judged me based off one expression, which I wasn’t smirking, but people have assumed that’s what I have,” he said. “And they’ve gone from there to titling me and labeling me as a racist person, someone that’s disrespectful to adults, which they’ve had to assume so many things to get there without consulting anyone that can give them the opposite story.”
A media personality acting like a bully on TV. Bullying a 16 year old.
This qualifies as journalism? Assume guilt if the person is white, male and heaven forbid-wearing a MAGA hat. Jump on that “story” without checking facts. Journalists on the left are the new leaders of social justice.
If he had not been wearing the MAGA hat would NBC have cared? Would anyone else in MSM or social media have cared? No.
Attacking young people on social media is one thing, but adults, “journalists” making points in the name of the Hate Trump narrative; that’s another. And they should be fired as an example. No adult journalist should ever feel that they can attack a child over a story; ever.In America, all 50 states have some kind of anti-bullying law, and schools are increasingly being called upon to implement bullying prevention programs. Perhaps we need to provide sensitivity training to these social justice journalists.
Shame on all of them. From the Bishop in particular to the so-called adults covering that story.
The attorneys representing Covington Catholic High School student Nicholas Sandmann and his family have put more than 50 media entities on notice that their false reporting has put them in serious legal jeopardy. The list includes 50-plus names of organizations or individuals: from presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren to actress Alyssa Milano; individual journalists including Maggie Haberman, Ana Cabrera and David Brooks; national media outlets like the The New York Times, CNN, GQ and TMZ; and the dioceses of Covington and Lexington as well as the archdioceses of Louisville and Baltimore.
As a mother and grandmother I am appalled. As one who was bullied by the principal of my elementary school, I have nothing but admiration and compassion for Mr. Sandmann and his family and friends, and now their lawyers.
From the Ethics of the Fathers: “Rabbi Tarfon used to say, it is not incumbent upon you to complete the task, but you are not exempt from undertaking it.”
