Sticks And Stones Snowflakes And Murder
It’s incredible how much knowledge you collect innocently as a kid. One truism that still applies no matter what age you are is that “Sticks and Stones can break My Bones, but Names will never Hurt Me.”
As a writer, I know words are essential for setting a scene and conveying a mood or emotion. Yes, I am also aware that words written or spoken can hurt, but that pain is not the same as physical pain. Words themselves are not deadly. They may provoke physical action, but by themselves, they cannot kill or maim.
When it comes right down to it, words are still only words that can be perceived in many ways. The exact words that infuriate some can make others laugh. If actions are taken, good or bad, and words are blamed as the cause, then it is still because of how individuals perceive those words. The words themselves did nothing; perception of the words and the actions that follow are decided by the individuals.
In American culture, the “N” word has attained infamous status. Personally, I despise the word, but I think the reaction to its use can be overblown. Let’s be honest, many names/words are just as derogatory.
Whites are referred to as “Honky, Whitey, Gringo, Hillbilly, Etc. Latinos are referred to as “Spics, Wetbacks, Etc.” Chinese are referred to as “Chinks, Slant Eyes, Etc.” Italians are referred to as “Dagoes, Wops, Etc.” Poles are referred to as “Polacks, Etc.” Vietnamese are referred to as “Gooks, Charlie, Etc.” and so it goes on, and on, and on.
This very short list of examples doesn’t even come close to scratching the surface of the slurs used against the ethnicities I listed or the hundreds of others I didn’t list. The truth is, no matter what skin color, ethnicity, or religion a person is, there is a slur out there that some people will label you with.
The “N” word is no more of a personal attack against a black or brown individual than any of the other hundreds of derogatory slurs that are used against other individuals. However, the black community, buoyed by the MSM, has created so much of a social stigma around that single word that even uttering it immediately indicts that person as an insensitive racist. The irony about the word itself is that blacks use it with each other all the time. It is also used freely in rap music without fear of repercussion.
It’s not often considered, but the selective acceptance and use of any word by certain racial groups or in specific artistic genres, such as music, should automatically eliminate it from the racial slur category, and it should definitely eliminate it from the “Hate Crime” classification that the liberal left loves to use so indignantly. As a point of law, that word nor any word should be allowed to carry such a double-edged sword status.
Recently, a huge deal has been made about a Rochester, Minnesota, mother Shiloh Hendricks, who allegedly used the term when a five-year-old black child took a diaper bag away from her eighteen-month-old son. A man who reportedly has a police history of his own took a video of himself confronting the woman over the incident.
The man who recorded the video, whom Hendricks now accuses of stalking and doxxing her, questions her about why she used the “N-word” during their confrontation. The video sparked immediate backlash, with critics labeling Hendricks as a racist and initiating a coordinated campaign to destroy her life.
According to Hendricks, a video of the confrontation resulted in her home address, phone number, and Social Security number being leaked online. This has obviously put her family in danger.
Consequently, her children are now being harassed, and one of them may be forced to leave school due to threats.
In response to the harassment, Hendricks started a “GiveSendGo” fundraiser to protect her family. Initially, she set a goal of $250,000. However, after reaching $305,000 in donations, she increased the fundraising goal to $1 million.
In the fundraiser, titled “Help Me Protect My Family,” Hendricks states:
“My name is Shiloh, and I have been put into a very dire situation. I recently had a kid steal from my 18-month-old son’s diaper bag at a park. I called the kid out for what he was. Another man, who we recently found out has had a history with law enforcement, proceeded to record me and follow me to my car. He then posted these videos online, which has caused my family, and myself, great turmoil. My SSN has been leaked. My address, and phone number have been given out freely. My family members are being attacked. My eldest child may not be going back to school. Even where I exercise has been exposed.
I am asking for your help to assist in protecting my family. I fear that we must relocate. I have two small children who do not deserve this. We have been threatened to the extreme by people online. Anything will help! We cannot, and will not live in fear!”
Hearing about the incident, the City of Rochester, Minnesota, launched an investigation and issued the following statement:
“We are aware of a deeply disturbing video recorded at one of our City parks that contains racial slurs. The City of Rochester is firmly committed to fostering public spaces that are inclusive, welcoming, and safe for all residents and visitors-spaces where individuals of all backgrounds can relax, play, and connect with friends and neighbors. We remain committed to that goal. The Rochester Police Department is gathering information and actively looking into the matter.”
