Dr. King wouldn’t be proud of Jussie Smollett or our current perspectives
Bottom Line: I’m going to steer away from the cheap and easy takes on the Jussie Smollett situation at this point. Frankly, I’m more outraged at the news media than Jussie over the incident at this point. After all there are no shortage of disturbed people in this world who will go to great lengths to attempt to exploit victimhood. Heck, the state of victimhood is so pathetic Martina Navratilova was just kicked off of the board of a LGBTQ group for telling the truth about transgender athletes.
Personally, I think it’s unfortunate when anyone decides they should be defined by their sexuality. Just as Dr. King thought it was unfortunate to define people based on superfluous things rather than character. In the case of Jussie Smollett, you have both in play. And here’s the thing. It’s time for those with chips on their shoulders and agendas politically to stop embracing those who are anything but victims as victims.
At the time that Colin Kaepernick began to play the victim he’d earned over $43 million by the age of 31. Some victim. Jussie Smollett wasn’t yet in Kaepernick territory but earning more in one episode of Empire, $65,000, than the average American does in a year – allowed for the $1.2 million base salary he earned from the show and was allegedly so upset by that he staged this incident. The point is this. These two were living the American dream. Minorities who became stars with fame and fortune. Until they played the role of victims and the media played into their playing the victim.
There are racists and homophobes in this world. There are actual victims of them. Unfortunately giving the failings of the human condition there always have been and always will be. The question is when we as a society will finally listen to what Dr. King had to say and judge people by the content of character. We’d have far fewer victims walking around waiting to be offended and fewer non-victim opportunists attempting to take advantage of the celebration of victim status.