Ruth Whitfield, 86, was returning home from visiting her husband in a nursing home and stopped at the Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, New York to shop for groceries. This was a daily ritual for her.
Pearly Young, 77, was very active in her church; she was at the store to purchase items for the food pantry she had run for more than 25 years, to feed people in her community who were hungry.
Deacon Heyward Patterson, 67, who was also very active in his church, regularly drove people who needed transportation to Tops to do their shopping.
Breast cancer survivor and great grandmother Clestine Chaney, 65, was at Tops that Saturday to pick up ingredients to prepare a meal for her family.
Andre Mackneil, 53, was at the store to pick up a birthday cake for his son.
Roberta Drury, 32, had moved to Buffalo to help her brother, who is battling leukemia.
Civil rights leader and writer Katherine Massey, 72; father Margus Morrison, 52; and fiancée Geraldine Talley, 62, were also at the grocery store that day.
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These nine people, plus retired Buffalo police officer Aaron Salter, 55, who was working as a security guard at Tops, died last Saturday. All 10 of the people who died were Black. Three other people were injured – two of whom were white and one Black.
The 18-year-old gunman, who I will not dignify by mentioning his name, did do one thing that saves law enforcement and the judicial system some time. He left plenty of evidence, including live streaming the massacre while he was committing it, to show what he did and why. In his 180-page manifesto, 28% of which was plagiarized from the document left by the Christchurch shooter in New Zealand (where 51 Muslims were murdered), he cited the Great Replacement Theory as his reason to murder Black people. He planned and executed the attack, in his own words, “to show to the replacers that as long as the white man lives, our land will never be theirs and they will never be safe from us.” The Great Replacement Theory (Lie) posits that there is an international cabal of Jews who are using Blacks, Muslims, Hispanics, feminists and members of the LGBTQ+ communities to replace western civilization (i.e. whites in America and in Europe). The Anti-Defamation League has been warning us about the promoters of the Great Replacement Lie for years.
The young man who committed this crime is fully responsible for his actions. However, there is an accomplice. Those who support and promote the Great Replacement Lie are guilty as well. Although this lie started in France, it found fertile ground here in the United States when increasing diversity was scapegoated for unrelated economic problems. The economy shifted from manufacturing and fossil fuel-based to digitized. There are more Black and people of color everywhere, and one even made it to the White House. Members of the LGBTQ+ communities demanded the same rights as granted to other Americans. All of that, coupled with the latent anti-Semitism that has always existed in this country, allowed this lie to gain traction with some mostly white Americans who felt they haven’t received their fair share of the American Dream. There is now someone to blame. This lie is no longer just a fringe belief held by a few nutcases, but is openly supported by a number of politicians and mainstream media personalities like Laura Ingraham and Tucker Carlson on Fox News.
In our own community, it should be noted that state Sen. Josh Becker and Congressman Ro Khanna have publicly spoken out about the atrocity in Buffalo. Where is the outrage from our other politicians? There have been a number of mass shootings and murders in the United States over the years for which we do not know the motive. But in this case, as well as a number of other cases in recent years, we do. There is no middle ground here. To support The Great Replacement Lie or to even to remain silent when the lie is espoused in your presence is to be complicit in sustaining an environment that will radicalize more people to commit murder. Condolences and prayers mean nothing if you support the lie behind these murders. The gunman in Buffalo was not the last of the radicalized group of white supremicists who want to kill as many people of color, Jews or gays as possible.
The next tragedy could be here in San Mateo County. The question is — are you aiding and abetting this next tragedy, wherever it occurs, or are you committed to fighting the lies and the hate?
The Rev. Lorrie Owens is the president of the San Mateo branch of the NAACP.
(30) comments
Hello Reverend, the Buffalo massacre was clearly a hate crime and we should all be outraged. However, you seem to reserve your outrage for shootings that are perpetrated by lone, mentally challenged flunkies. Where, oh where, is your outrage when we get weekly reports about Black on Black killings in Chicago and Baltimore. Please help us with profiling those mostly forgotten victims who do not get visits from Biden and Sharpton. Selective outrage, anyone?
