From the Pastor
This has been a horrific week for shooting incidents. At some point, we Americans need to examine our fascination with guns and our unwillingness to have logical conversations about their regulation and use. This week points to an even deeper problem in our society; one that I believe is metastasizing throughout our society -- hate.
Both the shooting at the TOPS store in Buffalo and at the Geneva Presbyterian church in Laguna Woods were clearly hate crimes. They were not just the random act of one deranged person; they were carefully planned terrorist acts designed specifically to target a group of people.
And for those of you who think that these acts are far away; please understand that for African-American and Asian-American people, it might just as well have been on their doorstep. The fear of being shot by a white supremacist is not paranoia for many people in our country. It is a very real and quite rational worry.
- Hate crimes targeting people of Asian descent in the U.S. rose by 70% last year compared with the number of such incidents in 2019, the FBI said.
- The number of hate crimes targeting Black people jumped nearly 40% last year compared with 2019 levels.[i]
Keen readers of the news may say “Well, the church shooter was Chinese, not a white supremacist". That’s true. But the hate is the same; his anger was directed at the Taiwanese worshippers just because of their ethnicity.
That, of course, is the through-line that runs through all incidents of racial violence; the concept that people can be killed with impunity just for existing. This line of thinking is very different from the thought process that leads to murder over money or sex. Hate crimes are not about what the victim has done. They are an assault on another person based solely on their being. And for that reason, they are terrorism, designed to manipulate others by use of fear. It is very effective.
You may not be looking around anxiously when you go grocery shopping this week, but I guarantee that black folks are weighing whether or not it is safe to go out. Not just in Buffalo, but all over this country. Yes, even in Vermont. Shooters have copycats. Asians of all faiths will likely think twice before going to church or temple this week; is there someone else who thinks that COVID is the “China virus” and that Asians unleashed it on the world? The rabbi of the synagogue in Stowe wrote to his members reminding them that “replacement theory” was at the heart of the Buffalo shooter’s narrative, and the shooter’s hateful screed called for killing Jews. [ii]
We cannot afford to be ignorant about white supremacists. Nearly all of the men who have committed hate crimes have been radicalized online, so geography is no barrier. More importantly, since white supremacy uses Christianity as a cover, we who are Christians need to witness to a faith that is about the love of God for all. I urge you to educate yourself about the culture of hate that is spreading in our country. Resist the temptation to “just go along” when someone makes a racist joke or suggests that these tragedies didn’t really happen.
Our focus this Eastertide has been to promote peace in our own lives, not just to make us feel good, but so that we can promote peace around us. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God” -Matt 5:9
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[i] FBI says hate crimes against Asian and Black people rise in the U.S. (cnbc.com) Click Here
[ii] The Racist 'Great Replacement' Conspiracy Theory Explained | Southern Poverty Law Center (splcenter.org) Click Here
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