2022/05/16
Friend,
Yesterday, on behalf of People For, I wrote a column in USA Today discussing the unimaginably heinous hate crime in Buffalo and its direct connection to far-right conspiracy theories — theories that have been amplified in recent months by the likes of Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY).
Some excerpts :
“The mass shooting in Buffalo has drawn attention to the deeply pernicious "Great Replacement Theory", a theory boosted by the Far Right and its allies at Fox News and some conservative media. Tragically, the GOP, the party of Lincoln, is making the same mistakes the old Democratic Party did after the Civil War. They are becoming a party whose modern legacy is being defined by violent white supremacists. ...”
“The Great Replacement Theory is deadly. It has inspired previous mass murderers who killed Jewish people in Pittsburgh, Latinos in El Paso, and Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand. It radicalizes lost young men who prowl toxic corners of the internet. And it is poisoning the minds of millions of Americans who now hear it being promoted by irresponsible elected officials and cable television personalities. ...”
“If Republican leaders visit upstate New York, they should reflect on [Frederick] Douglass’s vision of a country whose growth and strength are nourished by a confident embrace of diversity. And they could reflect on the words of [Jack] Kemp, who when asked to explain the seeming distance between his approach to race and that of his colleagues, responded, ‘I can’t help but care about the rights of the people I used to shower with.
This latest brutality gives those with media platforms and political power a responsibility to reckon with the twin evils of mass violence and racial, ethnic and religious hatred. We are all capable of growth and clarity and courage. And we desperately need all of them from our nation’s leaders.”
Please read the full column at USAToday.com and as we mourn the victims of yet another act of domestic terrorism, let’s recommit ourselves to helping bend the long moral arc of the universe towards justice.
Thank you for defending the American Way,
Ben Jealous, President.
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