01-21-2019, 04:11 PM
(01-21-2019, 04:06 PM)Dill Wrote: As I understand it, his goal was not to go "around" the crowd, but to get between them and the Hebrew Israelites, from which point he would chant healing prayers in the hopes of diminishing tension. That was his story, anyway.
It looks to me like at least some of the teens began imitating his singing. That seems rather careless. Those using the tomahawk chop were, it appears, mocking him, as Trump supporters often do to Elizabeth Warren. That isn't ok because Hebrew Israelites 50 yards away were calling them "crackers" and "incest brood."
I don't think the teen standing there smiling in his face was "just smiling" or "just standing there." In the US we normally don't get right up in the face of someone playing a musical instrument and singing. Looks to me like he is in the guy's face to be rude. Were I a chaperone, my response would not have been "He has a right to stand there and 'just' smile in that elderly man's face."
All the chanting and the guy ripping off his shirt, the tomahawk chops--non of that seems a particularly good response to the situation. This is certain a teaching moment, so I do ask-- where were the chaperones?
1. I gave my thoughts on the first part earlier. I think his intent was to stir the pot. Going in a crowd and doing a chant unannounced isn't going to to a healing message across because your audience has no idea what you're doing and why you're doing it. Also, one of the native Americans in the group made statements like "go back to Europe" and "you don't belong here". Way to muddy your message.
2. Phillips approached the boy and inched closer as the encounter continued, not the other way around.
