"An Open Apology to the Covington Catholic MAGA Hat Harassment Team"

[EffieBlack]

An Open Apology to the Covington Catholic MAGA Hat Harassment Team

Dear White Boys,

In the past few days, you have endured ridicule, scorn and public outrage over your actions at the combination of a pro-life rally and an Indigenous Peoples March in Washington, DC. After a “longer video” surfaced, critics of your tactics were forced to retract their previous accusations that you were a mob of angry racist teens.

Now, I too would like to offer an apology for much different reasons. Like most of the Twittersphere, I also jumped to the same conclusions and painted you as racists.

However, unlike those social media reactionaries, I now realize what was going on:

It was a historical reenactment.

I have always believed that white people would be better off if they studied more black history. After seeing the longer video, I would like to give kudos to the educational staff at Covington Catholic for their prescient lesson on the history of white boys at protests.

I must admit that I was wary at first. But you must understand the long history of white people and their immediate calls for patience and “longer videos.” While they are quick to publicly condemn black “thugs” whenever a person of Caucasian descent is involved, white America repeatedly insists that we wait for more video or “all the facts to come out,” as they did in the case of Trayvon Martin, Emantic Bradford, Philando Castille, Laquan McDonald, and even the Mueller Report.

But now that all of the facts have surfaced, it is now clear to me that you were part of a live-action, true-to-scale diorama depicting the actions of white men at most protests for justice, equality or freedom. In fact, I think you should be applauded for your patience and acting ability.

Now many observers would explain that the Native Americans may have simply been marching when you so nobly tried to block their path because, oftentimes, marching is what people do at a motherfucking Indigenous Peoples March. (It’s right there in the title!)

(More at link)
https://www.theroot.com/an-open-apology-to-the-covington-catholic-maga-hat-hara-1831957176

[mcar]

1. That explains it!

I don't know whether to or

[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. K&R for Michael Harriot and the truth.

[ismnotwasm]

3. Oh yes.

Thank you for this

Edit to add I watched the “whole video”

[oberliner]

4. Michael Harriot, author of: "Why I Could Never Vote For Hillary Clinton"

Haven't seen him posted here in a while!

[ismnotwasm]

6. So?

[sheshe2]

9. Your point?

[sharedvalues]

13. I don't always agree with oberliner, but I agree Harriot is bad for America

I know people don’t like the word divisive, but here it applies. The fact is: all Dems must stick together if we want to get anything done. Black and white, old and young, rich and poor, Hispanic and Asian. All Democrats must stick together. Harriot at times brings good insight but in general he divides Democrats and America- telling people to vote against Hillary helped bring us Trump.



Also: I agree with Harriot here: these MAGA racists deserve all the vitriol he slings at them. But sometimes he crosses the line into division and Trump-supporting, which is what you are if you voted against Hillary in the general.

[BannonsLiver]

5. I wonder if the author watched the entire video.

If not I recommend that they do.



Ok, I’ll stop now.

Thanks for posting Effie.

[oasis]

7. Baaaaaazing!

[gordianot]

8. That stupid hat says it all.

Another generation identified themselves with arm bands.

[ooky]

15. Exactly.

It may as well have a swastika on it.

[sheshe2]

10. Michael Harriot is spot on as always.,

From your link.

Perhaps this had nothing to do with native Americans at all. Maybe you were just showing how white racists intimidated people during the civil rights era. At least you didn’t spit on the protesters, as the white boys did to 6-year-old Ruby Bridges who integrated New Orleans’ schools. Because of the fire hazards, you probably couldn’t throw Molotov cocktails as your predecessors did when the Freedom Riders attempted to segregate buses. I bet you guys totally forgot to bring your baseball bats and ax handles so you could remind America how white boys cracked Congressman John Lewis’ skull during the 1965 “Bloody Sunday” voter registration march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala.

And in every single one of these cases — from the civil rights attacks to the native American genocide — the murderous, hate-filled white boys were never punished for their acts.

Brutal read and I in fact want to thank you for posting this.

[bobbieinok]

11. Strongly recommend reading entire article!!

Many good points.

Important history lesson for white Americans!

[KT2000]

12. Excellent essay n/t

[Miigwech]

14. Yes!

[Iggo]

16. I was hoping it was Harriot.

Off to The Root.

[yonder]

17. Thanks for this thread. Michael Harriot doing what he does so well.

[MadDAsHell]

18. For a second I was worried your post would start with "Dear Black Boys"...thank God it didn't.

That would have been crazy racist.

We DUers are better than that though; we'd never start a conversation by labeling the listener exclusively by their race and gender...

[EffieBlack]

19. Why not?

If the listener's race or or gender is relevant to the topic, it's perfectly appropriate.

You don't seem to understand what the definition of racism is.

[sharedvalues]

20. Yup. Here it is totally appropriate