And this is how a genocide of a WHOLE group of people, the Palestinians is justified. With this racist, discriminatory lens.
I would add the war on Iraq. Iraq was destroyed because of September 11th. And guess what, the alleged perpetrators weren’t even Iraqi. So then… America destroys Iraq with frankly NO RELATION to September 11th.
They just use the hearts and minds of ppl to twist facts and destroy any group they want. And it seems they are targeting the Catholics now (in addition to all other minorities - which we know).
These were my thoughts exactly when my 15-year-old queer daughter came to me in tears because there were already rumors that this was someone in the LGBTQ community
Same here! I converted to Islam and always get nervous when things like this happen. I’ve experienced hostility from strangers after certain events (such as attacks in France). It’s not fair that people should have to go through these fears of strangers doing things and getting somehow blamed for it.
I don't know, i have my doubts. If it was Tyler Robinson, and we watched him jump from the roof without a gun, how did the weapon end up in the woods neatly wrapped in a towel? I suspect the actual shooter was much farther away... But perhaps there is an element I am missing
But I understand, and agree with, and am saddened by, the main point of your article. I pray that someday we can get past this
Thanks for this excellent article. I was actually feeling a little guilty about my reaction to Kirk's killing. It is true that when my Black friend yesterday told me-- an Asian woman with a brown husband--that the shooter had been found the first question out of my mouth was, "Was he white?" When she replied yes I literally sighed with relief and said "Thank God!"
I hadn’t really thought about it from quite this angle. Thank you for so concisely and accurately stating what is patently obvious to so many of us, yet is rarely spoken.
It is, frankly, heartbreaking because I have never felt this way personally. At least not in any way of which I was fully cognizant. I’m a member of multiple minority groups, though physically I “pass” as just “white guy.” Which is a shame, because I don’t even think of myself as “white” or “male.” Not because I am unaware of the color of my skin or some bizarre confusion as to my gender/sex, but because I feel absolutely no connection to either of those two groups defined by chance circumstances of birth. I have heritage from multiple “non-white” ethnicities. “White” is neither nationality nor ethnicity. “White” isn’t even a culture. White is a fucking color (and a particularly poor choice to describe any human skin color not the result of albinism). Additionally, my spiritual/religious practices and beliefs are bespoke, eclectic syntheses I’ve been carefully curating and evolving for over 20 years.
I never have to wonder if a mass shooter, terrorist, or assassin was actually an eclectic shamanic polytheist Demonolater/Luciferian/Satanist. None of them ever are. I never have to wonder if one of them is of Native/Indigenous descent. None of them ever are. I’m not simply “liberal,” “leftist,” “conservative,” “far-right,” or any other label created to pigeon-hole what should be a personalized complex, nuanced, and always-evolving set of political ideals. I never have to wonder if a shooter fits in with me politically. None of them ever do. I always have valid reasons to exclude these mass murderers from “my people.” I’ve never had to face violent hatred for my queerness offline, so I never have to wonder in terror “is the shooter LGBTQ+?”
All that to say that this is an excellent piece, I agree, and I hate that so many others have to live with this kind of near-constant anxiety.
After hearing about this tragic event, I texted some Muslims friends "Praying the shooter is not a "Muslim." " It would be another "justification" for the slaughter of innocents in Palestine.
If this many shootings were by black men, Muslim men, Latino men... they'd be declared a terrorist organization by now.
White extremist men are terrorists just like any other group we've declared are terrorists except they live freely among us and we allow them to be armed unchecked.
I have always thought that once gun violence has touched every American, then we will finally get some sort of common sense legislation. I don't think that's true anymore. Not once they started that 'good guy with a gun crap'. We are an embarrassment.
Wallahi every single time one of these incidents happens, I pray that the perpetrator is not muslim because we all know how the media will go overdrive to demonize all muslims. The sigh of relief when they announce it's "mental health issues", you know it's a "lone wolf" white man...
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EXTREMELY WELL SAID.
And this is how a genocide of a WHOLE group of people, the Palestinians is justified. With this racist, discriminatory lens.
I would add the war on Iraq. Iraq was destroyed because of September 11th. And guess what, the alleged perpetrators weren’t even Iraqi. So then… America destroys Iraq with frankly NO RELATION to September 11th.
They just use the hearts and minds of ppl to twist facts and destroy any group they want. And it seems they are targeting the Catholics now (in addition to all other minorities - which we know).
These were my thoughts exactly when my 15-year-old queer daughter came to me in tears because there were already rumors that this was someone in the LGBTQ community
Same here! I converted to Islam and always get nervous when things like this happen. I’ve experienced hostility from strangers after certain events (such as attacks in France). It’s not fair that people should have to go through these fears of strangers doing things and getting somehow blamed for it.
