My blood has been boiling over in recent days due to the mass murder on March 16th, 2021 in Georgia. A young man aged 21 killed eight people – seven women and one man at three different massage spas.

He told investigators he targeted these places because he wanted to “take out that temptation” from his “sexual addiction” issues. And according to some reports, he had spent time in rehab for sex addiction in 2019 and 2020.

Robert Aaron Long, the gunman, has been described by former classmates in news reports as a highly religious baptist who took a bible to high school with him every day and was on a crusade to remove “temptation” when he opened fire in the massage spas.

Oh, it’s the women’s fault, is that what you mean by removing “temptation”, Mr. Long?

It’s so easy to blame others for your problems, isn’t it?

What happened to personal responsibility? Like avoiding places you claim “tempt” you?

Or managing your problem by pouring ice cold water on your junk?

Mr. Long, I think your deep religiosity has fucked up your head. Badly. Bringing a bible to school every day doesn’t make you a “good” person. If you believe your heavenly father is in control, then why did you wrest that control from him and take out eight people’s lives yourself?

Those people whose lives you took weren’t responsible for YOUR feelings of “temptation”. You decided to end their lives.

You told police you were not motivated by race?

That is hard to believe given that you went to three different Asian spas and that six out of your eight victims were Asian women.

And news reports have you saying you told authorities that you claim you targeted Asian women to eliminate “temptation.”

Your objectification of Asian women as “temptation” is disgusting. Dehumanizing.

Eight lives are gone, eight families are suffering a loss of their loved ones because of you. On top of that, since you nearly killed another man during your killing spree, that man will now have a long and painful recovery thanks to you.

And you’ve shaken the Asian American community not only in Georgia, but across the nation. To date, nearly 3,800 anti-Asian hate incidents have been reported over the course of the pandemic by reporting forum STOP AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) Hate. Women make up a far higher share of the reports, at 68 percent, compared to men, who make up 29 percent of respondents. (The nonprofit does not report incidents to police.)

Mr. Long, you’ve just shone the stadium lights on anti-Asian hate in the worst possible way.

America will be much safer with you in a cage.

There is someone else who has got my blood boiling.

He is Capt. Jay Baker of Georgia’s Cherokee County Sheriff’s office, who has come under fire for his comments on gunman Long:

He was at pretty much fed up and kind of at the end of his rope, and yesterday was a really bad day for him and this is what he did.

Well, golleeeeee, Capt. Baker! We all have bad days, don’t we?! Would there be any human being left on earth if we each acted out on our “really bad day” as Mr. Long did?

Just a “really bad day”? I think a lot of people are having trouble wrapping their head around that. Apparently Mr. Long’s parents kicked him out the night before the shootings, according to the news reports – and they also turned him in after the shootings. Small comfort to the families of his victims.

Saying a mass murderer had a really bad day is beyond the pale. I’m sure the victims’ families really loved hearing that from you, Capt. Baker. Must have felt as comforting as Arctic air biting their skin against their burning, overwhelming grief.

It’s not helpful that in defending you, your colleague, Cherokee County Sheriff Frank Reynolds, said,

In as much as his words were taken or construed as insensitive or inappropriate, they were not intended to disrespect any of the victims, the gravity of this tragedy or express empathy or sympathy for the suspect.

And noted that your remarks launched “much debate and anger.”

Really?!

Are you wondering WHY your remarks launched much debate and anger?

I’m not.

And now the public learns that you apparently promoted shirts on your now-deleted Facebook account that featured racist language and blamed China for the pandemic. “Covid 19 IMPORTED VIRUS FROM CHY-NA,” the shirts said, in the same spirit as former President Donald Trump.

Your alleged words:

• “Place your order while they last,” – with a smiley face emoji alongside a picture of the shirts in a post on March 30 last year.

• “Love my shirt… Get yours while they last,” you reportedly wrote alongside pictures of the shirts in April.

If this is true, then Georgians deserve far better in a public servant. Especially one entrusted with the power to ensure the safety of their fellow citizens.

How can anyone in their right mind implicitly trust a law enforcement officer with a record of racist and/or misogynistic behavior to keep them safe on the streets?

I would not want to be in the presence of that officer. At. All.

May the eight victims killed by Mr. Long rest in peace and may their families find some measure of solace in community support and solidarity with them.

And may the gentleman Mr. Long gravely wounded recover fully; I hope he can give damning testimony against Long so that justice may prevail.

Sources

The New York Times
NBC News – Asian America
NBC News – ‘Stop AAPI hate: Around 3,800 anti-Asian incidents recorded in the past year (video)
ABC News
MSN
USA Today
USA Today – Asian women: Shooting points to racist tropes (video)
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CBS News
CBS Atlanta
WWL-TV
The Wrap
Hide Out
My Central Oregon
The Independent
Newsweek