Stanford University plays the race card after Atlanta spa shooting

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In the wake of the Atlanta spa shootings, the families of 8 victims, six Asian and two white, were forced to grieve the loss of a child. Despite the absence of evidence indicating that the crime was racially-motivated, Democrats and their aligned media organizations quickly determined that the attack was evidence of the inherent racism and white supremacy that pervades American society. Rather than waiting for further details, Tammy Duckworth, Senator from Illinois, jumped to a conclusion telling the public, “It looks racially motivated to me.” Raphael Warnock, the Democratic pastor from Georgia who defeated Kelly Loeffler in a special election last December, agreed, concluding that “we all know hate when we see it.” While we expect politicians to drive narratives and spin stories for political gain, it remains surprising when universities engage in similar behavior. Nevertheless, following the attack in March, the Associate Dean of Students at Stanford University, Cindy Ng, sent an email to students which argued for the destruction of “structural and institutionalized systems created to maintain white supremacy” and sought to place blame on President Trump for the mass shooting in Atlanta. 17 other professors and faculty members signed on to the letter agreeing that the former president, “who blamed the Covid pandemic on the Chinese,” amplified anti-Asian sentiment with his rhetoric.

The email prompted intense pushback from conservative students at the university. The Stanford College Republicans issued a statement on the recent actions of politically-motivated faculty: “Stanford administrators are actively promoting the vicious lie that the horrific onslaught of anti-Asian violence and the shootings in Atlanta…were incited by President Trump and ‘white supremacy’” Recently, more information has come to light regarding the suspect, Robert Aaron Long, who purportedly suffered from a sex addiction and was recently evicted from his family’s home as a result. The Sheriff of Cherokee County, the region where the crime took place, believes these issues could be the motivation behind the shooting.

Previously, the American media could be trusted to relay objective facts which gave people the ability to come to their own conclusions. Today, both academia and the press are carrying water for the Democrats in Washington and elect to subvert facts in favor of political gain. If America hopes to continue to be a free and just nation for all, it is essential that we return to an “innocent until proven guilty” mentality which encourages thoughtful consideration of all available evidence rather than mob rule. Furthermore, universities should promote free-thought on campus rather than issuing statements outlining the acceptable position for students and staff. In the age of social media, expertly-crafted narratives have the potential to run wild among and spark outrage among the public even without evidence, and as voters, we must be cognizant of attempts to mislead.