The Jussie Smollett Affair

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Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,415
14,303
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We knew that. What we don’t have is video of him being attacked.
Why would that make a difference? As I recall, there's video of James Fields running over Heather Heyer (and he's been convicted of the crime), but the alt-right still claims it was a frame-up and she died of a heart attack or something like that.

My point is, why should anyone bother jumping through any hoops to prove anything to people who will never accept any amount of proof? And especially when it's not necessary? It doesn't matter what you think because you're not the law.
 

realibrad

Lifer
Oct 18, 2013
12,337
898
126
Why would that make a difference? As I recall, there's video of James Fields running over Heather Heyer (and he's been convicted of the crime), but the alt-right still claims it was a frame-up and she died of a heart attack or something like that.

My point is, why should anyone bother jumping through any hoops to prove anything to people who will never accept any amount of proof? And especially when it's not necessary? It doesn't matter what you think because you're not the law.

Because there is a huge gap between idiots thinking she died of a heart attack, vs what is happening here.

There are some gaps in this story that, even if you feel are unlikely, is still room for what is claimed to be false.
 

woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
16,188
14,090
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Because there is a huge gap between idiots thinking she died of a heart attack, vs what is happening here.

There are some gaps in this story that, even if you feel are unlikely, is still room for what is claimed to be false.

Sure, the story still might be false. But demanding a video tape of the crime itself is an absurdly high bar. I doubt even 1% of all crimes are captured on video.
 
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realibrad

Lifer
Oct 18, 2013
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Sure, the story still might be false. But demanding a video tape of the crime itself is an absurdly high bar. I doubt even 1% of all crimes are captured on video.

A video of the crime is too high for me as well. But, I also think the bar of accepting claims is absurdly too low.

To me, I think its perfectly reasonable to not accept the claim as fact until we have evidence that backs up the claims.
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,415
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A video of the crime is too high for me as well. But, I also think the bar of accepting claims is absurdly too low.

To me, I think its perfectly reasonable to not accept the claim as fact until we have evidence that backs up the claims.

Where did you get the idea that I said we should accept claims without question or proof? I clearly did not say that. Nor do I believe that.

What I said (quite clearly I thought) was that if someone is going to set the standard of proof at some unreasonably high level, and they have a history of not accepting that unreasonably high standard even when it is met, and their opinion isn't relevant anyway... then who the fuck cares? I for one am not going to play that game.
 
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realibrad

Lifer
Oct 18, 2013
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Where did you get the idea that I said we should accept claims without question or proof? I clearly did not say that. Nor do I believe that.

What I said (quite clearly I thought) was that if someone is going to set the standard of proof at some unreasonably high level, and they have a history of not accepting that unreasonably high standard even it is met, and their opinion isn't relevant anyway... then who the fuck cares?

You know that I replied to someone else, and not you right? The person I responded to said it would be absurd to expect a video of the crime, and I agreed.
 

woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
16,188
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A video of the crime is too high for me as well. But, I also think the bar of accepting claims is absurdly too low.

To me, I think its perfectly reasonable to not accept the claim as fact until we have evidence that backs up the claims.

Sure, I agree with that. We need something beyond just his word. Which is why I continue to reserve judgment. I'm just not all that impressed so far with everything that is supposed to be particularly suspicious here.
 
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Fern

Elite Member
Sep 30, 2003
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Neighbor Says She Saw Suspicious 'Redneck' ... With Rope

She says she noticed what looked like a rope, or a clothesline, protruding from the bottom of his sweatshirt, made of white and blue material.
She says he was staring at another man about 300 feet away, who was standing near another entrance to the building.
She says she got "creeped out" by the man, and after 5 minutes she retreated back into the building.

From your article: "She says she noticed what looked like a rope, or a clothesline, protruding from the bottom of his sweatshirt, made of white and blue material".

Sounds to me like it may have been an observant jew, not a "redneck".

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/ask-the-expert-tzitzit-hanging-out/

I.e., she saw his blue and white tzitzit hanging out

Fern
 

woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
16,188
14,090
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From your article: "She says she noticed what looked like a rope, or a clothesline, protruding from the bottom of his sweatshirt, made of white and blue material".

Sounds to me like it may have been an observant jew, not a "redneck".

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/ask-the-expert-tzitzit-hanging-out/

I.e., she saw his blue and white tzitzit hanging out

Fern

Pretty strange to mistake an orthodox Jew for a "red neck." But then, anything is possible.

https://www.amazon.com/FENICAL-Cott...argid=aud-466346483690:pla-393355707105&psc=1
 

Fern

Elite Member
Sep 30, 2003
26,907
173
106
Pretty strange to mistake an orthodox Jew for a "red neck." But then, anything is possible.

https://www.amazon.com/FENICAL-Cott...argid=aud-466346483690:pla-393355707105&psc=1

1. I didn't say "orthodox". I said "observant". Orthodox implies, at least to me, some thing like Hasidic.
2. I saw nothing in her description, clothing or otherwise, that indicated a "redneck".

I've been to service in Temple and I'm accustomed to seeing the white/blue "clothesline" or rope hanging out from under their sweater/shirt/jacket. I recall the first time I attended one, I thought it was odd and asked my wife what the heck it was.

