CNN Helps Clear the Air Over MAGA Hat Teen and Native American’s Viral Incident
Monday morning, CNN ran a five-minute segment about the viral incident between a Catholic student wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat and a Native American elder, where it was initially widely reported the student was “confronting” the older man.
CNN’s Sara Sidner explained there is actually more video leading up to the incident and how it shows the teenager is not the monster he had been made out to be on Saturday.
The segment explained how the students were at first being heckled by men belonging to the Black Israelites. They shouted offensive and hateful things at the teenagers from Kentucky, who were in Washington, D.C. to attend the March for Life.
Video taken by the Black Israelites showed the students did not engage them and just stood there as more of them arrived to look on. At one point, Nathan Phillips walks into the crowd where he encounters Nick Sandmann and the interaction between the two that went viral was filmed.
While Phillips and other Native Americans still believe the students were mocking them with their chants, Sandmann said they were doing the chants first to drown out the shouts from the Black Israelites.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), whose district includes Covington Catholic High School, has come to their defense, saying the other videos show the initial reports were inaccurate.
(1/5) I was uncomfortable when I saw the video & description that first went viral, so I understand the initial reactions to the CovCath video. I chose to wait for more facts before responding because the narrative did not match what I know to be the character of these students.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 20, 2019
(2/5) The honorable and tolerant students of Covington Catholic School came to DC to advocate for the unborn and to learn about our nation’s Capitol. What they got was a brutal lesson in the unjust court of public opinion and social media mobs.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 20, 2019
(3/5) I’ve now watched over an hour of other videos from 4 different cameras of the incident in front of the Lincoln Memorial. I urge everyone to watch the other videos before passing judgement. Would you have remained that composed at that age under those circumstances?
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 20, 2019
(4/5) In the face of racist and homosexual slurs, the young boys refused to reciprocate or disrespect anyone. Even when taunted by homophobic bigots, which was obviously bewildering to them, they insulted no one.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 20, 2019
(5/5) In the context of everything that was going on (which the media hasn’t shown) the parents and mentors of these boys should be proud, not ashamed, of their kids’ behavior. It is my honor to represent them.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 20, 2019
Watch above, via CNN
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