Well written and right on the mark. I taught College History for 7+ years. I stopped in 2015.
Get this. I had 2 students who had already been in 2 school shootings and they were only 19 years old.
I don’t know if you have read Christopher Ortiz here on Substack, but he brings some truth to what “whiteness” is that is rarely discussed.
His essay “The Empty Trauma of Whiteness: How Colonialism Stole Europe’s Soul” is exceptional.
And my piece “Baldwin, Gaza and Venezuela” piggy backs off of his piece.
Trump blew away 11 boaters
We know nothing about them
Could have been anyone
Who is next
There is no accountability for politicians
The Iraq war showed that
Vietnam war also
Millions die
No accountability
Both parties support the slaughter
Sadly Americans are passive and don’t demand accountability
Our democracy is a sham
Representatives are just self serving grifters lining their pockets from the oligarchs
MAGA leaders are worried
Have you noticed the pattern
Brilliant young man drops out of society and does an assassination attempt or an actual assassination
The fellow was raised by a MAGA family
Same with Luigi and that kid who shot at Trump
Is it youth rebellion?
So MAGA is worried
I don't know, i have my doubts. If it was Tyler Robinson, and we watched him jump from the roof without a gun, how did the weapon end up in the woods neatly wrapped in a towel? I suspect the actual shooter was much farther away... But perhaps there is an element I am missing
But I understand, and agree with, and am saddened by, the main point of your article. I pray that someday we can get past this
It’s possible. Tyler confessed. I am also sure it was him that jumped off the roof.
Thanks for this excellent article. I was actually feeling a little guilty about my reaction to Kirk's killing. It is true that when my Black friend yesterday told me-- an Asian woman with a brown husband--that the shooter had been found the first question out of my mouth was, "Was he white?" When she replied yes I literally sighed with relief and said "Thank God!"
I hadn’t really thought about it from quite this angle. Thank you for so concisely and accurately stating what is patently obvious to so many of us, yet is rarely spoken.
It is, frankly, heartbreaking because I have never felt this way personally. At least not in any way of which I was fully cognizant. I’m a member of multiple minority groups, though physically I “pass” as just “white guy.” Which is a shame, because I don’t even think of myself as “white” or “male.” Not because I am unaware of the color of my skin or some bizarre confusion as to my gender/sex, but because I feel absolutely no connection to either of those two groups defined by chance circumstances of birth. I have heritage from multiple “non-white” ethnicities. “White” is neither nationality nor ethnicity. “White” isn’t even a culture. White is a fucking color (and a particularly poor choice to describe any human skin color not the result of albinism). Additionally, my spiritual/religious practices and beliefs are bespoke, eclectic syntheses I’ve been carefully curating and evolving for over 20 years.
I never have to wonder if a mass shooter, terrorist, or assassin was actually an eclectic shamanic polytheist Demonolater/Luciferian/Satanist. None of them ever are. I never have to wonder if one of them is of Native/Indigenous descent. None of them ever are. I’m not simply “liberal,” “leftist,” “conservative,” “far-right,” or any other label created to pigeon-hole what should be a personalized complex, nuanced, and always-evolving set of political ideals. I never have to wonder if a shooter fits in with me politically. None of them ever do. I always have valid reasons to exclude these mass murderers from “my people.” I’ve never had to face violent hatred for my queerness offline, so I never have to wonder in terror “is the shooter LGBTQ+?”
All that to say that this is an excellent piece, I agree, and I hate that so many others have to live with this kind of near-constant anxiety.
After hearing about this tragic event, I texted some Muslims friends "Praying the shooter is not a "Muslim." " It would be another "justification" for the slaughter of innocents in Palestine.
Fantastic article
If this many shootings were by black men, Muslim men, Latino men... they'd be declared a terrorist organization by now.
White extremist men are terrorists just like any other group we've declared are terrorists except they live freely among us and we allow them to be armed unchecked.
I have always thought that once gun violence has touched every American, then we will finally get some sort of common sense legislation. I don't think that's true anymore. Not once they started that 'good guy with a gun crap'. We are an embarrassment.
The truth is terrible.
Apparently the bullets were made by a company that stamps a diminutive of its name being TRN.
Wallahi every single time one of these incidents happens, I pray that the perpetrator is not muslim because we all know how the media will go overdrive to demonize all muslims. The sigh of relief when they announce it's "mental health issues", you know it's a "lone wolf" white man...
Still praying for all in Gaza. Biden was no help and Trump could care less about the death and destruction happening in Gaza