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What the now-disgraced Jussie Smollett did was an individual act of total stupidity in a total misguided and extremely selfish attempt to draw a higher salary on a television show that had just about run its course... An end course run that was accelerated with his asinine publicity stunt, a shameful publicity stunt that smelled fishy from the beginning and was pretty quickly figured out to be staged.
Smollett’s criminal trial hopefully will dissuade anyone else from staging something as serious as a hate crime for personal gain.
The worst thing about Smollett’s faked hate crime is that some people will be tempted to point to that incident and attempt to say that many hate crimes are staged or are faked, when hate crimes are unfortunately all too real for too many people.
What Jussie Smollett did as Professor Wilfred Reilly has shown with his book Hate Crime Hoax is absolutely a disturbing trend. Bill Torpy's article also pointed this out locally. Nobody has said all hate crimes are 'fake' or 'hoaxes'. Quite the opposite. The issue is the manner in which they are charged and reported on. Take for example Roy Lee Gordon Jr. what he did at Emory Autism Center is the very definition of a hate crime. He was bizarrely charged with second degree burglary. Georgia has a brand new hate crime law that he should have been charged under. It makes no sense to any sane observer why he wasn't.
What the now-disgraced Jussie Smollett did was an individual act of total stupidity in a total misguided and extremely selfish attempt to draw a higher salary on a television show that had just about run its course... An end course run that was accelerated with his asinine publicity stunt, a shameful publicity stunt that smelled fishy from the beginning and was pretty quickly figured out to be staged.
Smollett’s criminal trial hopefully will dissuade anyone else from staging something as serious as a hate crime for personal gain.
The worst thing about Smollett’s faked hate crime is that some people will be tempted to point to that incident and attempt to say that many hate crimes are staged or are faked, when hate crimes are unfortunately all too real for too many people.
I completely agree with this 100%.
Unless you are a minority or have been the victim of a hate crime, trying to talk to the majority about the full on crimes, aggressions, etc., is often a waste of time. And as much as I love this state, this region of the country still has a long way to go when it comes to acceptance of how things actually are for racial/ethnic minorities, LGBTQ, immigrants, etc. I am not saying the Northeast and West is perfect, but they are definitely ahead as a region. Atlanta is in a league of its own here, but it is the exception to the rule. Every time I see a Confederate flag or that carving on Stone Mountain, I know it is meant to remind me of me and my family's place. It is not a coincidence the rebirth of the Klan happened at the top.
Jussie Smollett is no more representative of all Black and gay people than Hitler is representative of all straight, white people. Anyone pointing to him forgets that these equations work both ways. It is also a clue that someone walks around with a privilege they will not acknowledge. It's just easier to essentially say "your plight is a mirage and carries no weight". It goes back to my statement in previous posts that trying to talk to people about these things with hopes it will trigger some "a ha moment" is just fruitless. Whereas these things are being discussed and being looked at on a widespread scale in other regions of the country, the South still needs more time. People here are still debating whether hate crimes even exist at all, whether micro aggressions cause harm, whether that carving of traitors to America is a good thing or a bad thing to have in the 21st Century. Outside of major cities, it really is like stepping back to the 50's in many parts of the rural South. Little has changed. What's worse is how do you blame good people for thinking things are a way they are not when they have never been taught anything but things that paint a picture that only includes half truths? It is UNACCEPTABLE that I never once heard of Juneteenth until about a year ago. Until we deal with reality, the way things actually were, all the good and the ugly, without feelings of shame and guilt from anyone, change will be slow and volatile. Self deception is not good for anyone. It may feel better than looking at reality, but it is toxic to the soul and society. I stand by my assertion that straight, white people MUST put aside their idea that guilt and shame are necessary to move us all forward. Nobody wants to make others feel bad for other's actions. We all can look at the absolute truth and what it has done to people still struggling under the residual effects of hatred and oppression, break it down and stop the bleeding. It is not a crime to be a descendant of a people who clearly did some messed up things. But we become accessories to their actions when we refuse to even acknowledge how bad those things were and why they still matter today. I am a white guy. I feel no shame in that. I do feel shame to see other white people today ignore events in history that are literally still hurting others centuries later. We need to end this revisionist crap so we can all get on with a healthy human existence.
