Lord, Open My Lips

The rancor on social media has exploded since the possibility that Jussie Smollet, a young actor, has lied about being the victim of a hate crime.

I waited before I spoke about his assertion because I have learned from past mistakes.  Yes, something about the whole episode as he described it did not seem to make sense but I did not know anything about this young man.  I don't watch the show he is on, because it is a tv soap opera with good actors and I knew I would get sucked into the story line.  Frankly, I don't have the time.  I watch two shows faithfully for my own enjoyment and cannot afford to add another to my list.  I need to read more, not watch more television.

Also, quite frankly, I have no idea what type of lifestyle the young man in question leads.  I don't know if he is, in the parlance of MY day, a 'partier'.  If he is, then deciding to go get a sandwich at Subway at 3am makes a whole lot of sense.  Disregarding the possible safety issues of being on a dark street in Chicago at 3am all alone seems reasonable.  I remember those days.  I remember thinking, "Is Jack In The Box Open?" and driving to Oakland all alone, a young beautiful blonde piloting a Gremlin X through a drive through lane to get a burger because, well, I had the munchies...and I was drunk.

I now no longer believe Mr. Smollet was attacked and I am no longer angry at him.

Yes, I was angry.  I was angry because people I love identify with the LBGTQ+ community and their well being - both physical and spiritual - matters to me.  I know what dangers have always lurked out there.  Just as there are men who believe all a woman needs is a good smack in the face to 'keep her in line' there are people - men AND women - who think weekends should be spent stalking homosexual men and women to hurt them.

There is still a serial killer - The Doodler - out there who is responsible for the murder of 14 men during the 1970's whose only crime was being sexually attracted to other men and acting on that attraction.  Despite what anyone thinks, the death penalty is not appropriate for acting on that attraction.

People who pretend to be a victim or who perpetrate a hoax regarding a crime do far more damage than is initially believed.  Law Enforcement hours are spent unravelling the lies but far more important, LE then braces for an onslaught of crimes against the class of people already marginalized....why?  Because when some idiot pretends to be a victim and the public is outraged, those who get a thrill and validation out of raping a homosexual woman or beating a homosexual man are emboldened.  They are pretty sure it will be awhile before their criminal activity is discovered, reported and then believed.

And the victims?  They get quiet.  They recognize that someone, usually one of their own, has screwed things up again and so they doubt it will do any good to report a crime, even if that crime is domestic violence by their same-sex partner.  Why bother?  No one is going to care anyway.

I am no longer angry at Mr. Smollet because I do not know what his real motivation was and, quite frankly, he is still maintaining he was the victim and the Grand Jury testimony has been suspended because of some information given to the Prosecutor by his Defense Team.  I do not know what drove him, what type of mental illness he deals with and what has to be addressed in order for him to regain his footing in life.  I am saddened, I am wishing this had not happened and I am tired of it already because there are more important issues in the world we need to address right now than whether or not an actor lied and caused himself legal problems.

My prayer is that we do not forget those who need our love and our protection simply because one man behaved like an ass.

Let's pray for him...and for all our brothers and sisters that walk in fear for whatever reason.

May the healing Light of Jesus surround them and make them understand that, no matter what, they are loved.