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Catholics raise $36,000 scholarship fund for Nick Sandmann
Nick Hallett
Members of CatholicVote.org raised the money to 'to send a message' of support to Sandmann and his family
Catholics from across America have raised $36,100 for a scholarship fund for Nick Sandmann and his two younger siblings.
Members of the group CatholicVote raised the money after Sandmann and his family faced attacks in the national media as well as threats of violence amid the ongoing Covington Catholic High School fiasco.
The controversy started after a video uploaded to YouTube appeared to show Sandmann and fellow students 'smirking' at Native American activist Nathan Phillips during a confrontation at the Washington March for Life. The footage provoked condemnation in the national media, as well as violent threats against the students and their families.
However, later footage showed that Phillips actually approached the students, contradicting reports the students had surrounded him. They had also been provoked by a group called the Black Israelites, who shouted obscenities about the Catholic Church.
Brian Burch, the president of CatholicVote, said Catholics understood that what happened to Sandmann could have happened to their own sons and daughters.
"The nasty attacks against Nick are a reminder of the darker side of left-wing mobs, fake news, and social media," he said.
"The lionshare of the responsibility for this fiasco belongs to the media, yet many so-called Catholic leaders also share some blame. The rush to advance a particular narrative, before all the facts were known, is the result of a growing prejudice and hostility toward faithful Christians in America."
"CatholicVote.org is proud to help in this small way to both offset some unexpected expenses and financial hardship for the Sandmann family, but more importantly to send a message that millions of Catholics are proud of Nick, and want to encourage other young people to follow his lead in standing up to the bullies in our culture that seek to shame and silence them."
Several people who initially criticized Sandmann and the other students have since apologized, including the Bishop of Covington, who said: "We should not have allowed ourselves to be bullied and pressured into making a statement prematurely, and we take full responsibility for it."
"I especially apologize to Nicholas Sandmann and his family as well as to all CovCath families who have felt abandoned during this ordeal," the bishop added. "Nicholas unfortunately has become the face of these allegations based on video clips. This is not fair. This is not just."
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