On March 16, 2021, headlines reported the deaths of eight people in Atlanta, Georgia. These beautiful lives were lost in a way that is sadly not uncommon in America — in a shooting. In this light, it seems that guns have more protection than minority groups. The names of the victims are as follows: Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33; Xiaojie Ta, 49; Daoyou Feng, 44; Paul Andre Michaels, 54; Hyun Jung Grant, 51; Soon Chung Park, 74; Suncha Kim, 69; and Yong Ae Yue, 63. The ninth victim, Elcias R Hernández-Ortiz, 30 was shot but not killed.
We must pay respect to their families and grieve the losses of their lives. Their absence has left a void that can never be replaced. Lives cut short. We live in their memory and strive to hold up their name. They deserved to make it home to their families that night.
According to the New York Times, the 21-year-old murderer, Robert Aaron Long, has been charged with eight counts of murder and one account of aggravated assault. Bill Bostock, a journalist for
Insider
, notes that Long’s crimes may also qualify him for the death penalty in the State of Georgia.
Insider
reports that Long saw salons as an outlet for his addiction and tried to eliminate his sexual temptations by eradicating them. He was planning on continuing his attacks with porn industries, as he began to drive down to Florida before the police intercepted him. Long later attempted to garner sympathy during his interrogation by stating that he “simply had a bad day” and that his shooting resulted from him being “at the end of his rope.” Everyone has a couple of bad days, some worse than others due to life factors that an individual cannot entirely control. However, this does not give a person license to take innocent lives. To do so is barbaric, inhumane, and selfish. That Long used this excuse and believed it reasonable is disgusting.
Although he presses this story, others can see right through it. The mere fact that six of his victims were of Asian descent and all 8 of them were part of minority groups raised fears that the attack was racially motivated, and the evidence supports this. Representatives Bee Nguyen and Ted Lieu explained it best, stating that having “one possible motive does not negate other motives.” After all, a murderer with a “food addiction” who “only shoots employees at Korean Restaurants” would likely be racially motivated. Additionally,
Chosun Ilbo
, a top Korean newspaper, interviewed surviving victim claimed that when Long attacked Gold Massage Spa at Piedmont Road, he yelled out, “I am going to kill all Asians.” On top of these racially motivated statements and actions, professionals doubt his diagnosis of sexual addiction as well. Psychotherapist Robert Weiss, who diagnoses persons with sexual addiction, doubts his claim, as sex addicts are typically non-violent. All of these factors considered alongside growing anti-Asian sentiment due to Donald Trump’s COVID-19 rhetoric, affirms the shooting may have been racially motivated.
Former President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials who do not deserve their place in office are responsible for this increase in anti-Asian sentiment. In March 2020, Donald Trump and his minions referred to COVID-19 as the Chinese virus, Kung-flu, and other incendiary names, knowing it would spark hatred that would lead to crime against Asian-Americans. A study by the Anti-Defamation League, in which they found that the pandemic corresponded to an increase in harassment directed towards Asian-Americans on social media, as online hate speech increased by 6 points from 2020 to 2021, considered to be the most significant increase for any group. Researchers at the University of San Francisco found that the month Donald Trump tweeted his hurtful words, it triggered a wave of anti-Asian hashtags on Twitter. This is not surprising; people tended to be swayed more by his words, given they were his leader, and if he were promoting this irresponsible and reckless behavior, the people would be more inclined to act this way or even go a step forward to please him.
It is essential to discuss the rise in anti-Asian sentiment for the past two years. According to Stop AAPI Hate, from March 19, 2020, to February 28, 2021, approximately 3,800 reported hate incidents against Asian Americans. The actual number is likely much larger than this, however, the majority of cases go unreported. The same article notes that the top forms of discrimination are verbal harassment, shunning, and physical assault. 42.2 percent of Chinese-Americans experienced hate crimes while Koreans, Vietnamese, and Filipino followed. Additionally, according to
The
Economist
, one in three Asian-Americans have reported being the target of slurs or racist jokes, and 39 percent of Asians reported others having uncomfortable behaviors and demeanors around them. What is most upsetting is that over the weekend of protests, the NYPD responded to a whole five calls against people of Asian descent. One of the most disturbing attacks involved a 54-year-old woman who was struck against the side of her face, with the suspect saying, “I came here to f*ck up Asians.” A quarter of Asian-American respondents also reported feeling unsafe or uncomfortable when walking out in public.
This is unacceptable on all accounts. Asian-Americans are a hardworking minority group that has blessed Americans with their diversity and color. They are not to blame for what is going on in the world because they have been equally affected by the horrors that came with COVID-19 in the last two years. They have lost family members to the virus, fallen victim to hate crimes, lost their jobs due to COVID-19, and missed graduations. Many Asian-Americans work in the medical field and have been risking their lives for the good of the general public. People need to realize that the COVID-19 virus is not the fault of Asian-Americans but rather of people who treat the virus like it is nothing and recklessly go about their lives, spreading the disease like wildfire. In times of uncertainty and disorder, disunity is not what is needed. People need to stop attempting to find scapegoats and realize that taking an innocent life unrelated to the problem one is facing does not avenge those who have passed or opportunities missed.