Mr. van Ulden -- I don't need to look to Chicago or Baltimore to see Black-on-Black crime. I'm from East Oakland. I hear about Black-on-Black crime every day. I have officiated at funerals for victims of Black-on-Black crime. I don't write about it for pieces in the San Mateo Daily Journal because, quite frankly, that isn't where this type of crime is happening. I write about it and preach about it where it is happening. I think you should more selective outrage than I, or is it even outrage on your part that Blacks are killing Blacks? Or is this just another evasive tactic when an issue is raised that you're uncomfortable with? One thing is certain -- you are predictable. I told my membership that Black-on-Black crime would show up in at least one of the comments to avoid the issue I wrote about, which is the Great Replacement Lie. Thank you for not disappointing. Be blessed.
Dear Reverend, you may not believe me but I am uncomfortable with any killing. You are the one dodging the issue by declaring that the crimes are not happening on the Peninsula. Yet, you chose to write about Buffalo, which I think is about 3,000 miles from here. With respect to the "replacement" issue, that has been and it is still presented by your great white leaders who repeatedly have said that the demographics of the US need to change if this country is to become a socialist Mecca, which seems to be their objective. There are plenty of references that I can refer you to. Ironically, the replacement program that is pushed by the Left of your party is detrimental to the Black demographic as their number in proportion to the US population diminishes. How else can anyone explain why the Southern border is kept wide open? Exactly who is lying? I am not sure whose side you are on but we can both agree that the crime rate in this country somehow needs to be addressed.
Mr. van Ulden -- I dodge nothing. I just believe in staying on topic. I find, no matter what I write about, your go-to is Black-on-Black crime. I'm not saying that it isn't happening at all on the Peninsula, but not at the rate it is happening in Oakland. That's partly because there aren't that many Black people left on the Peninsula. The growth of Silicon Valley, along with institutional racism in housing play a large factor in the almost disappearance of the Black Community in San Mateo County. I know the phrase "institutional racism" is another trigger for you, but if you have a genuine desire to open your mind a bit, instead of countering with another soundbite, read Richard Rothstein's "The Color of Law" to get a better understanding of what I'm saying. My point is talking to mostly White people (which most of you reading this newspaper are) about how to solve Black-on-Black crime isn't a good use of time. I talk to Black people in the communities where it is happening that I have access to -- like Oakland -- a community where I have heard gunshots outside of my mother's house and looked out the window at a body on the sidewalk, where I have sat with and comforted grieving families, several times my own; where I have officiated at the funerals of young men and women gunned down in the streets, where I have counseled children and adults who are traumatized by seeing someone killed, where I have gone into schools and talked to young people about opportunities that are available to them other than what they think are available--- this is where I do my Black-on-Black crime work. Why would I talk to you about this, unless you wish to join me in this work? Have you ever done anything to address the Black-on-Black crime issue that seems to distress you so, other than read the statistics from your comfortable, relatively safe home (that's an assumption on my part; correct me if I'm wrong), and then throw Black-on-Black crime statistics in the face of anyone brining up topics to the "left" of your politics? It's almost offensive to me to hear your predictable responses about Black-on-Black crime when you read about it but I live it, with the community I'm from, my congregation and sometimes my own family. Also, I don't know what you mean by "my party"; I've state before and I'll state again that I'm neither Democratic nor Republican. And I personally have no great leader on this earth, White or otherwise. My only leader is Jesus Christ. Very little of what you said in this last post was coherent enough for me to respond further to but we definitely agree that the crime rate -- all of it (Black-on-Black, White-on-White, and everything in-between) needs to be addressed. My question to you is: what are YOU doing about it? If you're not actively working to solve a problem, don't talk about it.
Americans, not just whites, are being replaced - by computers and jobs being shipped overseas. Much of this problem goes back to Clinton and NAFTA. Remember "that sucking sound" is your jobs going South? More than race is involved. Management benefits with "divide and conquer." Wise up Rev.
