White Supremacist Violence Will Never End
"In the face of injustice, neutrality can never be an option. Silence makes the uncommitted bedfellows with hatred and racism--whether they like it or not."
--Miguel A. De La Torre in Burying White Privilege
One who winks the eyes plans perverse things; one who compresses the lips brings evil to pass.
Remember Patrick Wood Crusius?
You remember the impact Patrick made in August of 2019?
Most people have long forgotten the name and face of Patrick and his actions on August 3rd, 2019. You are not alone if you are still struggling to remember. Maybe his face will ring a bell:
Patrick is a 23 year old who drove 650 miles to El Paso Texas to murder "Mexicans" because of his belief in one of the numerous replacement theories that believe that people of color are seeking to "replace" White Americans. Patrick wrote a manifesto that he called "The inconvenient Truth" that gives the motives for the massacre that was published online. In his writings, he professes inspiration from ChristChurch mosque shootings and specifically speaks to the crisis of "Hispanic invasions" and language that is promoted widely in white nationalist writings. He would shoot 23 people of Latin heritage in a Walmart. He would then peacefully surrender to a Texas Ranger. As with all mass murders, there was instant alarm with lots of "words" but nothing came of it. 2 years, 9 months later, Patrick has not yet had a trial. His defense has successfully made a motion introducing mitigating factors such as neurological and mental disabilities in understanding his accountability for the action. The trial may not be started until 2025. Yet, we are already making excuses for the upcoming lack of justice...
Two days ago, 18 year old Payton Gendron, self-identified white supremacist, drove 300 miles to find an area that was predominantly Black so that he could shoot 13 people, including one law enforcement officer, killing 10. Of the 10, all were Black, aged from 32 to 86 years of age. Payton, like Patrick had written a manifesto online with references to the ChristChurch massacre and even live streamed his massacre on Twitch. Payton's manifesto was also heavily influenced by replacement theory and the language used by white nationalist movements. Despite killing a security guard, Payton was allowed to surrender peacefully and was arrested and currently awaits formal charging.
As I write this, I await the commentary from those who continue harbor sympathy and even admiration for white nationalists to distance this tragedy from the white nationalist movements that spawn this and the El Paso shootings. "He was acting alone." "He has mental health issues." "He's not formally associated with any white nationalist organizations.". Or my favorite, please cue fox news: "The real problem is Black on Black crime."
Heather McGhee (What Racism Costs Everyone, 2021) explains that racism, particularly white supremacy, drives a scarcity mindset she calls "racial zero sum". It is a paradigm, often adopted in "replacement theories" that multiple cultures can not prosper together and that for minorities to prosper is at the expense of the dominant culture. This legitimates violence to maintain and to prevent "stealing" of what is rightly, or divinely in some circles, meant to be for white people. This is a global phenomena but has been refined in the United State. So immigration is no longer a blessing (as it was when it was primarily European) but now is described as an "invasion" of people seeking to take jobs and promote crime, despite no empirical evidence that this is true.
Meanwhile public means of educating young adults who are being indoctrinated with destructive and hateful ideologies are being further inhibited by fear based campaigns that eliminates the discussion of the effects of white supremacist movements historically and presently. So, the violence indoctrination continues without any means of addressing white supremacy in order to dismantle its systems and propaganda.
A couple suggestions:
1. White Supremacy has to be recognized, repudiated, renounced, and resisted. The days of explaining that Uncle Roy grew up in a different time and he is really a good guy is over. Uncle Roy has to be confronted and made accountable for his actions.
2. Communities of faith must be spaces of antiracism advocacy. Racial exceptionalism is closely tied to religious exceptionalism. This is true regardless of faith. Christian communities are founded on the idea that Jesus died to reconcile humanity with God and one another. Reconciliation is foundational to the message of Jesus. Please do not fall into the politicized characterization of antiracism as "woke" or whatever word insecure leaders have decided to demonize due to their own ignorance and complicity.
3. White nationalist organization and forums must be held accountable. While America guarantees freedom of speech (unless you wish to teach how racism has effected governmental policies in Texas, Mississippi, Florida, and Tennessee), with rights come responsibilities. Leaders who use white supremacist and nationalist language or promote violent or even economically discriminatory behavior must be held responsible for the outcomes, particularly if its demonstrated to be a pattern of violent or discriminatory behavior.
Please join me in praying for the victims of this tragedy in Buffalo by reading and speaking their names. As you pray for their families and friends, ask God how you can be part of the solution of preventing the perpetuation of racial motivated violence I pray that you will have the courage to be the peacemaker that you are called to be.
Mournfully,
M
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