Friday, August 12, 2022
Subscriber Login
My Profile
SpotlightNews
  • Home
  • News
    • Business
      • Spotlight On Business
      • Spotlight on Finance
    • Crime
    • Discover-Towns
      • Discover Coeymans Selkirk and Feura Bush
      • Discover Delmar
      • Discover Glenmont
      • Discover Guilderland
      • Discover Latham and Boght
      • Discover Loudonville
      • Discover Menands
      • Discover Slingerlands
      • Discover Village of Colonie
      • Discover Voorheesville and New Scotland
    • Government
    • Milestones
    • Obituaries
  • Sports
  • The Spot 518
    • Galleries
    • Food and Recipes
  • Hot Spots Calendar
    • Calendar Listings
    • Submit Your Event
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Our Opinion
    • Point of View
    • Your Opinion
  • Family Now
  • Classifieds
    • Employment – Hire Power
    • Services In the Spotlight
    • Classified Listings
    • Advertiser Login
  • Subscribe
    • Subscriber login
    • Give the gift of news
    • Join us – subscribe today
    • Newsletter sign up
    • Renew Subscription
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Business
      • Spotlight On Business
      • Spotlight on Finance
    • Crime
    • Discover-Towns
      • Discover Coeymans Selkirk and Feura Bush
      • Discover Delmar
      • Discover Glenmont
      • Discover Guilderland
      • Discover Latham and Boght
      • Discover Loudonville
      • Discover Menands
      • Discover Slingerlands
      • Discover Village of Colonie
      • Discover Voorheesville and New Scotland
    • Government
    • Milestones
    • Obituaries
  • Sports
  • The Spot 518
    • Galleries
    • Food and Recipes
  • Hot Spots Calendar
    • Calendar Listings
    • Submit Your Event
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Our Opinion
    • Point of View
    • Your Opinion
  • Family Now
  • Classifieds
    • Employment – Hire Power
    • Services In the Spotlight
    • Classified Listings
    • Advertiser Login
  • Subscribe
    • Subscriber login
    • Give the gift of news
    • Join us – subscribe today
    • Newsletter sign up
    • Renew Subscription
No Result
View All Result
Spotlight News
No Result
View All Result
Home Capital District Family Now Parent Pages

TRIPLE THREAT: Spinners, lies and whys

Spotlight News by Spotlight News
April 11, 2019
in Parent Pages, Parenting Columns
Reading Time: 2 mins read

by JENNIFER STEUER

Hate crimes are something I wish we could just be done with forever. I want my kids to feel free to be themselves and live their lives without fear. And yet, there are dark times when I really wonder if history will repeat itself. I worry about someone seeing Ben wearing a yarmulke and giving him a hard time. I worry my daughters will be faced with discrimination or ridicule for wearing Star of David necklaces. What if it gets physical? What if my children are hurt?

Amid my worries, a story broke that actor Jussie Smollett was assaulted while walking home after getting a sandwich. This young man is African American. He is gay. He is Jewish. He was beaten. Bleach was dumped on him. He was told he was in MAGA country. His injuries were severe enough to put him in the hospital. I thought about the fear he must have felt – the kind that makes so many of us grab our loved ones and hold tight. I thought about how even a famous actor was not immune from the hatred that some people feel the need let out.

Harlan and I used the opportunity to talk about hate crimes with the kids once again. I didn’t want them to hear about it and be unnecessarily afraid.

We followed the news. We asked ourselves how something like that could that happen in this day and age. The biggest question for the kids was why the bad guys hadn’t been caught. The bad guys always get caught, don’t they?

Then the “bad guy” was caught, and things started getting messy.

It turns out, Jussie Smollett allegedly paid two people he had worked with on his television show to attack him. My kids were stunned. Olivia, Benjamin and Rebecca could not comprehend how a person could pay someone to beat them up and then tell lies to the police about it.

As a family, we will never forget that Jussie Smollett used his celebrity to feed on the fear of the three minority groups he represents: homosexual, Jewish and African American.

Now, as his lawyer attempts to put his own spin on the details, we are left trying to explain the whole concept of “spinning.” We say to the kids that it’s telling about what happened, but it isn’t exactly the whole truth. In this case, the spin is all about making the actor look good and the event appear to be no big deal. When the children ask why, I have no good answers. Maybe it was money. Maybe it was a craving for attention, but none of these answers settle well with me.

Now that my babies are growing up so fast, they’re hearing things every day that make me cringe. I can’t explain what makes a man or woman feel the need to exert power and hatred toward another. I will never understand what possesses a person to fake being a victim of a hate crime.

My children need to grow up in a world where being gay doesn’t get you beaten up. My children deserve to grow up in a place where being Jewish isn’t an invitation to violence or ridicule. If I could share one thing with my amazing kids and this entire crazy, messed up world, it is this: Be kind to one another and be kind to yourself. You are loved more than you will ever know.

 

Tags: Spotlight Parent PagesTriple threat
ShareTweetShareShare
Previous Post

SPOTTED: 11 Blackbirds score as Voorheesville shuts out the ‘Burgh

Next Post

DISCOVER VOORHEESVILLE & NEW SCOTLAND: Old Songs lives up to its name

Leave Comment

Stay Connected with Us

Recent News

Charlie’s Angels gather earlier this summer to announce the construction of a new playground.
Jim Franco / Spotlight News

BBQ to benefit Charlie’s playground

August 12, 2022

Shaker Heritage to host an exhibition and a musical performance

August 12, 2022

Guilderland Public Library news: Summer Reading Sunsetting

August 11, 2022

RCS Community Library news: Take and Make Tuesday!

August 11, 2022

Hot Stories This Week

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

Two new stores coming to Crossgates Mall are anticipated to provide shoppers with new styles

August 10, 2022

Former West Albany FD seeks variance to continue operating as a social hall

August 9, 2022

Delmar saw 99-degree heat, followed by 3.48 inches of rain in one hour

August 10, 2022
The new pickleball courts will be constructed where the tennis courts used to be at the Mohawk Park and Pool off Route 9. The Latham Lassies softball fields are to the left and the town pool complex is above.
Jim Franco / Spotlight News

More pickleball courts are coming to Colonie

August 10, 2022
Charlie’s Angels gather earlier this summer to announce the construction of a new playground.
Jim Franco / Spotlight News

BBQ to benefit Charlie’s playground

August 12, 2022

Shaker Heritage to host an exhibition and a musical performance

August 12, 2022

Guilderland Public Library news: Summer Reading Sunsetting

August 11, 2022

RCS Community Library news: Take and Make Tuesday!

August 11, 2022
Spotlight News

Spotlight News, The Spot 518 and Capital District Family Now are divisions of Community Media Group, LLC. Our local offices are located at 341 Delaware Ave, Delmar, NY 12054. You can contact us at 518.439.4949.

Browse

Follow Us

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact the Editor
  • Employment
  • Our Team
  • Privacy & Policy

© 2021 Community Media Group, LLC - 341 Delaware Ave. Delmar, NY 12054. 518.439.4949

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Spotlight On Business
    • Spotlight on Finance
  • Sports
  • The Spot 518
  • Hot Spots Calendar
  • Opinion
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Log In
  • Classifieds
    • Advertiser Login
  • Service Directory

© 2021 Community Media Group, LLC - 341 Delaware Ave. Delmar, NY 12054. 518.439.4949