Omaha elder Nathan Phillips told the “Today” show that he has “forgiveness in my heart” for the Covington Catholic High School students whose treatment of Phillips at a protest at the Lincoln Memorial over the weekend went viral, but he still believes the student at the heart of the incident has not been sincere in his explanation of events.
“Coached and written up for him, insincerity, lack of responsibility, those are the words I came up with,” he said when asked about student Nick Sandmann’s response to the incident. Sandmann told the “Today” show on Wednesday that he didn’t think he owed anyone an apology.
“But then I went to go pray about it and I woke up and I woke up with this forgiving heart and I forgive him.” Phillips said.
“Even though I’m angry, I still have that forgiveness in my heart for those students.”
Watch Nathan Phillips’ full interview with @savannahguthrie pic.twitter.com/LYlWtod9Kl
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) January 24, 2019
In videos and photos shared of the encounter, it appears that Sandmann was behaving disrespectfully toward Phillips — appearing to mock Phillips and other Native Americans. Video showed the Covington students surrounding Phillips as he walked through the crowd and played a drum. Sandmann stared at Phillips while smirking, which prompted intense backlash. In response, Sandmann has argued that he was singled out by Phillips and was trying to remain “motionless” in order to defuse the situation.
He’s right. It was coached and insincere. And the lesson the kid will have gotten out of it is, never take responsibility yourself, just get a good lawyer.
Sad.
Verily, you are a better person than I.
Somehow, I could perhaps take Sandmann’s version as being somewhat remotely plausible, if he weren’t wearing the fucking MAGAt hat.
The difference between an adult and a pissant.
Exactly. Wearing that hat in public is a deliberate act of provocation. And it’s a statement of their (shitty) values.