Empire Star Beaten in Chicago!

[skjl47]

One way to look at the attack on Mr. Smollett is that he is but one victim among many in a spike in hate crimes, as the FBI reports: "The most recent FBI hate crimes report found a 17 percent year-over-year spike in bias crimes in 2017 — the third consecutive yearly increase. Nearly 58 percent of the reported bias incidents were motivated by the victims’ race, ethnicity or ancestry, and more than 17 percent were motivated by sexual orientation or gender identity."
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc...ace-compounded-violence-advocates-say-n964891

Another way to look at it is that he is a high profile victim that could bring additional attention and resources to this national problem.

A third is that there is a concerted effort to discredit Mr. Smollett to try, I'd assume, to distract or deny that the growth in the number of hate crimes in this country is real. I'd also assume that such efforts are based in bad faith: racism, homophobia, ignorance, bigotry, blind partisanship or some combination of these.

Other than what I read from the Chicago Police Department or other credible sources, I have no more information than anyone about the attack on Mr. Smollett. Other than conjecture, there is no evidence that either Mr. Smollett or the Chicago Police are lying. And plenty of evidence to the contrary, including statements from the Police themselves.

What I do know is that there are plenty of bigots, racists and homophobes who want nothing more than to use some Mr. Smollett's case as a premise to mock LGBTQ people and/or people of color and as a way to deny that hate crime is a problem and to do anything about it.

If you're one of those people, I'm not going to change your mind. But I hope you at least realize what you are.

Hello; I have been trying to be fair minded about this topic. Sad you do not seem to see this. Interesting you attack me in this way. I must assume you are throwing many if not all those labels at me.

Near as I can tell this thread has been about a single very specific alleged attack. Now you are trying to expand it to all "hate crimes". I will not be trolled and drawn into this. You go too far but I will not respond in kind.

 

[jaws7777]

I dont think we are bigots. Even if it is true. Whats so special about this guy ? Because hes an actor ? I think we should stop looking at specific victims, worrying about labeling each one. Theres victims in every walk of life almost daily and they get 0 attention because they arent tied to hollywood.

I wonder how many kids were shot or assaulted the same day and we hear no outcry about them.

 

[dogofwar]

The attack on Mr. Smollett didn't occur in a vacuum.

Nor did people trolling him...

It's kind of disgusting that there's so much suspicion of the attack on Smollett. It's not as if these kinds of attacks - and murders - haven't been on the rise.

The latest, it appears, is that there are suspects on surveillance: https://abc7chicago.com/photos-show...st-in-empire-actor-attack-police-say/5113489/

All of the extremist killings in the US in 2018 had links to right-wing extremism, according to new report
https://www.businessinsider.com/extremist-killings-links-right-wing-extremism-report-2019-1

 

[dogofwar]

The people who attacked Mr. Smollett - and who target people like him - think that there's something "special" about him. That's why we have hate crimes and hate crime laws. That's literally the point.

The people who seek to discredit Mr. Smollett, for whatever reason, empower bigots to discount that hate crimes are a problem or real (despite trends documented by the FBI, among others, to the contrary): That the victims of these crimes are just whining...or asking for it...or should be looked at suspiciously...because, you know, they're all just making it up.

I can't speak to your motivations but the net effect is the same.

I dont think we are bigots. Even if it is true. Whats so special about this guy ? Because hes an actor ? I think we should stop looking at specific victims, worrying about labeling each one. Theres victims in every walk of life almost daily and they get 0 attention because they arent tied to hollywood.

I wonder how many kids were shot or assaulted the same day and we hear no outcry about them.

 

[Warborg]

What I do know is that there are plenty of bigots, racists and homophobes who want nothing more than to use some Mr. Smollett's case as a premise to mock LGBTQ people and/or people of color and as a way to deny that hate crime is a problem and to do anything about it.

Don't forget this goes both ways. Remember the cake baker. If a store refuses service go to another store. Stores have the right to refuse service to any one(no shoes, no shirts?)

 

[dogofwar]

What does that have anything to do with people targeting Mr. Smollett or LGBTQ people for attack?

Don't forget this goes both ways. Remember the cake baker. If a store refuses service go to another store. Stores have the right to refuse service to any one(no shoes, no shirts?)

 

[jaws7777]

The people who attacked Mr. Smollett - and who target people like him - think that there's something "special" about him. That's why we have hate crimes and hate crime laws. That's literally the point.

The people who seek to discredit Mr. Smollett, for whatever reason, empower bigots to discount that hate crimes are a problem or real (despite trends documented by the FBI, among others, to the contrary): That the victims of these crimes are just whining...or asking for it...or should be looked at suspiciously...because, you know, they're all just making it up.

I can't speak to your motivations but the net effect is the same.

So the victim of a hate crime is less unfortunate that the victim of a "regular" violent crime ?


If this guy wasnt LGBT would you still be so adamant that he was being truthful?

 

[dogofwar]

Of course not. It's a bad thing for anyone to be the victim of a crime.

Our society...and our legal system... has chosen to create a separate class of crimes called hate crimes. I'll let the FBI explain why:

"Hate crimes are the highest priority of the FBI’s Civil Rights program, not only because of the devastating impact they have on families and communities, but also because groups that preach hatred and intolerance can plant the seed of terrorism here in our country. The Bureau investigates hundreds of these cases every year and works to detect and deter further incidents through law enforcement training, public outreach, and partnerships with a myriad of community groups.

Traditionally, FBI investigations of hate crimes were limited to crimes in which the perpetrators acted based on a bias against the victim’s race, color, religion, or national origin. In addition, investigations were restricted to those wherein the victim was engaged in a federally protected activity. With the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, the Bureau became authorized to investigate these crimes without this prohibition. This landmark legislation also expanded the role of the FBI to allow for the investigation of hate crimes committed against those based on biases of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or gender."

https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/civil-rights/hate-crimes

That Mr. Smollett is LGBTQ has nothing to do we me believing him. If he's lying - and there's really no credible proof to that end - I would be the first to condemn him both because his actions.

If Mr. Smollett wasn't LGBTQ would you - or the concert of online trolls - be so seemingly motivated to question his veracity (and the veracity of others like him)?

So the victim of a hate crime is less unfortunate that the victim of a "regular" violent crime ?


If this guy wasnt LGBT would you still be so adamant that he was being truthful?

 

[skjl47]

Don't forget this goes both ways. Remember the cake baker.

What does that have anything to do with people targeting Mr. Smollett or LGBTQ people for attack

Hello; Keep in mind you are the one who expanded this thread up beyond the specifics of an individual alleged assault. Before your name throwing post the other implications were understood but others had kept silent about them. You seem to be trying to move the thread into restricted territory.
There will be plenty of time to discuss the greater implications after the evidence comes in.

 

[BIG-G]

So the victim of a hate crime is less unfortunate that the victim of a "regular" violent crime ?


If this guy wasnt LGBT would you still be so adamant that he was being truthful?

While I understand the meaning of a hate crime I don’t understand why we created it.
I can’t help but think if anyone is getting beat for whatever the reason shouldn’t that qualify as a hate crime?
Because of race or sexuality we designate things as hate crime.
Like has been said many times there were probably dozens of attacks that same day but we never here if them.