An ‘Almost’ Lynching …

Posted on by under Free Press Issues, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

Earlier today I wrote about the state of homophobia in this nation, and I asked, first of all WHY we have to legislate equality — why people cannot simply act like humans, and second of all why our government, even including the Supreme Court, are turning the clock back on the civil rights of the LGBTQ people, African-Americans, women and others.  And then, this morning I woke to this headline …

‘Empire’ star Jussie Smollett attacked in Chicago by men hurling homophobic and racial slurs

It happened in Chicago, but it could have happened in any city or town in this country, or perhaps the world.  This one is particularly troubling.  According to the police report …

“Two unknown offenders approached him and gained his attention by yelling out racial and homophobic slurs towards him. The offenders began to batter the victim with their hands about the face and poured an unknown chemical substance on the victim. At some point during the incident, one of the offenders wrapped a rope around the victim’s neck. The offenders fled the scene.”

jussie-smollettThey wrapped a rope around his neck.  That one sentence sent a chill down my spine.  In my earlier post, I suggested that it sometimes seems we are walking backward, back to a time of racial segregation, back to the days of the KKK setting fire to crosses on the lawns of homes owned by black people, back to the time … of lynchings.

Caught up as we are in the everyday detritus that is the Trump circus, and the antics of the clowns in that circus, we are allowing other news to go unnoticed.  In my book, there is not much that is more important than the attempted lynching of a young, African-American gay man.  It is far too chillingly reminiscent of the 1950s.

“Given the severity of the allegations, we are taking this investigation very seriously and treating it as a possible hate crime,” Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. “Detectives are currently working to gather video, identify potential witnesses and establish an investigative timeline. The victim is fully cooperating.”

A ‘possible’ hate crime? What else could it be, since the perpetrators taunted Smollett with racial and homophobic slurs???  The victim is fully cooperating.  But what if the victim were dangling from the branch of a tree, dead?  Is that next? Are we going to turn a blind eye until finally it happens?  And will we even know when it does, or will the reporters be too busy off chasing the circus clowns to inform us?

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47 thoughts on “An ‘Almost’ Lynching …”

  1. Pingback: Presumed Innocent Until Proven Guilty … | Filosofa's Word

  2. something really bothers me about this case and it’s that, last night, or the night before, it was discovered that Jussie Smollett wasn’t really the victim after all and that he worked in conjunction with some friends to perpitrate this apparent “hate crime”. Numerous people have said that the story didn’t make sense from the beginning like that he didn’t allow police access to his phone and so on. Now if this is true, this makes this man a reprehensible individual for unnecessarily utilizing police forces and detracting from assistance that could have been used to solve real crimes in the area. Journalists are also complicit in the ongoing division in this country when they run with a story like this which puts people against each other all in the name of a political narrative that says that white people and their president are the racists in this country. This man should be arrested and locked up for a time for doing this and the so-called journalists who ran with the story owe every one an apology for their irresponsible behavior in this situation. Are there bad white people? Yes there are. but there are also bad blacks, Mexicans, Muslims and every single other ethnicity on the planet. I am sick of people running with half truths, not waiting until all the facts are in, even if that means holding their tongues for a couple of weeks, just to click bait people into more and more divisive narratives designed to tare us apart from the inside out. These people are nothing but opportunists and they infuriate me to no end. I’m not talking about your blog entry or other bloggers who wrote on the subject. you guys are just responding to the narrative and it’s only human to have a response to a tragic event that gives rise to intense emotion. I’m talking about the mainstream press who take these stories even before the police procedures are finished and do this kind of shit. These reprehensible people in “journalism” are nothing more than political activists.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I’m following this (Smollett) case on local Chicago news WBBM. And they seem to be doing an OK job. They are clear that the police have not bought into the story, but are still investigating. I think it will be sorted out eventually.

      Liked by 1 person

    • IF it is true that he staged this attack, then I agree with you 100% that it makes him a reprehensible being. But, based on what I’ve read, I think the jury is still out and I’m not ready to make a call about it just yet. And you really can’t blame the media for going with this story … it appeared to be legitimate and if it was … if it is … it surely qualifies as a hate crime which should be reported. I reported it here in this post, and I don’t think, even if it turns out that Smollett did orchestrate this, I don’t think I owe anybody an apology, for I did my homework based on the information available at that time, and reported it in good faith. And yes, my friend, there are bad people in every race, every religion, every ethnicity. But historically, in the 240 years of this nation, blacks, Hispanics, Muslims and Jews have been demonized unfairly. That history of racism and bigotry is alive and well in this, the 21st century. As an example, I live in a very diverse neighborhood in a lower-middle class community. About half the people in this neighborhood are African-American, probably another third are Middle-Eastern refugees, and the rest are Caucasian. The only people I have ever had trouble with here are the Caucasians. They fight in the street, they throw their trash in other people’s yards, and I’ve caught their children attempting to steal from me, throwing rocks at my windows, and destroying my flower bed. Anyway, let’s wait and see what comes out in the next week or so before we jump to any conclusions, okay! Hugs, my friend.