According to the Post Bulletin:
“The Rochester Branch of the NAACP called on the Rochester Police Department and the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office to investigate the incident and file necessary charges. Rochester Mayor Kim Norton urged Rochester residents to do all they can to “end racism in this community.” DFL state lawmakers representing Rochester issued a joint statement condemning the “vile acts of racism” and said they were grateful that the person taking the video stepped in.”
“Necessary charges?”
“Vile acts of racism?”
The city is grateful “that the person stepped in?”
Really?
Does anyone care that an older child stole from a younger one, which initiated the frustration and anger from the mother?
I am not suggesting that what the mother said was in any way appropriate. Yet, the word she used is still only a word. If the skin colors involved had been reversed and a white person had been called a Honky, would anyone have recorded the incident?
Would law enforcement be involved?
Would “Necessary Charges” be considered?
Would it be considered a “Vile act of racism?”
Would the city be grateful “that a person stepped in?”
Had the situation been reversed, the answer to all of those questions would have been a resounding “NO, OF COURSE NOT!”
In this case, a mother responded emotionally and inappropriately. However, she did not commit a crime. She used the same term that is heard thousands of times each day within the black community and on the radio. The consequences suffered by her family are generated by what has sadly become an expected response, not one based in reality.
What the other child did was also not a real crime; it was kids being kids, but it was still wrong. In that sense, Hendrick’s son was the victim, but no one is seeking punishment for that family. This is a perfect example of where no true crime was committed by anyone, but because of the unfair and inflated double-edged sanctity given to one word, snowflakes, whose delicate sensibilities are offended by everything, have turned this into something that it isn’t.
Even in the video, the man taking it deliberately egged on the mother. He wanted an inflated response, and she provided him with one. Her response, though crude, was based on the fact that he was recording her over such a ridiculous matter. She was pissed about him continuing to instigate trouble, but he knew that liberals foaming at the mouth on the internet who love to hate, would eat it up. He also knew that the city would bow to the liberals and condemn the mom. This was his pathetic opportunity for 15 minutes of notoriety.
Compare this situation to another recent tragedy. On April 2nd at a track meet in Frisco, Texas, Karmelo Anthony, a 17-year-old black teenager, stabbed Austin Metcalf, a 17-year-old white teenager, to death during a dispute.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Karmelo Anthony was waiting out a weather delay under a tent designated for Frisco Memorial High School students, where Metcalf attended school, when Metcalf told him to move.
Anthony allegedly reached inside his bag and said, “Touch me and see what happens,” the affidavit said. Metcalf then touched him, to which Anthony replied, “Punch me and see what happens.”
According to the report, Metcalf grabbed Anthony and again told him to move when Anthony pulled out a knife, stabbed Metcalf once in the chest, and ran away.
Anthony told officers at the scene he was assaulted first and acted in self-defense.
“I’m not alleged. I did it,” Anthony allegedly told police.
Anthony then allegedly said to investigators, “He put his hands on me. I told him not to.”
Austin Metcalf had a twin brother, and as he was bleeding out from the stab wound, his brother held him in his arms as life slipped out of his body.
This should have been a nothing-burger dispute. Situations like this happen thousands of times across the country between young men. At the very worst, this may have escalated into a fist fight, but there is a good chance it may have ended up being only a shoving match with some words exchanged. However, Anthony destroyed another young man’s life by pulling out a knife and stabbing him in the heart. This never should have happened, but Karmelo Anthony made a choice, and with that choice, he became a murderer.
Why did Anthony bring a knife to a track meet? That in itself is very strange and very telling. Then why did he feel so entitled to act so viciously in such a benign situation? His words indicate that he was ready to do what he ultimately did. By saying, “Touch me and see what happens,” Anthony is admitting that he knew what he would do.
Since then, Anthony’s family has raised over $500,000 through a GiveSendGo account, a liberal judge has reduced his bond from $1 million to $250,000, allowing him to return home, his family and friends have held press conferences, and the MSM has painted Anthony as the victim while forgetting that an innocent 17-year-old, Austin Metcalf was MURDERED.
It’s a sad state of affairs when the MSM covers murder in the same manner as a name-calling incident. Even worse is when liberal judicial and city officials portray the victims and criminals as interchangeable based on race.
