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Bigots have a new whipping boy in Jussie Smollett | Jenice Armstrong

The fact that there’s so much glee about news that the actor allegedly lied about a late-night attack by two MAGA hat wearers last month indicates just how racist and homophobic some people are.

Mug shot released Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019, by the Chicago Police Department shows actor Jussie Smollett, who police say turned himself in to face a charge of making a false police report.
Mug shot released Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019, by the Chicago Police Department shows actor Jussie Smollett, who police say turned himself in to face a charge of making a false police report.Read moreAP

Score one for the bigots.

The fact that there’s so much glee about news that the actor Jussie Smollet allegedly lied about a late-night attack by two MAGA-hat wearers last month indicates how racist and homophobic some people are.

In fact, he’s their new whipping boy.

Certain folks are concluding that if the Empire star lied, then everybody else who makes claims about racism and homophobia is a liar, too.

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter has already tweeted, “Alright, this particular hate crime turned out to be a hoax, but let’s remember, ALL OF THEM are hoaxes. #Smollett.”

Ridiculous.

Oh, how racists love to deflect.

The thing is that even if Smollett is found to have lied about what supposedly happened to him during the wee hours of Jan. 29, after leaving a Chicago Subway restaurant, racism remains America’s original sin.

Hate crimes increased substantially after President Donald Trump’s 2016 election. You can’t unsee those disturbing 2017 images of torch-wielding white supremacists in Charlottesville, Va.

Chicago Police Commissioner Eddie Johnson accused Smollett of deliberately concocting an outlandish story because “he was dissatisfied with his salary” on the hit TV series created by Philly’s own Lee Daniels.

In addition to Smollett’s claiming that two men wearing Make America Great Again caps assaulted him and shouted, “This is MAGA country!” the openly gay black actor said they also wrapped a noose around his neck.

Chi-town top cop Johnson said the wounds were self-inflicted, and Smollett has been charged with felony disorderly conduct for reportedly filing a false police report.

Despicable behavior, if true. The product of a depraved mind? Possibly.

If the actor did this, and is found guilty in an Illinois courtroom, then that will be on him. And, if convicted, that’s what his deeds should be seen as — the actions of one twisted individual.

It would be a career-ender for Smollett, and rightly so. The American public will never forget it, much less get over his attempt to dupe us.

I can’t stand a liar.

Meanwhile, I’ve witnessed the hand-wringing from certain black folks and gays, including Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts, to whom he allegedly lied, about how this reflects on race and the impact on the so-called white gaze, how non-African Americans view the black experience.

Hey, don’t worry about that. Smollett is just one guy.

I refuse to spend my life worrying about how people view me because of my ancestry. Members of the LGBTQ community shouldn’t worry about how they are regarded after this, either.

We shouldn’t fear that Smollett’s alleged actions will taint minorities, any more than white people were smeared by the reprehensible actions of, say, #PermitPatty, who last summer made headlines after siccing San Francisco police on a little black girl selling water.

When Susan Smith drowned her sons in 1995 and blamed it on an imaginary black guy, that didn’t taint all white women, and likewise, Smollett’s actions shouldn’t be allowed to smear all African Americans and homosexuals.

So, enough with all the moaning about Smollett’s having set us back.

Those who are inclined to do, like Coulter, and accuse every victim of a hate crime of lying won’t stop.

Smollett, as reprehensible as he may be, isn’t to blame for their prejudice against blacks and gays. Their hate existed before he headed out onto the cold streets of Chicago.