As someone who aspires to be a journalist, I must remember that it is important to be objective as opposed to being subjective. However, a story comes along that does not allow you to be only objective and begs for a writer subjective side to be presented.

For the last three weeks, we have constantly heard as the lead story or the second story about the alleged attack on Jussie Smollett, the African-American homosexual actor who stars on the hit show Empire as a homosexual African-American singer in a musical mogul family. The actor is also known for his advocacy regarding Civil Rights and LGBTQ issues. Most recently it has now been alleged that Smollett orchestrated this entire hoax to gain sympathy and gain a higher salary for his portrayal on Empire. The link below will take you to a timeline of the events from the Chicago Tribune.

What happened? A timeline of the Jussie Smollett case

I, like everyone else, watched in horror and disbelief at the alleged attack on this actor. I continued to watch as the story unfolded, thinking to myself how in the world is this still going on. I am aware that in the last two years hate crimes have risen exponentially due to many circumstances. But this actor claimed that the alleged attack occurs used not only homophobic slurs, racial slurs, but that they used a political slogan MAGA (Make America Great Again) which is the trump slogan from his campaign and that his cronies and base continue to wear proudly on their red caps, their blue, their white caps and of course their T-shirts. By the way, candidate Donald Trump at the time, was not the originator of make America great again on a campaign trail. The originator of that slogan was Ronald Reagan in 1980! But I digress.

By Smollett alleging the attackers using this type of language, throwing bleach on him, putting in used to raise net, and hitting his face with a completely straight face throughout all of this as seen in his interview with Robin Roberts of Good Morning America – makes me think to myself, was it worth it? The full video is below.

With Smollett being charged and arrested for one felony count of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report, Robin Roberts, whom I have the utmost respect is calling the actor’s alleged hoax “a setback for race relations, homophobia, MAGA supporters. I cannot think of another case where there is this anger on so many sides, and you can understand why there would be,” Roberts said on the ABC show this morning. Her assessment came shortly after Smollett’s arrest on a felony charge of filing a false police report.

We also find out today that he paid the brothers, the alleged attackers, $3,500 with a check – how stupid is that? He was then supposed to pay an additional $500 after the alleged attack.  The alleged attackers were seen on camera at Walmart buying the masks, MAGA hats and the other things they needed to perpetrate the attack. It gets better for the prosecution because there were multiple text messages between Smollett and the alleged attackers planning the attack.

Mind you all the current evidence is stacking up pretty much against a preponderance of innocence on Smollett’s part, so this will be in the news for a while unless Smollett comes to his senses and owns up to the idiocy of the entire hoax and accepts his punishment whatever it may be. Enough of the objective part of this post.

Onto the subjective part! This whole situation has made me sick to my stomach. First and foremost, as a very proud and out homosexual who has been attacked several times in my 52 1/2 years when I have been and have not been intoxicated and have never reported, I am angry that this individual has used his homosexuality as one of the reasons for the alleged attack. He is known for his advocacy for the LGBTQ community and yet he single handedly managed to give those in the LGBTQ community who are attacked or have been attacked another reason not to come forward and report their attacks for fear of not being believed further. As if this was not already an issue.

Second, he used his African Americanism and the symbolism of having a noose around his neck as though he were going to be lynched as part of this sickening scenario. Again, single handedly giving this divided country another reason to continue on the track we are on. No one should ever feel okay about using their race as a prop for an attack and they certainly have no business using the imagery or suggestion of nooses and lynching. If his grandparents or great parents have passed – they are rolling in their graves at what this man done.

Finally, in his interview with Robin Roberts he asserted that the reason the alleged attack happened is because he goes hard after 45 and he doesn’t hold back on 45. 45 meaning President Donald J. Trump. Look, I am a very harsh critic of our current president, why does he think he is so special that he would be the one person allegedly attacked in this country this way because he goes hard against 45. He must be just as freaking egotistical as Trump to believe that his story would continue to be believed based on the alleged attackers allegedly wearing red MAGA hats and being members of MAGA and of course Trump. These assertions are tantamount to stating that Trump himself sent these alleged thugs himself to do the deed.

Of course the above claimed allowed 45 to chime in with the following tweet, gotta love the egotist in chief:

The fact that he allegedly knew these individuals and planned this through conversations and text messages specifically to make the producers of Empire and the executives at FOX realize his egotistical worth and pay him more money per episode should remind us all that “but for the grace of God, there goes I” and “some of us are sicker than others!” I am saddened by this whole situation because I really like Jussie Smollett and I loved his character Jamal Lyon. He was back on set today after posting $100,000 bond, I am sure that he will not be there for much longer if FOX knows what’s best for them and the show.

So again, Jussie – “Was or will it be worth it?” Only he can answer that question, but m,y mind – most DEFINITELY NOT!!!!

That’s what’s in “My Rattled Cage”, thanks for stopping by!!!!