The Evils That Spill Our Blood

By: Lanisha Porter

On Wednesday, October 24 a chilling tragedy swept through my hometown of Louisville, KY at a local grocery store. This horror, brazen with hate and motivated by race, claimed the lives of two Blacks—a man (69) and a woman (67). Gregory Bush (51), the gunman—a white domestic terrorist—had an agenda and completed it. His actions are still rippling and traumatizing those who were subject to this fateful day, such as the 12-year old grandson who witnessed his grandfather fatally shot in the head before being riddled with many more bullets.

Photo provided by Courier Journal

During high school, I remember being in U.S. history class and being so glad I survived my grandparents and parents era where these anecdotes of heinous crimes were far more common because of the color of one's skin. I use to believe I cheated time...that I dodged the worst of history. I now see it was only a veil of ignorance.

Like many of my Black brothers and sisters, I am...uneasy. I am disturbed that there is a culture that openly nurtures these evils and gives tacit approval that these tragedies are okay. I am also completely revolted that racism will be camouflaged as mental health illness in this case after the terrorist has been alleged of saying, “whites don’t kill whites” when confronted by an armed citizen after his killing spree of the two Black victims. 

I am curious about what idea can be so pure; so awfully powerful; and so compelling that people can evade any ability of independent thought to cling onto the beliefs, values, and traditions of a collective rooted in misinformation, stereotype, and down-right hatred. I pity the racists throughout this country who will never explore their own human autonomy but will forever operate mindlessly from antiquated ideals. It is individuals like Gregory Bush, who demonstrate clearly the iconography of evilness. Evilness that senselessly spills the blood of Black people over and over again. 
Evilness that emboldens the spirits of terrorists and makes them feel righteous enough to claim human lives for differences outside of their own. Ideas come with real consequences. Consequences made of bodies, blood, violence, and unnecessary trauma.  And by all means, it’s time the right-wing interrogates their beliefs and call into question the guiding ideas that allow such evilness to manifest. Because this act was nothing less than a hate crime intentionally meant to cause blood-shed from Black bodies.