New Britain NAACP Calls Out Mainstream Xenophobic, Race Baiting Leading To Buffalo Shootings
The NAACP New Britain Branch has called out the dangers of white supremacy leading to violence, like the recent racist, terrorist murders in Buffalo, New York.
“When we have mainstream xenophobic, race baiting, banning Black and Brown and LGBTQ Book authors and bigotry,” the NAACP said, “this is what happens:
A White 18-year-old from another city hours outside of Buffalo New York came into the Black area grocery store and started shooting and 10 people are dead, 13 shot, 11 Blacks and 2 Whites. He had engraved a racial slur on the gun. He had white Supremacy posters and other hate material at his apartment and in his social media. While shooting, he was live streaming.
The NAACP noted that, “Authorities said he was a white supremacist and the majority of the people that he shot were African Americans and he targeted them.”
Pointing out the heroism of the security guard who acted to protect people against the attack by a terrorist who, “wore a helmet and bulletproof vest,” the New Britain NAACP said that, “The security guard was a retired black police officer. He was killed. The officer shot him but it didn’t kill him, the suspect.”
“This act of Terrorism shows that America is still infected with this virus of race, injustice, and downright inhumane attitudes and treatment of Black people,” the New Britain NAACP said, pointing out that,
This shooting is a deadly reminder of the dangers of white supremacy, and the need to call out these hateful views at every opportunity. We need our elected leaders at all levels to have the political will to pass meaningful legislation that will hold anyone involved in spreading white supremacist conspiracy theories to account and to stop potentially violent terrorists before they commit a crime.
“Horrifying moments like this that occurred in Buffalo, NY, instill even more fear and uncertainty among Black Americans,” the NAACP said. “You don’t know whether or not you’re in harm’s way if you go to church, the theatre, to the schoolhouse, to your job, even to the supermarket. That’s how violent America is.”
The NAACP New Britain Branch noted a statement by Mark Barden, father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, and co-founder and CEO of the Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund. Barden said,
Fear-based anger and prejudice drives violence. We all – and especially our children – deserve to feel and be safe in our schools, homes, and communities. This heinous hate crime against Black people demands both national outcry and action. We must unite in condemnation of hate, racism, misogyny, and bigotry and reject racism, xenophobia, and nativism in all their forms. We can overcome fear and hatred with a collective commitment to look out for one another, and speak up to get help when we see potential violence in any form.
“This unfortunate act of terrorism also highlights the NAACP’s continued fight for sensible gun legislation that doesn’t just allow military-grade weaponry into the hands of everyday citizens,” the New Britain Branch said.
Sandy Hook Promise noted, also, that, “Analysis of recent CDC data underscores the disproportionate impact of gun violence on Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities nationwide – and proves that stronger gun safety laws lead to lower rates of violence.”
Pointing to the racist terrorism as a, “devastating time for our country,” the NAACP said that, “Racial hatred must be courageously addressed and rooted out. This is a prime example of why the NAACP works so diligently to eliminate racial bias and hatred.”
“For those who doubted our work,” the NAACP said, “now it is clear why the labor must continue.”
Extending, “our thoughts and prayers offering condolences to victims and their families and to the entire Buffalo community of this horrific hate crime,” the New Britain Branch of the NAACP said that, “we stand in solidarity with the African American community at this difficult time.”
