Ugh, indeed. Those “conservative media,” like Fox News, are stirring up trouble and racial animosity by reporting on the “knockout game,” in which roaming gangs try to knock out passerby without warning. Fortunately, Slate is reporting that, while the game does exist, the idea that it’s a trend is nothing more than a conservative myth.
The Los Angeles Times has also pitched in with a lengthy piece debunking the trend as a myth pushed by Fox News.
Media conservatives stoke fears of attacks on whites by African American youths. Fact is, it's a myth. http://t.co/WWot2lHPT5
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) November 26, 2013
Both pieces arrive on the same day that the distinctly non-conservative Rev. Al Sharpton writes a piece in the non-conservative Huffington Post decrying the knockout game as “an alarming trend” that is “deplorable, reprehensible and inexcusable.” But it’s not racist, is it? “This behavior is racist, period,” Sharpton concludes.
The Rev. Al must be watching Fox News when he’s not taping his own show on MSNBC, because he’s convinced that the trend is not a myth and something must be done about it:
This week, I will be meeting with other leaders to address our next moves regarding this crisis. As one who has fought for greater civil rights for all, I cannot watch this travesty unfold. We can discuss the many factors that may lead to this sort of destructive behavior, whether it be poverty, unemployment, etc., but at the end of the day, there is no excuse ever to bestow violence on others. There is no justification for brutally punching or attacking a person in this manner. These kids must be held accountable, and then they must receive the right guidance and mentorship to halt any further damage. In our own communities, we must work harder to spot disastrous behavior and intervene before anything horrific like these attacks take place.
Which media outlet — Slate or the Los Angeles Times — is going to break the news to Sharpton and the Huffington Post that they’ve been had?
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter also seems to have bought into the right-wing hysteria.
“Mayor Michael Nutter was joined by other city leaders Monday evening in an attempt to stop the so-called ‘Knockout Game’ from spreading to Philadelphia,” reported CBS Philly.
Mayor Nutter On “Knockout Attacks”: “It Will Not Be Tolerated Here In The City” – http://t.co/sCOoEA9noR
— CBS Philly (@CBSPhilly) November 26, 2013
@latimes Amazing @ABC @NBC @CBS @CNN Had Reports on it & Jews in NY sure have seen it in action and @Latimes say its a myth.@jewishTVnetwork
— American Fact (@AmericanFact) November 26, 2013
https://twitter.com/_CaptainStupid/status/405165104586444801
https://twitter.com/CarlosC951/status/405167674608476160
https://twitter.com/CarlosC951/status/405169932901416961
@Slate I hope you are right, but recently the local news in every city I have traveled too reports cases
— Eduardo Alvarez (@EdAlvarezB) November 26, 2013
@Slate ha! Tell the kids at my school it's a game. I'm pretty sure they think it's real and feel like they've been dared.
— Nanny McFever (@FancyNancyAnn) November 26, 2013
@Slate What are you trying to accomplish by lying to people about this? It's real and dangerous.
— Carolyn Porter (@CarolynnP) November 26, 2013
@Slate What the hell color is the sky on Planet Slate?
— Mike (@MrFrissoreDW) November 26, 2013
Join the conversation as a VIP Member