Buffalo shooting shows that remedies are needed for the racism afflicting America

James F. Lawrence
·3 min read
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A man reads scripture at a memorial honoring the victims of a racially motivated shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y. on May 14.
A man reads scripture at a memorial honoring the victims of a racially motivated shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y. on May 14.

The killing of 10 people at a Buffalo supermarket by a hate-filled white teenager armed with a military-style weapon was yet another grim reminder of rising 21st century domestic terrorism against Black people and just how elusive the American ideal of liberty and justice for all has become.

The same hatred that once fueled the lynching of 50 Black people in Alachua County between 1867 and 1942 spurred Payton Gendron to scrawl the slur “n-----’' on the barrel of his rifle and drive 200 miles across upstate New York to the nearest heavily populated Black neighborhood, where he methodically killed nine Black people.

Black people in Buffalo and across the country now find ourselves with the added stress of wondering if it’s safe to be in public places, much like Black Alachua County residents must have felt during the Jim Crow era. They lived in horror, unsure of when the mob would come for them.

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Obviously hate crime and civil rights laws, diversity and inclusion training, and a slew of well-intentioned initiatives designed to move the nation beyond its racist past haven’t exorcised the demons that once ran rampant in this country. Remember back in 2015 when another young white supremacist, Dylan Roof, killed nine Black people at a church in Charleston, S.C., during Bible study? And don't forget the antisemitic attacks three years ago at a Pittsburgh synagogue that left 11 people dead and six wounded.

This is not a condemnation of the white race. Rather, it’s a plea for acknowledgment that people like Gendron and Roof must not be allowed to spread their poison.

While it's certainly welcome that leaders such as President Joe Biden and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul are saying and doing the right things in the aftermath of the Buffalo horror, the reality is that neither they, nor Congress nor any institution can cure cruel hearts.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visit the scene of a shooting at a supermarket to pay respects and speak to families of the victims of a May 14 shooting in Buffalo, N.Y.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visit the scene of a shooting at a supermarket to pay respects and speak to families of the victims of a May 14 shooting in Buffalo, N.Y.

America clearly has a serious heart condition that must be treated aggressively by all segments of society such as families, government, business, houses of worship and educational institutions.

Among the remedies, it will take white parents talking to their children in routine conversations about the insanity of hate and prejudice while, for example, on the drive to an after-school soccer game or a Saturday afternoon college football game.

Buffalo City Council President Darius Pridgen, who is also a Baptist pastor, said a mouthful last weekend when he followed the lead of Dr. Martin Luther King and admonished his white brethren to speak out against racism from their pulpits: "If you don't stand behind those holy desks and acknowledge that there are still people who hate Black people, you can go to hell with the shooter for all I care. If you are silent now, you're not a friend of mine.”

Give this some thought: How does it happen that someone born in the same year that Barack Obama gave his enlightened now-famous keynote address at the Democratic National Convention could become a hard-core racist so early in life? Was it taught him at home in suburban Binghamton where few Black people live or was it embedded by the racist websites he frequented? Frankly, it’s hard to say unequivocally.

James F. Lawrence
James F. Lawrence

Of course, responsible leaders like Biden and Hochul shouldn’t give up on pushing social media companies to be more accountable for what they allow on their platforms. Still, it can’t be said enough: What’s needed most is aggressive treatment of America’s heart condition.

James F. Lawrence is executive director of Gainesville for All. Send inquiries to gnv4all@gmail.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: James F. Lawrence: Buffalo shooting shows remedies needed for racism