Mr./Ms. Willallen - you are absolutely correct. I spoke in the piece about the economy shifting. You're right - this didn't affect just White Americans. Our country -- including our education system - did not respond fast enough to prepare Americans for this shifting economy. Jobs are not just going south; they're going all over the world. My husband, who is Black, spent a great deal of time working in Singapore just to be replaced by the people he trained there. I agree that NAFTA has played a part in jobs leaving the US. However, overall, the global economy is not going to change or slow down to appease a disgruntled number of Americans who feel something that was their birthright was taken from them. We, as Americans, have to get more assertive in addressing these issues across our society -- at the political level, at the educational level, at the community level. My point is that energy that should be spent doing this is spent blaming people of color, Jews and gays for the economic problems we find ourselves in. This "Great Replacement Theory" has given some White Americans an answer to the question of "what happened"? It has grown in acceptance over the last decade or so, and is fueling mass murder of innocent people when zealots strap on AR15s and decide to single-handedly wipe out the supposed enemy. The reverend has wised up, which is why the reverend is calling it out and naming it for what it is. The Great Replacement Lie is a blueprint for murder. If you believe it, you are a part of the problem. Be blessed.
Well said.Please do a column on this. by that i mean job replacement involving Americans, not just those of non-color; Christ wanted to bring us together, not pit us against each other. "Go forth and teach all nations..."
Mr./Ms. Willallen - perhaps I will do a piece one day on the changing economy and my perception of America's response to it. But I have to stress that I do not believe that anyone is being replaced. I do not believe that employment is some divine birthright from God. God has given us all the resources we need; what we have done with those resources has been our choice. We humans have created our global economy. Changes in that economy have been led by innovations coming out of this country. However, the US has not gotten ahead of that change, nor managed it very well. There are a variety of factors involved here that I won't even start to go into. The net result is that many Americans (of all ethnicities) have been left out of this new economy. But I will not say that Americans have been replaced -- American companies have made conscience decisions to move their operations or their production to other countries. Instead of us complaining about being "replaced", we need to look more at why. We need to look at the complaints from some of the high-tech companies that we don't create enough of a pipeline here in the US to fill some of their jobs. I believe Americans can solve these problems, but not with partisan bickering, nor with pointing the finger at certain groups of people and labeling them as the source of the problems. Those are lies and we will never move forward with lies at the foundation. I agree that we need unity, but not at the expense of ignoring lies. Christ did not ignore lies. He called out them out. Read Matthew 10:34 - 36. We could have the peace we all say we want, but we have to root our peace in truth.
Rev. Owens... thanks for "We, as Americans, have to get more assertive in addressing these issues across our society -- at the political level, at the educational level, at the community level."
Thank you Mr. Fowler. I hope you are well.
Hello... I did pick up a copy of "The Color of Law" but it will have to wait a while until I finish Eric Holder's "Our Unfinished March."
Rev, Owens: I think you just wrote the column i was seeking. Please share it on the DJ'S Opinion page.God bless.
Excellent as always, Reverend!
Hey TT - I think I saw you in one of the early Apple commercials. Remember all of the drones? The grey masses and look what happened to them?
Thank you Mr. Tee. I'm sorry about the personal attack you received, although I know you're probably used to it from that person. It's sad that some people's only method of engaging in dialog (can't call it intelligent dialog) is to engage in personal attacks. Be blessed.
Yes, Rev. It's usually the same people. They're mostly contrarians with little or no empathy, and always change the subject or deflect to anything that fits their narrative. Keep up the good work.
Amen!
Reverend Owens, since TT has a habit of dishing out personal attacks, one could say it’s only fair that TT should receive them. Do unto others as others have done unto you? Maybe I have that wrong… BTW, one could say a few of your responses could be perceived as personal attacks. Should I, or should you, feel sorry for the folks on the receiving end of your post? Maybe, but if you feel you’ve been on the receiving end, it’s only fair if you want to dish it out.
