General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsA Statement from the Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School
The silence has been broken on the Diocese of Covington website. This statement now appears at:
https://www.covdio.org/
Concerning the incident in Washington, D.C., between Covington Catholic students, Elder Nathan Phillips and Black Hebrew Israelites the independent, third-party investigation is planned to begin this week. This is a very serious matter that has already permanently altered the lives of many people. It is important for us to gather the facts that will allow us to determine what corrective actions, if any, are appropriate.
We pray that we may come to the truth and that this unfortunate situation may be resolved peacefully and amicably and ask others to join us in this prayer.
We will have no further statements until the investigation is complete.
Eliot Rosewater
(31,106 posts)He is distracting us and dividing us by using one of his bots to make this video go viral, that is what I read. I believe it.
Is racism like this important, fuck yes, but we have bigger problems right now than a bunch of hitler youth acting out.
MineralMan
(146,248 posts)of one bot. It spread because it was an important story that was recorded and shared by multiple people.
Unless you can find some sort of solid evidence for your claim, I have to suggest that it is incorrect that it was spread by a Russian bot.
You say "that is what I read?" Where did you read that. What is the link?
In any case, this thread is simply a post of what appears on that website.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)Some folks spend more time posting than reading. However....
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/21/tech/twitter-suspends-account-native-american-maga-teens/index.html
Rob McDonagh, an assistant editor at Storyful, a service that vets content online, was monitoring Twitter activity on Saturday morning and said the @2020fight video was the main version of the incident being shared on social media.
In one indicator of the @2020fight's video's virality, multiple newsrooms, including some national American outlets, reached out to the user asking them directly about the video.
McDonagh said he found the account suspicious due to its "high follower count, highly polarized and yet inconsistent political messaging, the unusually high rate of tweets, and the use of someone else's image in the profile photo."
Molly McKew, an information warfare researcher who saw the tweet and shared it herself on Saturday, said she later realized that a network of anonymous accounts were working to amplify the video.
You can call it "an important story that was recorded and shared by multiple people." However, the story that sheltered elite educational institutions harbor racism is not news, and this story directly impacts primarily the participants in it. For the rest of the voyeuristic chatterati, it is simply a conversation piece.
So, one has to ask, WHY would there be an effort among a network of anonymous accounts to amplify the rhetoric over this incident?
DU links:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142249090
Twitter suspends account that helped ignite controversy over viral encounter
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211706565
Twitter suspends account that helped ignite controversy over viral encounter
Kingofalldems
(38,419 posts)jberryhill
(62,444 posts)Please quote anyone in the article or in my post asserting that something was "not real".
A group of high school students demonstrated their complete lack of decent character on a school field trip. It's a good thing that there are no imminent crises in this country beyond that.
MineralMan
(146,248 posts)stories without any trouble at all, and comment on them here on DU, too.
For example, did you know that the teacher's strike in Los Angeles just ended? That Trump is planning to give the SOTU next Tuesday, regardless of Nancy Pelosi's withdrawal of the invitation?
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)Bots seeking to amplify division and increase antagonism has nothing to do with your personal ability to follow multiple news stories.
Why do you suppose it is that a network of troll accounts sought to increase attention and inflame discussion of this incident, because that story apparently escaped your attention? Or is speculation on that topic beyond your vaunted multiple story following ability?
PSPS
(13,577 posts)PSPS
(13,577 posts)It was obvious, at least to me, that this story, while important, was being exploited by the russians. That trump waded in was the clincher.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)Like clockwork.
Chemisse
(30,802 posts)It was just really disturbing and people wanted to talk about it.
Yes it's distracting. But it's not like all the other problems are going to vanish. They are still there, ready for us to focus back in.
Division is a different question. If there really is another side to this story (and I'm having a little trouble seeing much of an excuse), then Putin would have a motive for spreading it.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)Molly McKew, an information warfare researcher who saw the tweet and shared it herself on Saturday, said she later realized that a network of anonymous accounts were working to amplify the video.
Division is indeed a different question, and inflaming people to go after an entire religious group on the basis of the odious behavior of a few is a great way to do it...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_politics_in_the_United_States#Party_affiliation
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)That is the real question.
Chemisse
(30,802 posts)So I think that would be a yes.
They'll find what they want to find.
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)it will send a clear signal as to what the school really values.
But if the investigation goes against the boys, the right will make the apparent aggressors into the real victims.
MineralMan
(146,248 posts)gratuitous
(82,849 posts)It reads like the Diocese has no idea what Covington Catholic High School is or who their students are. But they sure don't like crowds gathering at the school or the diocese. Apparently the potential for violence in their back yard is not to be tolerated, but the school sends its students off to DC each year to join the crowd on the volatile issue of women's health. The diocese probably also wouldn't much care for strangers invading their sanctuaries during mass and standing in a priest's personal space, staring and smiling. I'm guessing on that one.
MineralMan
(146,248 posts)from the problem in DC with those students to focus on some vague risk to the school and the Diocese. Their PR firm is hard at work, finding ways to divert attention, which is a classic PR move in dealing with bad publicity for their client.