We agree with Toronto's own, Brendan Sinclair when he said, "Racists are comfortable in gaming communities because platforms haven't done enough to get rid of them". I won't put it all on gaming, but the tech industry overall hasn't been as effective as it could be in terms of getting rid of them.
At times they get brushed off as just being a racist idiot waiting in a queue to be blocked, but others look to take action in a deadly way. I don't want to minimize the ones who merely use their words online, because sometimes those words are followed by the actions of others.
This terror attack again revealed the depths and dangers of these platforms that spread and promote hate without consequence. The fact that an individual can post detailed plans to commit such an act of hate without consequence, and then stream it for the world to see is bone-chilling and unfathomable. - New York Attorney General Letitia James
The New York Attorney General also announced that her office will be investigating the role Twitch, Discord, and other sites played in the planning + the streaming of the shooting. He didn't just travel 100's of miles and randomly begin to shoot his victims, he had a plan in place. This is bigger than gaming, but violent White Supremacist + use social media + send an email, and the list goes on. If you see something say something (this is for everyone) and if there is something else that can be linked to the case of this shooter, may it be uncovered.
The President has yet to announce anything along the lines of an Anti-Black Hate Crime Bill, as seen with the overwhelming approval for the previously signed Anti-Asian Hate Crime Bill. It's worth an inquiry, but... regardless of what he decides, we all must do our part to combat terrorism... which should be a bit easier to do domestically. The shooter literally threatened to commit a mass shooting at a graduation or do something afterward. He was not only released but wasn't seen as a threat when he purchased the guns ahead of the shooting (a year later). If you're thinking "WTF?!", then you're thinking the same thing that crossed my mind. Whoever made that decision deserves part of the blame.
Overall, our country could be even better if more people actually leveled up to become better and less hateful. The shooter is facing life in prison, as he deserves, and I hope it's a message to others that they should really consider being better humans. The wrong decision is all it takes to send you in the wrong direction, and his friends + family won't be in the cell with him. The only thing that may be accompanying him during the rest of his existence... is regret. I've seen racists in televised prison features who said they're reformed racists, defaced ink, and everything else. They realized they were alone and life changed in the blink of an eye, and it's very different living than you and I have access to.
Don't allow hate to ruin your life and rob you of Joy... for the sake of racism. Think of all the things you can do with the time you invested in hate, and when you look back, ask yourself was it worth it. There are elderly people living with regret as we speak, and I've worked in health care (imagine seeing someone with an illness wishing they lived life better). Will that be you? Doesn't have to be.
Tech gives us access to some pretty cool experiences and options to do a variety of things with, but... accountability is still a thing for end-users and developers. As for the average person, we definitely recommend some type of self-defense because we have the right to be safe. Live and let live!
Update:
After this post, another mass shooting occurred in Uvalde (Texas) where 2 teachers and 18 Elementary students were killed. The motives of this shooter were unclear, but he reportedly shot his grandmother before driving to the school to carry out the mass murder. One thing remains the same, he posted online. His post showed guns, but he also messaged someone who was allegedly a complete stranger to him on Instagram. He didn't come out and say directly that he was going to commit a mass shooting, but that's exactly what he did.
We can look at Tech for sure, there should be more done to make sure that precautions are taken in terms of gun pics being posted online. Maybe there needs to be some sort of phone notification that shares location if gun pics are to be posted. I don't know, but fingers can't only be posted in the direction of the tech industry or the average Joe who saw something and said nothing, we need the Government to be a bit more proactive. You never want to get that call that something like this happened and your little one might be harmed, ever. I wish this monster would've said more to warrant the IG user to report him, but who knows if it would've been taken seriously as it should? The same applies to the monster mentioned above. What safeguards can be put in place for schools, that make them a place safer to actually attend? So many questions, but with precious lives on the line, they're worth answering.
I know that tech company have setups that don't allow certain entry into the buildings, and one person can't just follow behind someone else to gain entry in some cases (aka no piggybacking). So there are options, and I hope to see more of them put into practice. Be safe out there, and (again) if you see something, say something.
Support this post by being safe and not spreading hate!
