a) The crime that was alleged (surrounding and harassing a peaceful Native American protester) is a lot worse than what seems to have happened (a peaceful Native American protester wandered between competing groups and members of one group thought he was associated with the other group).
b) They’ve had their names and faces shown all over the Internet with the declarations that they were racist taunting an elderly Native American. That’s still going to be one of the top results for their names when they’re googled in 10 years. That’s actually a fairly hefty punishment.
Ratzi’s performance in that regard was always unsatisfying. Yes, every German youth of his age had to join the organisation, and yes he deserted, but he always came off as saying it was as much a matter of personal survival as it was opposition to the regime. Worse, he extended the same defense to Pope Pius XII. So much for moral leadership.
In any case, the state isn’t coercing these smug little turds to wear those hats or mock a Native American trying to defuse a potentially violent situation. They chose to do that all on their own.
I do look forward to the day when those MAGA hats will inspire as much disgust as Hitlerjugend uniforms do now.
That are widely available in Washington DC gift shops and they may or may not have bought and worn as a novelty joke. A very stupid and insensitive joke, or perhaps not a joke at all, as @gracchus said.
I’d argue that the sort of person willing to buy very specific campaign materials. Campaign materials that have become widely adopted as white supremacist symbols. As a “novelty joke”
Probably have a particular predilection.
ETA: I’ll also note that I know kids like this. I’m surrounded by them, and until a few years ago worked with a bunch of them. The “just joking” excuse is there publicly. But they genuinely believe this. And that same smug ass smile accompanies all of it. One kid in this age group, and I’ll admit this was in 2016 not recently. Bought one of these hats, and when I asked him what the fuck he was thinking. Giggled, played it up and said something about the niggers and how pissed they’d be. Little shit was so over joyed to be saying that word in the open. Another friend of his was attempting to get a Police job, and said “I just can’t wait to bust some nigger heads, really show em.”
Young men are idiots. Teenage young men especially. I was a very particular sort of aggressive asshole at that age. I’m 100% a good lot of the male people here were.
But for a certain subset of young men now. And you’ll recognize them in the video if you’re familiar at all. The “just for laughs” excuse is the white supremacist explanation. Its funny! Because these people actually think its funny to cause others suffering. The MAGA hat is “hilarious” because they really genuinely believe other people are less. And the lulz are to be had in pointing it out and celebrating it.
I seen that smug smile before is all I’m saying. I’ve also seen the parents response. And they are very concerned about the Hispanic family that moved in down the block.
I mean, they did use racist taunts against an elserly Native American man and are blaming interactions with black supremacists as the justification for their own racist actions against an entirely different party.
I’ve not read any preceding comments. The thought that springs to mind, after reading the article, is ‘what happened to turning the other cheek, good Christians?’ IF they were SO aggrieved by being taunted for their MAGA-wear, why didn’t they follow the example of Christ and just keep moving, assured that their faith in drumph is the one true way? Why be so defensive? Hmmm…
They knew he wasn’t feeding the pigeons. Either way, they were engaged in harassment no matter at whom it was directed. And wearing MAGA hats isn’t accidental. It’s a tacit agreement that one is engaged with racist culture and oppression. Foolish, yes, but not without knowledge of what it symbolizes.
I’d say living as a Person of Color who has to strive ten times harder to survive in a culture of systemic racism and institutional oppression, in a land whom
a) their ancestors were kidnapped, shipped to, and forced to build cities and industries in for white European capitalist slavers, or
b) their ancestors were slaughtered, poisoned, shot, or killed off with disease by white European slavers in order to steal their land (in essence, nobody’s legal possession), and forced into ever-shrinking reservations
and who often have to fear for their lives in the presence of those who are sworn to protect them, working at jobs or striving for an education where they are routinely criticized, hampered, or passed over for advancement because reasons that have no basis in fact, while enduring racial epithets or other forms of aggression on an almost daily basis from the common public.
I think at most they’re not going to suffer too much, because they’re white and protected by the system. So, that punishment is not really so bad.
You’re going to give credence to a white Jesuit priest (who is naturally going to side with the nice Catholic white boys from the nice Catholic school) and a white blogger whose resume is full of right wing think tank fellowships, instead of to interviews given by Nathan Phillips himself? Just how did that line of reasoning go?
Parents of white students who showed their racist asses on the internet: “our boys are nice boys, see how nice and white and middle class they are, they can’t possibly be nasty evil people.”
Frauenfelder: “Gee, who should I believe here?”
Native American who was harassed when he tried to defuse a tense situation: “They acted very badly, I am really disappointed in their teachers for letting things get so out of hand”
Frauenfelder: “(scratches head) Gee, If only there was a trustworthy firsthand source of information on what really went down”
White right wing pundits: “The Parents are totally correct, see how white and not-poor those nice boys are, and besides, there were some horrible bigoted black people there taunting them”
Frauenfelder: (gasps with relief) “Thank god, finally an objective alternative viewpoint!”
eta: forgot to say that the Jesuit is basically in damage control mode, trying to prevent the behaviour of a bunch of proudly racist Catholic school boys from overshadowing the Serious Business of controlling women’s bodies.
It’s a complex story and even if there are questions as to how shitty the MAGA kids were being, there’s no doubt that they did shitty things. More importantly, they are growing up in a culture that protects and condones these shitty things.
This thread really clarifies the kind of world these kids live in. The ones who hold the most blame are the teachers, preachers, and parents that are guiding these kids towards darkness.
Yeah, you don’t get the benefit of the doubt while wearing a MAGA cap. It’s functionally equivalent to wearing a Nazi swastika in such contexts.
Well, for some of us, that day is now…
The other one was, “They should have Nathan Phillips come to the school to teach the kids not to be racist.”
White People: “Come sort out our shit, people of color; we’re just gonna leave this mess on your doorstep, since you’re the targets…”
p.p.s.- my reaction when i try my best to write a thoughtful thread about examining race relations holistically and not getting too caught up on any one person… …and then that one kid unmasks himself in a lengthy statement. (can y’all stop hate tweeting at me now pls?)
I’m kind of disappointed that so many people just have embraced the narrative that the real problem are a group of radical black people who most of us have literally never heard about… it’s like some are grasping at whatever straws will absolve the poor, put upon white boys… But this country and world has been disappointing me for 42 years. Times I came to grips with that reality instead of hoping that the people that exist today can be better than they actually are.
It’s weird that so many people are okay with equality being seen as oppression…
[ETA] By that I mean the perceived oppression of white people, which is absolutely not happening in the least. But some people see it as their god-given right to say and do whatever racist thing comes into their head. They see it as a birthright to be insulting to other races… a concept which is a social construct that does not exist. These young men are in an enviable position - coming out of a well regarded private school, with a great deal of cultural capital to spend in their journey to guaranteed employment and good prospects for a solid future.
