Words of hate create an ethos of hate, an atmosphere of hate, a political, social Petri dish of hate. Eventually, spoken words become deeds.
On Saturday those deeds were the racist murders of Angela Michelle Carr, Jerrald Gallion and Anolt Joseph Laguerre Jr at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida, by a man who “hated Black people”, according to the local sheriff.
If this event surprised you, you’re not paying attention. We have hateful rhetoric coming out of the mouths of politicians at the highest levels in Florida every day. From the governor to the former president, it’s hate against Black history, hate against wokeness, hate against trans people, hate against immigrants.
The shooter reportedly put his vest and mask on at Edward Waters University, a historically Black institution that is the embodiment of the very history and stories that Ron DeSantis, the governor, and others are saying are bad for America. This is where the shooter went, pumped up and primed to hate, possibly to kill teachers and students – a tangible representative of that which extreme politicians and religionists have declared hurtful and in need of removal.
— source theguardian.com | Bishop William Barber | 29 Aug 2023