Reverend Owens, maybe I missed them, but did you have columns condemning the recent NY subway shooter who was anti-white and a fan of black identity extremism? The Waukesha Christmas parade killer who wrote an anti-Trump rap? The Dayton shooter who identified as a leftist and supported Antifa, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders? The congressional baseball game shooter who was a Bernie Sanders supporter and who targeted Republicans? The Dallas police shooter who was a supporter of BLM and the New Black Panther Party? According to your column, I guess there is blame for those incidents, too. Heroes of the Left. BTW, these incidents are cited from Matt Mackowiak’s article, Buffalo Mass Murderer’s Manifesto Disproves Carlson Responsibility.
Good morning Mr. Y. You didn't miss anything. I have been writing pieces from time to time since 2019, when I first became president of the San Mateo NAACP. The Congressional Shooting occurred in 2017, and the Dallas Police Shooting in 2016. I denounced both from the pulpit at the time, as I do again here right now. Killing people out of hatred, whether from the "left" or the "right" is deplorable and is not something I defend on any level. The Waukesha killer had definitely made anti-White statements on social media, but there was no indication he was specifically targeting White people in his rampage. I was especially saddened that he murdered an 8 year old child. However, it appears he was on a mission to mow down as many people as possible, regardless of their color, gender, orientation, age, religious persuasion, or anything else. His mother is claiming mental illness, but he should be tried and punished to the full extent of the law. BTW, although he reportedly wrote an anti-Trump rap, that does not, in itself make the killer anti-White as Mackowiak tries to suggest. I am as anti-Trump as they come, and no one who knows me would call me anti-White. Many members of my NAACP branch are White; I have as many White friends as Black, and I have family members who are White. The Dayton killer who identified as "leftist", killed his own brother in his rampage. The authorities stated there was no indication that his actions were racially or politically motivated, so I'm not sure why Mackowiak brought his up in his article, except he had nothing more to reach for. If we want to go back in recent years, let's talk about the attack at Mother Emmanuel Church in Charleston, or the murders at synagogues in Poway and Pittsburg, or the burning of Black churches in Shreveport, to name a few, all pointing straight back to racial and religious hatred as the specific, direct reason for those actions, and all based in the theory that non-Whites, Jews and gays are "replacing" White Americans. Although Carlson was not mentioned by name by any of these murderers, he has vigorously promoted the Great Replacement Lies, as has other Fox News personalities and a number of politicians -- Elise Stefanik, MTG, JD Vance, Josh Mandel and Steve King to name a few. My point is that as long as these main stream personalities and everyday citizens continue to promote this lie, more white extremists will strap on AR15s and other assault weapons that are so easy to get here in the US, and kill innocent people. Do you condemn not only the violence that occurred in Buffalo, but the theory (lie) that is proven to be behind it? BTW, I told my membership that both BLM and black-on-black crime would be used in responses to this piece, as usual, to deflect from the actual topic I wrote about. Mr. Y, you did not disappoint. Be blessed.
Reverend Owens, thanks for your response. Although you may not want them to, both BLM and black-on-black crime are applicable to your topic. Mr. Mackowiak’s article arrives at the same conclusion. Just because you don’t want to address these issues in your guest perspective doesn’t mean they don’t exist. However, they do exist and our dear readers are to be commended for bringing them up. You admit Carlson is not mentioned by name, yet you follow the left’s push to entangle Carlson in theirs, and your, narrative. You assert Carlson promotes the Great Replacement Lie yet the rabid left promotes their lies and half-truths in an attempt to explain away incidents that Mr. Mackowiak has listed, similar to what you’ve attempted to do. The Buffalo incident didn’t occur in a vacuum and trying to limit a conversation to Buffalo is counterproductive.