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    • Some more on this.

      According to Chicago news reports, Smollett in now a suspect on possible charges of filing a false report.

      I’m still waiting on what develops. I don’t consider the issues as settled as yet.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. This is really worrying and a sign of polarising attitudes.
    We are all the same… No matter sexuality, colour, creed, or age. I do not understand this revertion to hatreds and persecution, but see it in so many forms that I wonder if life on planet earth will survive the onslaught of the homosapien species. We need to evolve out of this awfulness.
    And to isaiah46ministries, I say please be careful. You are not safe it seems, to even live your life as you want. For that, I am truly saddened and send you healing protective thoughts to find a path through all this misery that hateful people create.

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  5. I’d suggest tripling the budget of the NSA and have all these acts designated crimes of terrorism to be perused with vigour (I wanted to use the phrase from ‘Apocalypse Now’).
    Oh yeh and lock Trump up as a dangerous terrorist.

    Liked by 1 person

    • When they have the cojones to label these incidents as ‘hate crimes’, then they are fairly aggressively pursued, but these days, the take on it is an attitude of “boys will be boys”. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. And yet, we are told to fear the poor migrant children trying to cross the border. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Last I heard, Chicago police identified the ‘perps’ from a security camera tape and are trying to find them. Wanna bet they never find them, else let them off with a slap on the wrist? Boys will be boys, after all … Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Not in my socialist state they wouldn’t be….Would be spending a spell in prison being re-educated; in this case brain-washing is a benign term.

        Liked by 1 person

            • That’s a tough one. I definitely see it as having an accompanying responsibility, and if one fails to fulfill the responsibility, then I believe they should lose their right/privilege. Where I run into a problem, though, is if it is not a defined right, then what is to stop a wanna-be dictator from infringing on the ‘privilege’ and silencing our voices. It’s a slippery slope, and one where I’d rather err on the side of freedom than leave the door open for a Mussolini or Hitler or Lenin.

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              • And this is why Yours Truly should not be allowed onto the public stage of politics….
                Y’see I Jill I ‘know’ what’s good for the public and history suggests that never works out well in Reality.

                Liked by 1 person

                • I’m not so sure I would agree that ‘mine truly’ should not be allowed onto the public stage, for you are a very wise man who sees that which many fail to see. Back-and-forth discourse, however, perhaps brings us to a meeting of the minds somewhere in the middle? There is no panacea … we just do the best we can with the hand we are dealt.

                  Liked by 1 person

                  • Thanks for those kind words Jill.
                    One facet of many religions, when taken seriously and to heart is to admit to the confrontation within oneself; not to give way to ‘The Dark Side’…. which is a great struggle because thought can be corrosive as deed if left to fester.
                    One of the problems with being in a position of authority is balancing judgement with the I Know Best factor (abbreviated to IKB).
                    You have an example in the Whitehouse of what happens when the there is only the latter and none of the former.

                    Liked by 1 person

                    • Those are the truly greats; they are also truly rare.
                      But let’s hear it for the ones who are flawed, screw up, sort of admit their mistakes and try and do the best they can for all their constituents, bumbling and stumbling along. For they are ‘Us’.
                      I remember someone writing with that sweeping generalisation which declares to the world ‘I am so world-wise’. They said they didn’t vote because if you vote for a snake you get a snake….I was never sure just how they would expect the real world to run…Opting out is not a true option.

                      Liked by 1 person

                    • You’re right … none are likely to be perfect, few will be great, but there are many who honestly try to do the best they can. It’s just that, as the saying goes, “the squeaky wheel gets the oil”, and the corrupt ones get so much attention that sometimes it sucks the air out of the room. I’ve heard that argument for not voting, to which I say, B.S.!!! A sorry excuse. If we all thought that way, nobody would vote and we would wake the next morning in a dictatorship. Bah, Humbug. Wow … I think I’m starting to sound like you!

