This past week, a jury found actor Jussie Smollett guilty of five felony counts of disorderly conduct for lying to police in the days after an alleged attack that has since been proved to be a hate crime hoax. The alleged incidents happened in 2019 when Smollett said he was attacked by two people wearing MAGA hats who threatened and assaulted him in Chicago.
At the time of the incident, many public figures and elected officials raced to Smollett's aid over the now-debunked claims. Then-Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., called the attack a "modern-day lynching," and similar claims were made by New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.
This is a typical example of the Aesop fable "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." In a way to gain attention, the boy continually cries wolf to trick local villagers into thinking a wolf is attacking the town's flock. When a wolf really does show up and attacks the flock, the boy cries for help and the villagers don't believe him, and the sheep are eaten by the wolf. In some versions of the tale, the boy is also eaten by the wolf.
There are different issues in this case that need to be considered. First, there really are many crimes against the innocent that occur every day, and sadly, many of them are hate-related crimes. When someone - especially someone who is famous or well-known - is the supposed victim, it is a story and should be deemed newsworthy. However, when media or other public officials or public figures comment, they ought to take personal responsibility...
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