Mark Wahlberg, the famous actor known for his roles in movies like Ted, is facing accusations of hypocrisy after he shared a post in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The post featured a picture of George Floyd, whose tragic death sparked widespread protests in the United States.
While many applauded Wahlberg's show of support, others pointed out his own history of racially motivated attacks and the use of racial slurs.
During the 1980s, when Wahlberg was living in Boston, he was involved in several incidents that were deemed hate crimes.
In one instance in 1986, a 15-year-old Wahlberg and three friends chased and pelted rocks at three black children while shouting racial slurs.
The following day, he harassed another group of primarily black children at the beach, gathering more white individuals to join in the racially abusive behavior.
Two years later, in 1988, Wahlberg attacked two Vietnamese men while under the influence of drugs.
He used racial slurs against them and physically assaulted them, causing serious injuries.
For these actions, Wahlberg faced legal consequences.
For the first incident, Wahlberg was found guilty of violating the civil rights of his victims.
A civil rights injunction was issued against him and two of his friends, and the case was settled shortly after.
In the second incident, Wahlberg was initially charged with attempted murder but pleaded guilty to felony assault.
Due to a previous civil rights injunction, he was found in contempt of court and sentenced to two years in prison.
However, Wahlberg only served 45 days of his sentence before being released.
In 2014, he attempted to seek a pardon for the second attack in order to have it removed from his criminal record.
Although he acknowledged his mistakes and expressed remorse, he later dropped the request in 2016.
In recent years, Wahlberg's victims have had differing opinions on whether he should still be held accountable for his actions as a teenager.
One of the individuals attacked by Wahlberg in 1986 expressed that she did not believe he should be pardoned, stating that being a celebrity should not exempt him from the consequences of his racist behavior.
On the other hand, one of the Vietnamese men attacked in 1988 forgave Wahlberg and believed he deserved a second chance.
Wahlberg has acknowledged his past and claimed to have made efforts to change and become a better person.
He has taken responsibility for his actions and expressed a desire to be a positive role model for his children and others.
Despite these statements, the debate surrounding his racist hate crimes continues.
While Wahlberg's recent support for the Black Lives Matter movement may have sparked discussions about his past, it also raises questions about the complexity of forgiveness and redemption.
People's opinions on whether he should be forgiven or held accountable may differ, but it is clear that Wahlberg's history of racially motivated attacks cannot be ignored.
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