Last edited by AtlantaRising; 12-02-2021 at 03:51 PM..
If Atlanta is so racist, why are so many minorities moving there? Why do the minorities stay there? Why all the growth of the metro area?
I've never lived in a more successfully integrated city in my life, and I've lived in quite a few.
Better question is why are so many minorities in Atlanta faking hate crimes? If there are so many legitimate hate crimes occurring why have people resorted to faking them? Makes no sense. This is supply and demand and it seems the actual supply of actual hate crimes is lower than the demand for them hence why we have people faking them. This is pure insanity.
Better question is why are so many minorities in Atlanta faking hate crimes? If there are so many legitimate hate crimes occurring why have people resorted to faking them? Makes no sense. This is supply and demand and it seems the actual supply of actual hate crimes is lower than the demand for them hence why we have people faking them. This is pure insanity.
My thought is there are people from all groups who are acting out in an effort to exert some degree of power or to be heard. That is certainly not an acceptable alibi. Jussie Smollett should be tried and pay the price that comes with such criminal activity. I don't know any LGBTQ people who are not livid by what he did because it negates from the actual hate crimes the community does have to deal with. The same way all these straight, white men who are exerting their power by shooting up schools, movie theaters, Walmarts and attacking our government. No excuses should be made for any of these things. But there are clearly sociological and psychological issues going on that must be addressed because they are reflective of something wrong in a place we all must live and function.
Last edited by AtlantaRising; 12-02-2021 at 04:44 PM..
It depends on what the metric being cited is for a 'hate' crime. Lots of variables here.
Hate crimes themselves ARE the metric, and no, there aren't "lots of variables." If you meant to say "criteria" instead of "metric," then that was explicitly given in the source I linked to:
The FBI Hate Crime Statistics is an annual compilation of bias-motivated incidents in the United States. For the purpose of the report, a hate crime is defined as a criminal offense which is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias(es) against a person based on race, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, and gender identity.
And the thing is, it's likely that the numbers are higher for all groups but particularly non-whites.
Quote:
For example, we have FBI interracial violent crime statistics. https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/
It is heavily skewed one way in all instances with one group committing a vast majority of violent crimes against other ethnic groups far more than the reverse but this is never discussed. Why?
Interracial violent crimes aren't considered hate crimes in and of themselves, but those considered as such will be included in the actual hate crime statistics.
And one reason I'm sure it's not discussed as often is because of this which has historically lead to this so many times until it's not funny.
Quote:
We also have disturbing trends like What Jussie Smollett did (he is on trial this week and the facts of the case are embarrassing)
And, we also have this from a local Atlanta and Georgia perspective:
And yet, I don't see where anyone was lynched or entire neighborhoods torched in the cases that were cited. I don't think that's really a discussion you or Torpy want to have.
Quote:
Professor Wilfred Reilly has an excellent book out on this subject of what is actually considered and measured as a 'hate' crime. I'd suggest you read it but would be wasting my time. Back to the post you quoted the #StopAsianHate movement all but disappeared when it was discovered that the narrative that was originally being pushed was false and it was one specific group who was committing the vast majority of the attacks. Here is an article from 2010 discussing this issue way before 2020 or 2021: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/neviu...ut-3265760.php
You have to be willing to get your news from multiple sources or you will be tricked into thinking that Jussie Smollet was actually attacked by 'white supremacists'. We live in a bizarre world where to some people and groups think/believe that hate crimes can’t be committed by any race other than white people. We all know that is a false. Absolutely amazing how much MSM has lied about this. Heck, I believed them until I actually looked into the actual numbers with all the violence that started in 2020. What I found was very disturbing to say the least and it wasn't what CNN. MSNBC, etc. were telling me it was. The totality of this is an unfortunate side effect of identity politics.
Every news source reported the same thing initially which was based on what Smollett told authorities and they subsequently followed up as holes were being poked in his story. Hell, it sounded fishy from the very beginning. I have no idea why he felt the need to make up a story like that when there are more than enough real life stories involving extreme Trump/QAnon supporters that are beyond damning.
