On Friday, November 27, 2015, a man named Robert Dear armed himself with an assault rifle and opened fire inside a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood center. The man continued shooting at officers as they came to the scene, killing three people, a police officer and two civilians, and wounding nine before surrendering five hours later.
This isn’t a new occurrence either, so far this year there have been 355 mass shootings in the United States. Another thing that isn’t new? White shooters being labeled as “quiet loner," “misunderstood," and, the most laughable claim, “a victim." All of this being said while the news quickly labels people of color and Muslims involved in crimes as “thugs” and “terrorists," words never associated with white shooters whose crimes can be described as terrorism - all because of their skin color and religion.
This ideology that is promoted through our typical U.S media only creates negative associations with people of color and allows the public to overlook the growing numbers of white male shooters in America. Mother Jones Magazine gathered data on mass shootings in the United States since 1982, and it showed that white people, almost exclusively white men, have committed 64 percent of mass shootings, while African Americans committed close to 16 percent and Asians were responsible for around 9 percent. With such large numbers, we should start recognizing what these killers should be named terrorists and disregard the privilege of their white skin when it comes to such gruesome and unforgettable crimes.
The responses that help to falsely represent white shooters and Planned Parenthood primarily come from Republican candidates. When Dear was taken into questioning he supposedly repeated, “no more baby parts.” This was in reference to the false accusation that Planned Parenthood was illegally harvesting and trafficking fetal organs - accusations that Republican candidates have supported and stood by. For as long as I can remember, Republicans have continually tried to shut down Planned Parenthood, known to them as a place solely for abortions and “criminal enterprise." Which is, in fact, not true. Planned Parenthood is place for women to access the medical resources they need, such as STI/STD testing and treatment, as well as contraceptives, without insurance. Only three percent of Planned Parenthood's funds go towards abortion services. When “Fox News Sunday” asked Carly Fiorina if she was concerned that the attack on Planned Parenthood might have been encouraged by this claim, she said, “This is typical of the left to immediately begin demonizing the messenger because they don’t agree with your message.”
Demonizing a man who opened fire on unarmed, innocent women there to access medical resources? Claims such as this show that the Republican Party is more concerned with supporting a pro-life stance than actually focusing on the bigger problem: civilians dying by another mass shooting this year, and by another white man no less. Women should not be afraid to take part in accessing the medical resources being offered to them, but with the increase in Republican candidates supporting the stance to shame those who affiliate with Planned Parenthood, and the growing numbers of unthinkable attacks on these centers, it leaves those wondering if the risk is worth it. In this day and age, we shouldn’t be afraid to step outside of our homes and go to a place for help, but with the increase in mass shootings, and the victimization of white shooters growing, how can we really know when to start feeling safe again?
