Can you stand one more post about the Covington Catholic Boys who were falsely accused of disrespecting an Indigenous Tribal Elder in Washington, D.C. after the March for Life? I am not going to cover old ground. Marta covered the racism charge perfectly here. Deanna covered the media’s refusal to quit the narrative that the boys were the instigators here, ugh. This time I want to sketch out the media hero, Nathan Phillips an indigenous peoples activist and Marine veteran.

So, as everyone in the Milky Way now knows, the boys from Covington Catholic High School (It is all male.) were in Washington, DC to attend the March for Life. After the March, they broke up into small groups for some sightseeing. It just so happened that this was the weekend for the heinous March for Women, March for Life and the Indigenous Peoples March. Criminelly, what a toxic mix of people?

A group of kids goes to the Lincoln Memorial. The problem is that five members of the Black Hebrew Israelites are also at the Lincoln Memorial. Never heard of the Black Hebrew Israelites? Neither had I. Here is a little background on this absolutely charming group of people from The Forward:

Hebrew Israelites are people of color, mostly African Americans, who view the biblical Israelites as their historic ancestors. For Hebrew Israelites, the transatlantic slave trade was foretold in scripture and they understand those Africans who were enslaved in the Americas as Israelites, severed from their heritage. Now they are returning.

Various sources also describe the the Hebrew Israelites as calling for the deaths of Jews, Gays and Lesbians and the White Devil.

Here is more from The Forward:

Videos show the Hebrew Israelites exchanging insults with the Kentucky schoolboys, who were there for the pro-life March for Life.

“Tell them to come over in the lion’s den instead of mocking from over there,” Banyamyan can be heard saying in the video. “Y’all dirty ass little crackers, your day is coming.”

They also taunted the Native Americans, arguing that the word “Indian” means “savage.”

Ephraim Israel, another Hebrew Israelite who was present, told the Post that tensions flared when the students started making fun of them.

“They were sitting there, mocking me as I was trying to teach my brothers, so yes the attention turned to them,” Israel said. “I explained to them, you want to build the wall for Mexicans and other indigenous people, but you’ve never seen a black or a Mexican shoot up a school.”

Into this craptacular mix steps Marine Veteran and activist Nathan Phillips. Before I unload on Mr. Phillips and his lies about the Covington Catholic boys, I have got to tell you that if Charles Dickens and George Jones put their heads together they could not come up with a sadder life story than that of Nathan Phillips. The following is from the Omaha World Herald and originally ran in November, 2000.

That struggle, as Phillips explains it, involves centuries of religious, economic and cultural oppression of American Indians.

More personally, he says, it involves his own fight against alcoholism, a childhood floating through foster homes in Nebraska, and an early adulthood spent first in the Marine Corps and later being thrown in and out of jail.

Now 45, Phillips has been sober for 16 years. He met Shoshana Konstant, a former middle school teacher, in 1990. For several years, the couple bounced around the country agitating on behalf of American Indians being displaced from their homelands.

And, here is a little piece on how the Omaha tribes feel about Phillips from the same article:

Back in Nebraska, Omaha tribal Chairman Elmer Blackbird did not return calls seeking comment about Phillips’ vigil.

Privately, another tribal leader said Phillips is regarded back in Nebraska as a well-intentioned brother struggling to cope with a troubled childhood. The leader said the Omaha Tribe generally avoids the type of activism Phillips prefers.

“He’s just trying to find his way, ” the leader said. “Let him find it.”

Further research shows that Phillips had eleven siblings and that his wife Shoshana died in early 2015.

Unlike Elizabeth Warren, we know that Phillips is a true member of the Omaha Tribe. His mother is buried in the tribal cemetery.

By his own account, he walked over to the teenagers in the MAGA hats and gave one a tribal drum cleansing without consent. Yes, I am a sarcastic racist. I hate mobs and I hate confrontation. Somebody gets in my face with their drums and they are going to get a drumstick shoved so far down their throats that they will be pooping beats for a week.

But, picking on a group of mostly white teenagers is the perfect time to pile on for Mr. Phillips.

No, what offends me most about Mr. Phillips is his Vietnam Veteran status. According to Archives.com, Mr. Phillips was born in Ypsilanti, Michigan in 1955. According to his various interviews, he enlisted in the Marines. A little to young to have been a Vietnam Veteran. Phillips has also claimed to have been a “Recon Ranger”. There is no such thing in the Marines as a Recon Ranger. There is/was Force Recon. The U.S. Army has Rangers. I despise even a hint of Stolen Valor. I have been searching for Mr. Phillips DD214 and am still hoping to find it.

But, fake news CNN call his a Vietnam Veteran, even though in the following video, Phillips describes himself as a Vietnam Times Veteran???

The news twinkie probably wouldn’t know which end of a sword to stick into the other guy. Bonus points if you can guess that movie reference.

Look I feel very sorry for Mr. Phillips. He has had a tough row to hoe in life. That never ever, ever gives you the right to get up in someone else’s face and bang your drum. Then he claims victim status. And, the news twinkies don’t even hear the difference between Vietnam Veteran and Vietnam Times Veteran? Parenting tip: Don’t send your child to Journalism School. I am willing to bet $1.00 that Mr. Phillips never deployed.

And, one more thing. I know a lot of Marines. They lift people up. They protect. Every man and woman Marine. They do not get up in someone’s face. That’s not honorable and it’s rude.

Does this whole episode make you as angry as is does me? If not, go back and re-read Marta’s post. There are a lot of people who owe the boys from Covington Catholic an apology, Mr. Phillips included. Liar.

Photo Credit: Tribal Shaman Drum/Pixabay/Devanath/Creative Commons License/Cropped