Mr. Y - neither BLM nor Black-on-Black crime have anything to do with an avoid young racist, quoting the Great Replacement Theory, strapping on an AR15 and whatever else he carried and specifically murdering 10 innocent Black people. The facts are that Carlson, and MTG, and a number of other prominent White people have openly espoused the Great Replacement Lie -- the same "theory" this young man used to justify murder. That's not an entanglement; that's a fact. And, specifically regarding Black-on-Black crime, let's be honest. You don't give a flying fig about Black people killing other Black people. It's just your go-to excuse to not face up to the racism that still exists in this country. When you have lived it, as I have -- when you have comforted families, or officiated at the funerals of young people who have been killed by someone who looks like them, or counseled kids who have seen these types of tragedies occur -- when you have done this, Mr. Y, or if you can point to something constructive you are doing to counter Black-on-Black crime, or the environments that foster these conditions, please do not lecture me about it. What is truly counterproductive is your bringing up BLM and Black-on-Black crime (things you really know nothing about but just read about or hear about on Fox News) when people bring up topics that make you uncomfortable.
Reverend Owens, thanks for your response. If you want to treat the Buffalo incident in a vacuum, please do so. But doing so won’t address the issues leading to the Buffalo incident. Choosing to cherry-pick a cause of hate and violence and ignoring BLM, black-on-black crime, and other causes of violence is counterproductive. If this or any other topic made me uncomfortable, I wouldn’t bother engaging in this conversation. I do appreciate you lecturing me and telling me how I feel but your time may be better spent absorbing the larger picture outside the Buffalo incident. BTW, it sounds like you have more experience with Fox News since I don’t watch or listen to them. I hear Tucker Carlson’s monologue shouldn’t be missed.
Thank you, Rev. Owens, for excellent discussion of the Great Replacement Lie. It seemed so absurd when I first heard it that I just ignored it, but it seems to be gaining ever more strength as the latest mental construct that allows people to define groups of people as "other" and therefore fair targets for violence and exploitation. And it's working well as a platform to gain power and supporters by inducing fear.
Thank you. It is sad but it is true. Fearmongering never brings peace, nor does it bring lasting power. We have to continue to speak out against it, and to try to get people to see a different path to get to where (I would hope) all of us as Americans are trying to get to.
Perhaps the best way to respond to Ms. Owen is the same way Jesus Christ responded to evil...."Get behind me Satan." (Matthew 16:23 and Mark 8:33).
Mr. Lou - , first of all, it is REVEREND Owens, unless you are also a misogynist who cannot accept the fact that God calls women, as well as men, into ordained ministry. Secondly, you are the epitome of why so many people find it difficult to connect to Christianity -- because of the widespread practice of mis-quoting of scripture to defend positions of hate and sin. Satan read scripture too (Matthew 4:6) as you apparently have, but, like you, clearly didn't quite understand it. So, in your case, I will quote Jesus' words in Luke 23:34 towards you, since you clearly do not understand what you are doing in defending hatred and bigotry. Despite your disrespect, not only of me but even more so twisting God's Word, I pray that you come to a true understanding of Jesus' teachings one day.
Lou: What disrespectful disgrace to brush off a tragedy like this with such religious nonsense!
Rev. Owens - Thank you for sharing the names and stories of the victims of this crime and pointing to the hate that fueled the gunman. Thank you also for taking the time to respond to the online comments, something that I know from experience can be hard to do, time-consuming, and can often feel like time and effort wasted. Too often folks respond to columns like this with "Why don't you talk about...isms." One of my dearest friends who headed up the Santa Clara County Council of Churches years ago would hold a vigil at the location of anyone murdered in the county, every murder, every time. Every life lost to violence is a tragedy, some, like the mass shooting in New York, do get more attention, especially when the disgusting manifesto behind it is being trumpeted by media with huge megaphones and elected officials and candidates. Please keep on leading us in thought and action and thank you for inviting difficult discussions when you do so!
Thank you so much Mr. Wiesner. Difficult discussions are, well, difficult. But we cannot move forward if we pretend problems don't exist. When we are able to talk about these things, although everyone may not be in total agreement in the end, we can at least chart a path forward. Be blessed.
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