The news of the barbaric and dastardly acts, namely the New York/Buffalo market shooting and the Texas elementary school mass shooting, has gone viral even in the minds of people agitating questions. The objectives were the same but they contrast each other in the identities of both the shooters and the victims. The objective was to terrorize and kill, and that is clear.
Where the two events contrast themselves also leaves much to be desired. There are mysteries yet to be unraveled, which probably investigations that are going could be of help. The identity of the gunman at the New York/Buffalo market shooting is clear. The guy is white while that of the Texas mass shooting is Hispanic. These two events took place one after the other at an interval of 9 days. Bear in mind that President Joe Biden, while visiting the site of the killings in New York, described the incident as a poison of the hate and lies of the white supremacists. That message was clear and unambiguous.
The question that agitates the mind with regard to the Texas killing, which followed immediately after the New York incident and was carried out by an 18-year old Hispanic is: Could this incident have been stage-managed to counteract the effects of the earlier killing that had race and ideological colorations? From the pictures painted already with regard to the Texas killing, there are still some areas that are unclear in terms of how responsive the security agents were and why intervention was held on for some time until after the dastardly act was completed.
Hope is still rising that there will be clarifications on some issues that are unclear and complicated as time goes on. One major lesson that has been taught with these two incidents is that nobody is safe until all are safe. No one is concerned at this juncture with the contrasting identities of the gunmen as much as people are about the identities of the victims. Both in New York and Texas, the indisputable fact is that people of color were the targets. Ideologists, especially negative ones, have no regard for race as much as it has for the targets.
A radicalized person is someone who believes in an ideology and is willing to go any length in perpetrating the dictate of his ideological beliefs, regardless of whose horse is gored. To this end, as we profile and label those who perpetrate these kinds of acts as terrorists, we should also not lose sight of the population of those whose loved ones have been targeted so far and are being targeted.
The business of security should be the business of all with the government at all levels taking the lead by example. If the governor’s offices can be properly protected, why treat the electorate who are employers of the governor and other elected leaders differently and with levity. Security needs to be built up not to suit only the mighty but also the vulnerable and downtrodden Americans.
The appropriate governments who should be responsible for the protection of the lives and property of those victims who were killed in the mass shootings should take responsibility for negligence. It is not enough as an antidote the lowering of the American flag at the White House. That can only serve as a mark of respect and honor to the departed souls, but monetary compensation must be made to the families of the victims. This is another way of saying to the people in authority that as the business of security is costly,, the cost of negligence is much more.
Henceforth, schools in America and stores that are located within the demography of people of color should be insured by the appropriate governments who have jurisdiction in the areas where these schools and stores are located. The task of securing the lives of the American people should no longer be business as usual. Let all hands come on deck to nip this evil in the bud once and for all.
On a final note, there is no gainsaying the fact that the United States of America is the strongest country on earth, and the strength of a country is first and foremost determined by its ability to defend the country and its people both externally and internally—externally against invaders and terrorists, and internally, against ideologists that are poisonous, a product of hate and the desire for domination. This is the platform and the basis on which America is considered as the strongest country on the earth.
Let’s take a break and take a critical look at what obtains within and without, in terms of security, and with a view towards making an objective assessment for improvements. If all the previous administrations in America have failed to achieve this critical need of protecting the lives of the people of color, who are vulnerable and are always at the receiving end, first and foremost, let’s hope that the administration of President Biden and Vice-President Harris will right all the wrongs. If things went wrong with security in the past and those leaders before us went with them, we say “no” to failure and insensitivity. The mass shootings at the Buffalo Market and the Texas elementary school will definitely be the end of mass killings in America, and by the grace of God.
I cannot conclude this piece without pointing America and the leaders in the direction of God. If all places and grounds are unsafe there is still a place of rest for those who believe, for the name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and are safe. Without God we cannot, and without us, God will not. God bless America!
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