Jussie Smollett’s last name is now a verb. “Smolletting” connotes a race hoaxer. The invention of false racism didn’t start with Jussie Smollette. Getting sympathy from fake racism has been around for decades.
The progenitor isn’t Smollett, he is just the most “famous” race-hoaxer. Even after he was found guilty he has never given up the ghost. Notwithstanding his obvious lies, he still has believers that he was attacked in the middle of a winter vortex by white guys yelling “This Is MAGA Country!” It was absurd on its face. Anyone and everyone with more than two synapsis snapping could recognize the absurdity of it all.
Recall that 7 years ago, The Superintendent stood in front of assembled cadets and blasted them. By implication, he claimed that someone amongst them was a raging racist. Maybe more than just one. The story rocked the nation.
But it was a lie.
5 black cadets at the Air Force Academy Preparatory School claimed they found race-tainted graffiti on their doors. One cadet found the “N” word written outside his room. “Go home n______”. He reportedly told his mom and his mom dutifully told the world via social media.
The Air Force Academy’s Superintendent told the racists to “get out”. He ordered the cadets to get their phones out to video his message. The speech caused visceral reactions and was praised by Joe Biden, John McCain, and just about every politician in America.
But it was all a lie. From the start, it smelled like 3 day old fish.
That particular hoax faded into the memory hole. When fakes are revealed media tends to pretend that the fake never happened. It was indeed a fake, but that wasn’t the Academy’s takeaway. The Academy claimed that the story had a positive impact because it drew focus on racism. In essence “Yes it didn’t happen was a fake… but it COULD have happened” was the takeaway.
The online message about the fake “racism” remains up and active 7 years later. If one read that message today one would assume that an actual racist event happened. I’ve written about this phenomenon before.
Claims of racism/bigotry that turn into hoaxes seem far more common than actual racism. In fact, when I hear or see a claim of racism, I am generally dubious and jaded. Show me the “receipts,” and then I’ll believe it. Maybe. From fake nooses in Oakland and a NASCAR garage to fake graffiti on cars to fake racism at universities
Well, It must be an election year because we have a new fake racism story – this time out of Texas. Taral Patel is a Democrat political candidate in Fort Bend. Apparently, he saw no other avenue to get elected so he created a cadre of phony racists. It was a very detailed campaign until it wasn’t. Patel was arrested by Texas Rangers who busted him for his fake.
Mr Patel, a 30-year-old Indian-American, allegedly spent months impersonating supporters of his incumbent rival, Republican Commissioner Andy Meyers. He sent several racist and derogatory comments to himself, to make himself look like a victim of racism.
In September 2023, Mr Patel made a post on Facebook claiming the remarks were examples of the ”deep and misguided fear” among the Republican Party. He also attached screenshots of all the racist remarks to prove it.
It was all a lie.
His scheme was pretty elaborate, but seems monumentally stupid as well. Democrats can see that the top of the ticket Joe Biden is a train-wreck. Joe is pulling the entire down-ticket, down with him. So buckle up. We are in an election year, so we are in for more “Taral Patels” and their uncreative Smolletting.