Fern
 

UglyCasanova

Lifer
Mar 25, 2001
19,275
1,361
126
It’s the end of January so I want to do a quick recap. We’ve seen

The murder of Jazmine Barnes grip national attention because the media thought it could be a "hate crime" simply due to the races involved. Well....that the killer turned out to be not so white after all. Media flees. Media oops #1

The kids of Covington HS gripping the national attention because those MAGA hat Nazis surrounded and mobbed a Native American vietnam vet. Well.....yeah context showed otherwise. The not so vietnam vet walked up and approached the boys beating a drum in their face after the black version of the Westboro Baptist Church shouted racist insults at them. But the red cap though. Media oops #2.

Actor goes out in -20F weather at 2am to pick him up some subway, then gets assaulted, his rib broken, bleach poured on him, noose around his neck, the attacker’s recognized him and said "Aren't you that f***ot 'Empire' n*****?" as well as "This is MAGA country!" all within a minutes span while he was on the phone with his manager. Well......he won’t show police his phone record to show he was talking with the manager who can coborate the story. Ok. Wears a noose home and sits around for 40 minutes, manager finally calls the cops, they show up, noose still around his neck (why?) and he gives conflicting information to them vs what he gives to the media. TMZ runs with it. Police can’t find video of the attack, ok, but can only identify 2 persons of interest who were across the street from him. I’m probably leaving out some details. Smells very very fishy. So....media oops #3?


The media sure love fanning racial flames that’s to be sure.
 
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Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,415
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I like it how it's the media who are fanning these racial flames and not, yaknow, the alt-right crazies who can't stop talking about racial issues.
 
Nov 8, 2012
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I like it how it's the media who are fanning these racial flames and not, yaknow, the alt-right crazies who can't stop talking about racial issues.

Well... uhh... the media is going ape over it. It's kinda hard to support the alt-right when you aren't constantly feeding them more ammo.
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,415
14,303
136
Well... uhh... the media is going ape over it. It's kinda hard to support the alt-right when you aren't constantly feeding them more ammo.
Well, I guess it might look that way when you intentionally cherry-pick situations that weren't as they first appeared while willfully ignoring all of the racially-motivated mass murders that have actually occurred.
But people without that selective vision are a bit jumpy, and rightfully so. And if the media is playing that up, that's just what they do about every issue the public is worried about.
 

woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
16,188
14,090
136
1. I didn't say "orthodox". I said "observant". Orthodox implies, at least to me, some thing like Hasidic.
2. I saw nothing in her description, clothing or otherwise, that indicated a "redneck".

I've been to service in Temple and I'm accustomed to seeing the white/blue "clothesline" or rope hanging out from under their sweater/shirt/jacket. I recall the first time I attended one, I thought it was odd and asked my wife what the heck it was.

Fern

No, orthodox does not mean Hasidic. Second thread in two days where people do not understand that. Jerod Kushner describes himself as "orthodox" and he clearly isn't Hasidic. Hasidim as often referred to as "ultra orthodox" by other Jews.

She described him as looking like a "redneck" not me. Don't know why she had that impression.
 

Ichinisan

Lifer
Oct 9, 2002
28,298
1,234
136
... there's video of James Fields running over Heather Heyer (and he's been convicted of the crime), but the alt-right still claims it was a frame-up and she died of a heart attack or something like that.
...
That's ludicrous!
 

ivwshane

Lifer
May 15, 2000
32,200
14,875
136
Well... uhh... the media is going ape over it. It's kinda hard to support the alt-right when you aren't constantly feeding them more ammo.

Other than these posts on this forum, I wouldn't even be aware of most of these stories. Perhaps the "media" you watch is the problem.
 

Lanyap

Elite Member
Dec 23, 2000
8,100
2,154
136
From your article: "She says she noticed what looked like a rope, or a clothesline, protruding from the bottom of his sweatshirt, made of white and blue material".

Sounds to me like it may have been an observant jew, not a "redneck".

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/ask-the-expert-tzitzit-hanging-out/

I.e., she saw his blue and white tzitzit hanging out

Fern



So the suspect may be a Jewish redneck? This is how the witness describes the redneck according to the TMZ article. I guess the short pants, hunting socks and camel toe dress shoes were the giveaway?
She says, "He looked out of place." He was a white man with scruff on his face wearing a blue winter beanie, a blue zip-up sweatshirt with a hood and blue jeans that were too short, exposing "thick, grey hunting socks" with camel-colored dress shoes.
 
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sportage

Lifer
Feb 1, 2008
11,493
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So many ways to spin this.
Fake? True? And extension of ME TO? Me To run amuck? Publicity? Career?
We may never know.
 
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jameny5

Senior member
Aug 7, 2018
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Right, because it is in the best interest of a successful actor to make this shit up.

Anything to deny the uptick in racist and anti Semitic attacks since your boy took office. I guess he inspires you as well.

Maybe I'll send a note to Idris Elba, dude why don't you toss away your entire acting career and make up a story of MAGA heads attacking you.
You do have a point there. What is this all about? The person that has the answer is Jussie Smollet and maybe his accomplices. If he was helped pulling off this sensational attack! All eyes revert to him.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
110,512
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You do have a point there. What is this all about? The person that has the answer is Jussie Smollet and maybe his accomplices. If he was helped pulling off this sensational attack! All eyes revert to him.

ah, so now it was all staged with crisis actors and everything!

don't you have a pizza parlor to go shoot up?
 

jameny5

Senior member
Aug 7, 2018
300
77
101
ah, so now it was all staged with crisis actors and everything!

don't you have a pizza parlor to go shoot up?
Maybe - you can never say never. He is an actor like OJ. IN OJ'S case - he was an actor too. And two people wound up dead! So - Go figure!