I don't want anyone here to think I blame them personally for anything. No one should feel guilty by simply existing. I am, by nature, a pretty passionate person, particularly about my home and birth state of Georgia. I hope that comes across in my comments. I only have intent to be a part of the solution. I am simply asking you to try to look a little deeper than just Democrat or Republican. Consider the residual effects to get the governing "policies" you want. Consider the suffering caused. Know that the second a political candidate demonizes even one minority group on TV, everything changes for some Americans. And vote your conscience. But protect America and democracy first.
To give you a little insight into the daily life of what this feels like and how it affects a family...because of the Virginia election (and some other events since 2016), my immediate family is moving back to Los Angeles before 2024, just in case Donald Trump is elected again. We don't feel safe here anymore. Something undemocratic is brewing. You can feel it. I can't live in a red state and go through that again. Peace of mind is not a moment. It's all day long.
And that's messed up. We are good people.
But it is what it is, for now.
Bottom line is that this man believes LA is a safer, and much more desirable place for a person of his thinking and desires! Let this man go and be a happy camper! There's a reason LA is a bigger city than Atlanta. Maybe this man is on to something. Goodbye and God Speed!
Bottom line is that this man believes LA is a safer, and much more desirable place for a person of his thinking and desires! Let this man go and be a happy camper! There's a reason LA is a bigger city than Atlanta. Maybe this man is on to something. Goodbye and God Speed!
Thank you for your well wishes! We just returned from Los Angeles Tuesday night from nine days seeking out affordable neighborhoods for our family. We hope to be able to save the down payment by end of year 2024.
FYI, Atlanta is not the problem. Atlanta is the best thing going for this entire region of the country. We love Atlanta. But Atlanta comes with a sea of ignorance and uneducated all around it, bounded by states that have much different values than we do. While this is changing fast, it is not fast enough for those of us who have lived outside of this area and have comparative experiences. God bless the good people of this metro. You really are on the frontlines of the last holdouts of sophistication, equity and a safe, peaceful existence for all people in the United States. I have no doubt in a decade or two, with the demographic changes, things will be much different.
Thank you again for your good thoughts.
Last edited by AtlantaRising; 12-03-2021 at 09:59 AM..
Hate crimes themselves ARE the metric, and no, there aren't "lots of variables." If you meant to say "criteria" instead of "metric," then that was explicitly given in the source I linked to:
The FBI Hate Crime Statistics is an annual compilation of bias-motivated incidents in the United States. For the purpose of the report, a hate crime is defined as a criminal offense which is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias(es) against a person based on race, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, and gender identity.
And the thing is, it's likely that the numbers are higher for all groups but particularly non-whites.
Interracial violent crimes aren't considered hate crimes in and of themselves, but those considered as such will be included in the actual hate crime statistics.
And one reason I'm sure it's not discussed as often is because of this which has historically lead to this so many times until it's not funny.
And yet, I don't see where anyone was lynched or entire neighborhoods torched in the cases that were cited. I don't think that's really a discussion you or Torpy want to have.
Every news source reported the same thing initially which was based on what Smollett told authorities and they subsequently followed up as holes were being poked in his story. Hell, it sounded fishy from the very beginning. I have no idea why he felt the need to make up a story like that when there are more than enough real life stories involving extreme Trump/QAnon supporters that are beyond damning.
The FBI UCR report is based on actual convictions not 'claims' 'blames' or 'accusations' of crime/violent crime......
As far as Hate Crimes go we essentially have 3 occurrences:
1. Actual Hate Crimes (these absolutely exist)
2. Actual Hate Crimes that are not charged as Hate Crimes for whatever bizarre reason (recent Georgia/Atlanta examples being Terresha Lucas, Roy Lee Gordon Jr, Edawn Coughman, etc)
3. Fake/Hoax Hate Crimes. These are starting to appear at an alarming rate Nationwide for some bizarre reason and really hurt/hinder actual crimes in #1 above.
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