The left has been working itself up into paroxysms of self-righteousness over the story about a bunch of Catholic kids in MAGA hats allegedly mocking a Native American at a rally in Washington, DC.

Even the foul-mouthed, drug-taking author of Trainspotting just couldn’t resist taking the moral high ground:

But the story just isn’t true. It’s a leftist media fabrication which already has had terrible repercussions for the boys involved — who are now being threatened with expulsion by their school.

More Media Lies There was no #MAGA mob hounding a Native American

Mult Native Americans instigated an incident walking into a peaceful group of kids & taunting one chanting & drumming inches fm his face No one said "Build the Wall"

& if anything

That kid deserves a peace medal pic.twitter.com/lPbPtQtTh7 — Jim Hanson (@Uncle_Jimbo) January 20, 2019

According to the version of events widely circulated in the leftist media, a Native American elder was variously “taunted,” “mocked,” and “harassed” by a “mob” of “non-Native teen boys” in MAGA hats. Supposedly, they surrounded him and blocked his passage.

Activists such as Shaun King leapt on the story as further evidence of the evils of white privilege:

1. Shaun King is a dangerous, race-baiting hack. Once again, he is sharing selective and false information in order to push an anti-white narrative. This time, a selectively edited video pic.twitter.com/EPSTybjwQF — Stephen Knight (@GSpellchecker) January 20, 2019

This BBC Radio DJ eagerly joined in the witch hunt mob pursuit of the high school kids:

I just emailed this school. This behaviour towards this man made me feel physically sick. https://t.co/fghXUcGhEC — edith bowman (@edibow) January 19, 2019

Here is Twitter blue-check celebrity Reza Aslan inciting violence against an innocent boy for the terrible crime of smiling sweetly while in possession of a MAGA hat.

Honest question. Have you ever seen a more punchable face than this kid’s? pic.twitter.com/jolQ7BZQPD — Reza Aslan (@rezaaslan) January 20, 2019

Here is Kathy Griffin trying to dox the poor kid:

Names please. And stories from people who can identify them and vouch for their identity. Thank you. — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) January 20, 2019

And quickly — far, far too quickly — the boys’ Catholic school and diocese took the side of the boys’ persecutors:

In a joint statement , the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School apologised to Phillips. Officials said they are investigating and will take “appropriate action, up to and including expulsion.”

Oh and here, just in case you haven’t had enough stupid yet, is Alyssa Milano’s contribution to the debate:

The red MAGA hat is the new white hood. Without white boys being able to empathize with other people, humanity will continue to destroy itself. #FirstThoughtsWhenIWakeUp — Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) January 20, 2019

You might hope that conservative commentators, at least, might show more of a sense of perspective. But here is the hot take of conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt, whose line appears to be that even though the kids have since been shown to be innocent, they should get a lecture from a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation anyway. Why??

Agree but it would be useful to train every high schooler in Proverbs 15:1. And it would still be great if Covington Catholic invited Philly Archbishop Chaput, a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, to visit the school for some teaching on respect, forgiveness, courtesy. https://t.co/rxIKrjlg9N — Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) January 20, 2019

This whole story just exposes the left for the lying, cry-bullying, vindictive, shrill, ugly hate machine it is.

What is clear from the unedited footage of the event is that the boys did little wrong. Sure, they might have chanted boisterously, even rudely, but they are kids, and they were provoked.

Far from surrounding this supposedly innocent “Native American elder veteran,” as he has been sanctimoniously billed by the left, it was he who approached them and began drumming right in their faces.

The “elder” is Nathan Phillips, a Vietnam vet with a long history of political activism, hardly someone who didn’t know exactly what he was doing; nor someone who was likely to be intimidated by a group of high school kids.

All the high school kids did in response was to smile, stand their ground, and sing along with the drumming. This is hardly an aggressive or unreasonable response, especially when they were being provoked not just by the “Native American elder,” but also by a group of left-wing black activists nearby.

I realize the usual suspects have already convicted & are ready to crucify these kids But maybe it'w worth looking at the context first If the drummer came up to them

That changes it considerably https://t.co/eaPnXLTTUN — Jim Hanson (@Uncle_Jimbo) January 19, 2019

Here is a personal account by one of the kids who was there:

Response from Cov Cath student who says he was present at the event in question in Washington.@Local12 pic.twitter.com/nqLD1pJY2u — Adam Clements (@AClementsWKRC) January 20, 2019

Far from admitting it might have got it wrong, the hard left is doubling down. Here is William LeGate, infamous for his vicious doxing of conservatives:

One of the main ringleaders of the #CovingtonCatholic harassment campaign is someone by the name of William LeGate. "If confirmed, I will release the names of the kid's parents" pic.twitter.com/uWqBqlmk2d — Nick Monroe (@nickmon1112) January 20, 2019

As this thread by investigative journalist Nick Monroe horrifyingly shows, the forces of the hard left have now posted pictures of all the boys involved, have revealed their identities, and have begun harassing both them and their families.

Here’s the former head of BuzzFeedNews Live Video, showing his warm, caring side:

The high school students and their parents are clearly the victims of yesterday’s intimidation against an indigenous elder and veteran ‍♂️ #CovingtonCatholic #OwensboroCatholic #MAGA pic.twitter.com/yn8YNyE6bL — Andrew Kimmel (@andrewkimmel) January 19, 2019

And here’s HillReporter’s Brian Krassenstein, flaunting his “never mind the facts, just feel the hate” approach to a news story:

I don't care if they are minors. They are MAGA hat wearing pieces of crap, taunting a Native American Vet.pic.twitter.com/kfbRbCTnNx — Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) January 19, 2019

Lots of people emerge very, very badly from this ugly story. Leftist celebrities — the Wankerati, as I call them — rushing to condemn when they don’t know the full details; the leftist media, from the New York Times downwards, eagerly relaying fake news; the Catholic authorities in the diocese and school, failing to stand up for the schoolboys to whom they owe a duty of care; Nathan Phillips, bleating and blubbing to the media like he was some tragic victim of racism when in fact he was clearly the instigator of this awkward stand-off; and, of course, all those civilians in this ridiculous woke culture of ours who are so gullible, so politically correct that even the very mention of the phrase “Native American elder” is enough to suffuse them with exaggerated reverence and to fall over one another in a desperate struggle to see who can most eagerly display his virtue through the medium of sanctimonious outpourings of rage and condemnation.

You disgust me, all of you people. You are vile beyond measure. Those kids from that school are better than all of you. And you owe them a massive apology.