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(LONG THREAD) A little over a week ago, Gillette released their “The Best Men Can Be” ad, and the internet exploded. Gillette said: “Men, we can do better.” A very vocal, very male portion of the internet burst through the wall like the Kool-Aid Man to bay: “NOT ALL MEN!” 
A lot of people agreed with them, though. They agreed that it was time more men started speaking out against a “Boys will be Boys” culture, a culture where women are, even unintentionally, discounted. That lasted about a week.
Over the weekend, the anti-choice “March for Life” happened in Washington DC. Ben Shapiro made an idiotic comment about Baby Hitler, but that became overshadowed by a completely different event and conversation. The Covington Catholic boys.
The first video that was released was up close and personal. It was in the center of the mob of white boys in MAGA hats dancing around an older Native American man who was part of the Indigenous People's March.
He was beating a drum; they were dancing around throwing tomahawk chops. In the center of his path, silent, smiling and unmoving, was another behatted white boy.
The internet exploded again. People wanted to know who these kids were, where they lived, what school they went to. At the time, I said that we should not doxx minors. I stand by that statement, and it is a hill I will die on. Kids are a product of their environment.
A day later, the video from the BHI protest was released and the push-back began. The boys were not at fault because the black guys said mean things to them. Nathan Phillips marched up to them, so obviously he was the aggressor.
The boy was confused, he didn't know what was going on. He was just nervous. The Covington Catholic kid released a statement written by a crisis PR firm hired by his parents. He was “silently praying” during that scene.
cnn.com/2019/01/20/us/…
cnn.com/2019/01/20/us/…
They presented the BHI video as some sort of exoneration based on context.
theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…
theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…
And here is where I say something that will upset and inflame people.
If you cheered on the Gillette ad and saw the truth in what it was promoting, but fell into the: “Well, the context means we should not be too hasty” trap with the Covington Catholic kids... YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM.
Nick Sandmann and his friends are not one isolated incident. They are a symptom of the far-ranging problem we recognize as a problem, but then we wring our hands and wonder how to fix it while companies make woke videos to sell their products.
The “10 year challenge” picture of Sandmann and Kavanaugh was an easily digestible meme. It was also easily forgotten as people tried to grant the boys some clemency. No one stopped to think about how true it was.
Both Kavanaugh and Sandmann come from the same culture. Families with money and power, an elite, all male, private school, and the world at their feet. They network with the “best people” who can get them a step into the world.
They have limited interactions with those who think or look differently. They were safe and secure in their insulated, protected world.
They have the freedom to openly state their beliefs and expect to remain mostly free from consequences. Brett Kavanaugh sat in front of the judiciary committee and screamed at the female senators who questioned him. It didn't stop him from getting confirmed.
Nick Sandmann wore a MAGA hat, a symbol of the racism and sexism perpetuated by this administration, to an anti-choice march and then took part in a mob atmosphere against a black cult and then a Native American man. No matter what video you watch, that's what it boils down to.
And what does he get? An interview on evening television where he, a teen, can say he isn't going to apologize for what he did.
vox.com/policy-and-pol…
vox.com/policy-and-pol…
He's probably visiting the White House, and Sarah Sanders lamented people “eager to ruin the lives of kids”. (I'm sure the Parkland students appreciated that.)
@threadreaderapp -- unroll as well please
