Police have confirmed that a lone shooter killed two schoolchildren and injured 17 others at Annunciation Catholic School during Mass in Minneapolis, Minnesota August 27. This massacre was a hate crime against Christians.
I grew up in Minnesota and have watched as my beautiful home state has become a bastion of liberal policies and practices that have hurt Minnesotans and derailed the place I once called home. The aftermath of this tragic shooting, from politicians' leftist responses to biased media commentary, exemplifies this. It also raises serious questions about the nature of religious hate crimes in America and why the left refuses to identify them while going all in on other identity-based hate crimes.
The shooter's motive was obvious
We are still learning details about the shooter, Robin Westman, born Robert Westman. Westman purchased firearms legally, had no arrest history and acted alone, according to officials.
But law enforcement has uncovered a trail of clues about motive, both in paper and online, showcasing a troubled person harboring bigotry against Jews and Christians and an obsession with committing a heinous hate crime against children. This is clear.
FBI Director Kash Patel has already said that "The FBI is investigating this shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics."
According to the FBI, the shooter posted a manifesto on YouTube, which has since been taken down, but which expressed hatred and a desire to commit violence toward Catholics, Christians, Jewish people, President Donald Trump and others. The shooter had written phrases on several magazines, including "Kill Donald Trump" and "Where is your God?"
Yet the day of the crime, the Minneapolis Police Department said they haven't determined a motive. A New York Times headline read, "Suspect Knew Her Target, but Motive is a Mystery." They used the shooter's preferred pronouns.
On August 28, local authorities came a step closer to recognizing reality. "There is no question in this case that the shooter intended to terrorize the children, the school, school members of the school community," Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said, describing that the shooter had a "deranged fascination with previous mass shootings and very disturbing writings that demonstrate hatred towards many different individuals and different groups of people."
Which people, Chief O'Hara? Why is it so difficult for the mainstream media or liberal people in power to say the truth out loud when it exposes anti-Christian bigotry? The left must be able to recognize the truth in public when it happens or we can never fully expose evil and learn how to combat it as a society.
The shooting reveals that there are young people, in the Midwest of all places, who loathe Christians and Jews to the point of planning and executing heinous murder, at a school while children are praying together. It is disappointing that law enforcement in Minneapolis sees this bone-chilling, evil act and cannot condemn it as an anti-Christian hate crime. In refusing to do so, the left confirms they cherry pick which people groups deserve recognition.
It is imperative that we as a nation stand with people of faith and honor our nation's commitment to protect a person's right to practice their faith.
What's wrong with thoughts and prayers?
Minneapolis officials and other Democrats refused to acknowledge the killer's motive. Rather than admit the shooter targeted Christians, they mocked the way Christians grieve and seek comfort in their community of faith.
Minneapolis Democrat Mayor, Jacob Frey, who knelt by George Floyd's casket five years ago, sobbing, said in a press conference, "These were Minneapolis families. These were American families. The amount of pain they are suffering right now is extraordinary. Don't just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying."
On X, former President Joe Biden's Press Secretary Jen Psaki posted a similar sentiment, "Prayer is not freaking enough. Prayers does not end school shootings. prayers do not make parents feel safe sending their kids to school. Prayer does not bring these kids back. Enough with the thoughts and prayers." [sic]
Thankfully, Vice President JD Vance, a committed Catholic, defended other people of faith for offering thoughts, prayers and other words of comfort. "It is shocking to me that so many left wing politicians attack the idea of prayer in response to a tragedy. Literally no one thinks prayer is a substitute for action. We pray because our hearts are broken and we believe that God is listening," Vance posted on X.
Vance is correct. It is true that prayer does not always seem to prevent tragedies, cure diseases or amend the suffering of children, the sick or the less fortunate. But Christianity is a religion that commands people of faith to pray—in fact, without ceasing. It is a means of communing with God and in doing so, provides comfort, especially during difficult times. Of course, Christians and others should take action. And we will.
We will start by imploring the left and the mainstream media to be bold and name acts of domestic terrorism, specifically violence against Christians and Jews, and condemn them. And we will take action by standing with this Catholic school's moment of unimaginable grief. Instead of mocking them for praying, as their faith demands, may we stand with them and pray too.
