Jacksonville Shooting Was Racist, Not 'Racially Motivated'

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Pedestrians stroll previous a Greenback Normal retailer the place three folks had been shot and killed the day earlier than on August 27, 2023, in Jacksonville, Florida. | Supply: Sean Rayford / Getty

If there have been ever two phrases that ought to be scrubbed from the media and political lexicon, it’s the phrases “racially motivated.” Just about something involving race could be thought of “racially motivated.” Musical genres like jazz, blues and hip-hop are “racially motivated,” as they had been created by a racial group (Black folks) and motivated by our communities and experiences. Black historic movies, books, documentaries and TV reveals are “racially motivated,” as are the monuments to civil rights leaders. In actual fact, one may even name the motion itself “racially motivated”—nevertheless it was a byproduct of racism.

Ryan Christopher Palmeter didn’t journey to a Greenback Normal retailer in Jacksonville, Florida, armed with an AR-15-style rifle adorned with swastikas and a handgun and particularly goal Black folks, three of whom he shot and killed, as a result of he was “motivated” by race. He did it as a result of he was racist. He didn’t presumably try the identical kind of assault at an HBCU previous to going to Greenback Normal as a result of race “motivated” him to take action. He did it as a result of he was racist.

Media retailers, politicians and legislation enforcement officers use the phrases “racially motivated” and “racially charged” as softer language for what is obvious and unmistakable racism. However who’s that softened tone even for? Actually, not Black folks.

It may appear to some prefer it’s a petty, arbitrary and largely semantic distinction, however take into consideration the truth that “motivated” and “impressed” are synonyms, after which take into consideration how foolish you’d sound saying the horrific murders of Black folks by a violent white supremacist had been “racially impressed.” Take into consideration how far out of your manner you would need to go to decide on these phrases with a purpose to keep away from calling a factor a factor. It’s the sort of factor that will be anticipated from folks like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who would sooner ban the phrase “racist” into “woke” oblivion earlier than he acknowledges that anti-Black racism remains to be an issue in America.

Nevertheless it’s not simply folks like DeSantis who do their finest to soft-serve the topic of racism. It’s folks—largely white folks—who’re so uncomfortable with the topic of racism in America that once they’re compelled to speak about it, they’re as imprecise as they are often, each for themselves and for the good thing about white folks normally.

Take, for one more instance, what Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan informed individuals who gathered to honor the victims the day after the taking pictures.

“The division has to cease, the hate has to cease, the rhetoric has to cease,” Deegan stated. “We’re all the identical flesh, blood and bones and we should always deal with one another that manner.”

Apart from the truth that “the division has to cease” is identical sort of factor conservatives say when blindly attacking “wokeness” and “crucial race principle,” it’s really an “all lives matter” and/or “I don’t see coloration” method to discussing what occurred on Saturday. The taking pictures wasn’t one thing we did to one another. A white racist did it to Black folks. The “division” and “rhetoric” that “has to cease” may check with something. It may check with racist “rhetoric” or anti-racist “rhetoric.” Hell, even her use of the phrase “rhetoric” is rhetoric.

And but, “rhetoric” didn’t kill anybody in Jacksonville on Saturday—racist motion did. If something, the rhetoric Deegan was referring to could be thought of “racially motivated.” Both manner, her use of “division” solely serves as the identical sort of mushy various for what actually “has to cease,” which is—you guessed it—racism.

Jacksonville Sheriff T.Okay. Waters, who’s Black, had no drawback acknowledging that Palmeto “focused a sure group of individuals and that’s Black folks,” or that he left behind racist writings that exposed his “disgusting ideology of hate.” Waters stated all of this plainly as a result of he “needed the folks to have the ability to see precisely what occurred on this state of affairs and simply how sickening it’s,” however he nonetheless appeared hesitant to make use of the R-word.

Waters additionally stated this:

“Our group is grappling to know why this atrocity occurred. I urge us all to not search for sense in a mindless act of violence. There’s no purpose or rationalization that can ever account for the shooter’s choices and actions.”

And but, there’s a clear rationalization: Racism. The act, as horrific and heartbreaking because it was, does make sense. A violent white man needed to kill Black folks and did so as a result of he was racist. Not “racially motivated.” Not “motivated by hate.” Even calling it “hate” typically seems like a approach to keep away from what particular kind of “hate” is accountable for racist actions.

The core concern is that this: The language used to explain racism is a direct reflection of public officers’ effort to truly do one thing about racism in America. It’s virtually as if they’ll’t explicitly name it racist for worry of offending sure folks (not those who are usually victims of racism although). In actual fact, some may argue that the very use of the phrases “racially motivated” to assuage white guilt is, itself, racially motivated.

Others (*raises hand*) may argue it’s merely racist.