Man learns amazing lesson after mocking Jenner's bravery

[darnkatz]

Oh, irony.

Man learns amazing lesson in irony after mocking Caitlyn Jenner’s ‘bravery’ in viral Facebook post



An Oregon man got an unexpected lesson in irony after posting a viral photo on Facebook criticizing the media coverage of Caitlyn Jenner’s gender transition.

Terry Coffey, of Salem, posted a black-and-white photo Monday night that appears to show a World War II soldier trudging through mud carrying on his back an apparently wounded soldier who is firing a pistol.


“As I see post after post about Bruce Jenner’s transition to a woman, and I hear words like, bravery, heroism, and courage, just thought I’d remind all of us what real American courage, heroism, and bravery looks like!” Coffey posted.

The post rocketed across social media over the next day, and has been shared more than 755,000 times – but Coffey said he learned a thought-provoking lesson as he searched the photo’s origins.

In a follow-up post Tuesday, Coffey said he had conducted a quick image search online and simply chose one that fit his words, but he decided after the post went viral to identify the photographer so he could credit his work.

“In an ironic twist, I have discovered that the photo is part of a documentary created by a man who was beaten nearly to death outside of a bar in 2000,” Coffey posted.

The photographer, Mark Hogancamp, spent nine days in a coma and suffered severe brain damage and other injuries, Coffey learned.

Hogancamp coped with his pain afterward by creating an imaginary world set in World War II – where he created the image that went viral years later – but Coffey was gobsmacked by something else he learned.

“Why was he nearly beaten to death by 5 strangers?” Coffey asked. “Because he was a cross-dresser.”

“I could have chosen any one of hundreds of photos depicting bravery, but I chose this one,” Coffey said. “Do I think it was an accident? No, I don’t.”

He said there was an obvious lesson.

“What happened to this man was cruel, wrong, and unforgivable,” Coffey said. “Hate helps nothing, love wounds no one, and God heals all (and irony makes you think).”

[pixy0stix]

Well... at least one person learned a lesson?

[jdnotbyrider]

Yeah.... I'm just going to leave my recent Facebook post right here:
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

It's not like you are making a decision in the yearly federal budget, where you need to choose what in this country needs more support, this is your personal support we are talking about, and in this case, YOU CAN CHOOSE BOTH. YOU CAN SUPPORT BOTH EQUALLY!

US Military: Tough people!

Caitlyn Jenner: Tough person!

Why is the US Military Tough? Because they put their lives on the line by fighting for us, and they get hurt and they go through so much!

Why is Caitlyn Jenner Tough? Because she puts her life on the line by admitting that she felt more comfortable and free as a different gender from her birth gender, and fighting for transgender individuals, and she can get hurt, because some people don't like the concept of being transgender, and transgender individuals go through so much too!

[FloFTW]

These posts drive me fucking insane, mostly because there is not just one type of bravery. Pretty sure the same people that posted this meme have also called themselves brave for breastfeeding in public.

Maybe that's just my feed.

[zelda25]

Jun 5, 2015 10:08:02 GMT -5 FloFTW said:

These posts drive me fucking insane, mostly because there is not just one type of bravery. Pretty sure the same people that posted this meme have also called themselves brave for breastfeeding in public.

Maybe that's just my feed.

YES. Also? Acknowledging one brand of bravery does not in any way detract from others.

[phunluvin82]

My 18 y.o. Cousin posted something like that on FB...I don't think it was the same viral post, but a variation on that same theme. Depicting a soldier, a double amputee, etc.

All of her friends' comments basically skewered her for it and then she deleted it and posted something about how she "doesn't need to get into a political debate on FB"

Lol. I didn't comment cuz I wasn't going there with an 18 y.o. who thinks she knows it all...but I was kinda gleeful over the reactions/fallout.

[fancynewbeesly]

One of my very religious friends (who I was seriously shocked at): shared this post on facebook:

Caitlyn Jenner is brave
Our troops are brave
Kids who wake up everyday and fight cancer are brave
It's not a competition.

[Deleted]

I had a discussion with my niece about this on Facebook today. I'm pretty sure she still thinks I'm just old and stupid. Oh to have the infinite knowledge of a 20 year old.

[twohearted]

I don't know why, but I'm somewhat skeptical of his story. I'm curious about whether his original meme was in line with his posting history or if this was an intentional set up and he was trying to teach the masses a lesson. I don't know which seems more improbable.

[gpw]

Jun 6, 2015 12:54:22 GMT -5 twohearted said:

I don't know why, but I'm somewhat skeptical of his story. I'm curious about whether his original meme was in line with his posting history or if this was an intentional set up and he was trying to teach the masses a lesson. I don't know which seems more improbable.

I am so glad I'm not the only one. I can't put my finger on it, either, but something seems....off.