Leftists have been quick to dismiss the real issues in Springfield and conservatives have been just as fast to sensationalise it. I know some conservatives do not want to hear this, but the truth is, we have become guilty of much of what we hate about the Left.
As a Ghanaian-Canadian immigrant in Ohio, I’m especially attentive to what has become a national story about Haitian immigrants in Springfield.
Since I live just an hour from the city, I considered making a social media post about the story earlier this week. But since I hadn’t investigated the claims for myself, I decided to be slow to speak—or slow to write.
I’m grateful for that. Because like most people—leftists and conservatives—I would have repeated untruthful and unhelpful claims on an issue that is making a big impact on a small city.
Usually, when the Left and the Right have differing views on an issue—one side is wrong and the other is Right. But sometimes, both sides are wrong. That is the case with what is happening in Springfield. The biggest voices on the Left and the Right are wrong about Springfield.
Leftists have been quick to dismiss the real issues in Springfield and conservatives have been just as fast to sensationalise it. I know some conservatives do not want to hear this, but the truth is, we have become guilty of much of what we hate about the Left.
It seems like many of us are willing to pause discernment on claims that draw attention to real issues, especially in the middle of a crucial presidential election.
Many Republican voters are convinced Haitian immigrants in Springfield are eating people’s cats and dogs. To my shame, I also initially believed the accusations. Donald Trump mentioned the claims in the presidential debate earlier this week, and it’s since become maybe the biggest topic in America.
But after doing research, including talking to godly, trustworthy people I know in the Springfield area, it’s evident that the claims are malicious lies.
The origins of the false accusations stem from a real case about a woman in Canton, Ohio who was arrested last month for killing and eating a cat. The woman is a black citizen, not a Haitian immigrant. Also, Canton is almost three hours away from Springfield.
Seemingly, some people on the Right discovered this case and used it to make horrible claims about Haitian immigrants in Springfield.
That, however, doesn’t mean leftists are right to ignore the frustrations of citizens in Springfield. As my friend Darvio Morrow says in his latest article for Newsweek: