This is Ugly America; What Can We Learn?
What can we learn from the varied perspectives of an unfortunate and ugly scenario in DC on Friday January 18th? When some Catholic High School youth from Kentucky gathered at the Lincoln memorial to meet their bus after participating in the March for Life they had no idea how they would be at the center of a nationwide drama that played out throughout the weekend on social media? The first amendment is a fundamental right to American citizenship however we must utilize it with compassion and a respect that demonstrates a willingness to understand the other point of view. We are failing at this every day but what can we learn? How can we grow from our mistakes? The immediate reaction, judgement and condemnation of others is becoming all too common in an America of divided politics. Many of us have “newsfeeds” that only seem to reinforce what we want to hear or what we already believe to be true.
After reading the outline of the story below please share your comments, questions and perspectives so that we may add to a more productive dialogue of understanding.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/21/us/maga-hat-teens-native-american-second-video/index.html
A new video that surfaced Sunday shows what happened before and after the encounter Friday in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.
In the new video, another group taunts the students from Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky with disparaging and vulgar language. The group of black men, who identify as members of the Hebrew Israelites, also shout racist slurs at participants of the Indigenous Peoples Rally and other passersby.
The group’s chaperones, also criticized on social media, said later the students “were targeted from the get-go.
On Jan. 18, tens of thousands gathered in Washington for the annual March for Life, a march along Constitution Avenue after a rally on the National Mall to the Supreme Court to mark the court’s Jan. 22, 1973, decision that legalized abortion.
The march, held a few days before the actual anniversary this year, took place on the same day as the first Indigenous People’s March where marchers walked in the other direction on Constitution Avenue to draw attention to injustices against indigenous people.
For a more detailed version of the ugliness and the anger that comes from the human errors of racism and prejudice, this video gives a bit more context to the situation.
Was anyone clearly at fault? What skill is most needed in this situation? Emotional Control? Meta-cognition? Which individuals seem to be seeking understanding? Who is quick to judge? Who is angry? Who is patient?
simon.21 • Apr 2, 2019 at 9:01 am
This story gives me even more of a reason why I don’t support the president. Just the man who says he’ll make america great again is totally tearing it apart.
turbo • Mar 1, 2019 at 10:58 am
This is a perfect example of abuse of the first amendment. It’s really sad we have a leader that is racist and has supporters who are openly even more racist. I liked the questions in the end about meta cognition, as it is key to everything we do as human beings. I believe the first steps people should take to put an end to racism is improve their executive function skills. Not only the racist rednecks but also everyone who wants to stand up against racism. There are many skills that could’ve been used by both parties in this scenario, meta cognition, flexibility, sustained attention, and emotional control.
T • Feb 8, 2019 at 11:28 am
When I first saw the story I couldn’t really see who was at fault as most of what people thought of the story was based off of what was reported and not from what actually happened. The mainstream media tends to take a side and inaccurately portray what happened off their own leanings. The situation was handled poorly but I think the real problem was the off-the-bat emotional reactions people had. Those high schoolers were fairly disrespectful, however expressing your opinion regardless of how respectfully you do it is a right and many people who jumped into the situation responded by insulting them and even threatening them. Everyone has a right to express what they believe, but no one has a right to threaten them for it. The way these stories are portrayed in the media often make them worse and stop the real problem from being addressed because everyone is so angry they refuse to stop and see why people think the way they do. Yelling at someone will not change their views.
summerspring • Feb 8, 2019 at 9:16 am
Wow…. so shocked when the young man and the other’s were just making fun of Mr. Phillips. It’s so disrespectful.
oshi • Jan 23, 2019 at 10:48 am
There are two stories about what happened, I checked that link and it seems that it’s not like we think it is. Seems that those kids didn’t start anything, they were just wearing that hat, but anyway, that made them seem like they were bad kids.
shroudy_rowdy • Jan 23, 2019 at 8:53 am
i think it was pathetic for those other kids to mock the native peace cheer. it was good that no violence was involved and nobody got injured during this rally. the kid in the MAGA hat that stood still during the native peace cheer was good not to overreact and cause a bigger stir but i think it was the people around him that made things hard for them and i kinda think triggered the issue more, They were also targeted by different group which made it worst. All the kids were doing is minding there business. The reason why they were targeted because of the MAGA hat they were wearing DC.
BeefCakes • Jan 24, 2019 at 8:48 am
The kids didn’t ask for Mr.Phillips to walk into their crowd. I hope you’ve seen the full video of what happened. Wearing a hat shouldn’t cause so much civil discourse in the land of the free.
oceanmtnsky • Jan 22, 2019 at 8:38 pm
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/01/viral-clash-students-and-native-americans-explained/580906/
oceanmtnsky • Jan 22, 2019 at 8:37 pm
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/01/viral-clash-students-and-native-americans-explained/580906/
This article points to the fact that judgement and condemnation is easy but dialogue is hard
oshi • Jan 22, 2019 at 10:56 am
I think that all this began when those high school kids went to DC with that red hat, even if they didn’t mean it to go against someone, just because of wearing that hat make them see as they were going to do something bad. That kid in the first video seems to be making faces to the old man, for me I thought that he was making fun of him but when my teacher explained me the whole thing I realized that I was wrong, but still, how would someone go to DC, where there are a lot of opinions, wearing that red hat, even if you don’t mean to do something bad, that hat will become a problem.
BeefCakes • Jan 24, 2019 at 8:50 am
If you have to fear for your life while wearing a hat in the land of the free, then there is a serious talk that needs to happen in the Country.
Swagalicous • Jan 22, 2019 at 10:54 am
I think the Real Israelites of DC had no right to provoke the high school kids. This part of the video was not seen at first which caused many people to assume the high school kids were at fault. The Native American was trying to make peace but he was misunderstood. He was not causing any problems and he was expressing his way of peace but it added to the nervousness of the high school group. They decided to do cheers but more noise does not solve this problem…it just leads to more misunderstanding. While they did not intend to be disrespectful the MAGA Pro Life high school group was being disrespectful towards him. Some freedom of speech is not productive because it causes people to lose emotional control. If the chaperones of this high school group had metacognition about the overall situation and purpose of their trip then they probably would have told their boys to save the MAGA hats for another time and place. The hats themselves were a form of the first amendment but its a message that made the boys a target of the anger of others.
BeefCakes • Jan 24, 2019 at 8:53 am
Mr.Phillips could have walked away as easily as he walked up to them. I’ve said it twice and I’ll say it again. If you have to fear for your life from wearing a hat of a political party in the United States of America, home of the free, 1st amendment. Then there is a serious, serious talk that needs to be had.