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  6. I too am saddened by the low level of consciousness/ decency exhibited by my fellow citizens. I’m sure this despicable display of barbarism is relegated to a few bad apples, nevertheless it’s disheartening to witness. Let’s pray our so-called president would step up, do the right thing and denounce such atrocious behavior.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Unfortunately, as of tonight, neither the prez nor any single member of the republican party in Congress have even so much as mentioned this atrocity. Empathy and calls for action have come from many democrats, but the republicans seem to have lost their voice.

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    • Thanks Larry! I, too, am a frequent visitor to the SPLC website and I am appalled at the path our nation is taking. The person in the Oval Office has truly brought the vermin out from under the rocks, has he not? But actually, hate crimes were on the rise under Obama, too, for many seemed to feel threatened by a black president. But with Trump, they didn’t feel a need to be subtle any longer.

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  8. Yet again another horrific event.The police talk a good fight and I just hope they prove themselves caring about this kind of hate attack. I wish them luck in finding somebody. If a lynching does occur or if these monsters use acid instead of bleach I hope everyone remembers that it’s some mother’s son it’s happening to and that these kind of actions are carried out by the worst of the worst, the cowards that your current President approves of.
    Cwtch

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    • Yes, it is horrific … I thought we had moved beyond this idiocy, but obviously I was wrong. I imagine the Chicago police, who are stretched thin already, will give it their best for a day or two, but I’ll be very surprised if they catch these two. I fear this is only the beginning, that we are truly moving back, erasing the gains of the 1960s, and with the blessing of the Fool on the Hill. Sigh.
      Cwtch

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  9. Jill, thanks for shining a spotlight on this heinous act. The people who feel they have power to demonize and then abuse people who look, worship, love, dress, differently are the worst among us. We need our better angels to do what you did and tell as many people as they can that this is simply not right. Unfortunately, we have a President who opines on everything, but things that really matter. Leaders must condemn these actions.

    Keith

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    • PS – As an independent voter and former of both parties, I want to state this frankly. Most Trump supporter are not white supremacists and haters of non-WASPs. But those who are such are in Trump’s base. With that said, people who are not must be more vocal to say that is not who we are. Their silence is enabling.

      It should be noted that several GOP state legislators in Kansas, New Jersey and California have switched parties since the election. The reason is the Trump GOP is becoming less big tent and more exclusive. Think about that.

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      • You are quite right … and we all sometimes forget that, for the haters are so loud that they seem to speak for all Trump supporters. Frankly, though, at this point I don’t see how anybody who is a compassionate individual could be a supporter of Trump, and that makes it difficult to keep an open mind. Yes, I have seen news of a few state legislators switching parties! I wish some of the U.S. Senators would do the same!

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    • Thanks Keith! We cannot remain silent about these things. I read that while a number of democratic politicians spoke out against this heinous crime, not a single republican even acknowledged it. So, has the divide become that wide, that human life takes a backseat to all else? Yes, leaders must condemn these actions and we cannot stop caring, as some seem to have.

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  10. I know it has been a while, but I am still working on my CO-EXIST post for you. If this had happened in Canada (more specifically Alberta) it would have been added to my list of non-co-existing events that are becoming all the rage in the province in which I live.
    A sneak preview: twice this past week videos have captured pictures of supposedly ex Sons of Odin entering mosques in Edmonton, one that was first built 80 years ago, and has co-existed with other religions mostly peacefully ever since. When confronted, one of the men claimed to have entered the mosque to use the toilet. Yeah, we all believe that! This weekend just passed happened to be the anniversary of an attack by Sons of Odin on a mosque in Montreal, where a number of congregants were killed or injured. Fortunately there were no attacks on these mosques, but that was probably because the intruders were captured on film, and known to police. What might have happened is too terrible to even consider…

    Liked by 2 people

    • I’m happy to know that! I thought you had just decided not to do it, and I wasn’t going to pressure you, but your contribution is welcome whenever you finish it! Thanks! That is terrible … and it didn’t even make the news here, whereas just a few years ago it would have. Sorry I’m slow answering … have a chest infection that has me under the weather. LuL

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    • I’m sorry for you Sir and I apologise for all the whites who are ignorant enough to think themselves something better. You are entitled to live your life in complete freedom and without looking over your shoulder.
      Hugs

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    • Like David, I am so very sorry. One of my dearest friends is an African-American and he has been pulled over by police on his way to work so many times he has lost count, and even served time in prison for a crime he did not commit. He fears for his children, as do I. I fear for this nation, that we are moving backward and forgetting the lessons of our history. The recent spate of people calling police only because they see a black man swimming or grilling out or walking on the sidewalk is absolutely ridiculous. Hugs to you, my friend.

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