In recent weeks, fueled in large part by the terrible mass shooting attack in Atlanta that left eight people dead, there has been a surge in the political condemnation of so-called “anti-Asian” hatred, despite scant evidence that this attack was motivated by race.
Setting this attack aside, available data appears to show a clear increase in the number of anti-Asian “hate crimes” and violent incidents. According to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, for example, the number of hate crimes perpetrated in American’s largest cities rose by 149% in 2020, with 122 total incidents of anti-Asian bigotry compared to 49 in 2019.
Between March 19 and December 31, 2020, 66% of anti-Asian “hate crimes” were instances of “verbal harassment.” 20% were “shunning or avoidance,” while 8% were “physical assault” and 6% were “coughing/spitting.” We should note that spitting on someone is assault.
Making the good-faith assumption that this data is accurate, this is indeed a troubling analysis of the reality of life for many Asian Americans. 122 incidents of bigotry is 122 too many.
However, it is possible to argue two positions at once. First, all forms of racism are deplorable, and should be widely condemned. Second, the condemnation of racism can be hijacked for political and cynical gain.
In this case, both of these positions describe our current state of affairs. The apparent increase in anti-Asian bigotry — almost certainly related to COVID-19 — is despicable, and Democrats are trying to profit politically by presenting this fact as another symptom of the “white supremacist” disease of Trump’s America, for which the only cure is increased and continued Democratic Party rule.
Of course, the Democrats don’t care about pesky things like data. Because if they did, they would recognize that the largest proportion of violent attacks (27.5%) on Asians were perpetrated by black people.
This is ignored for obvious reasons — it runs counter to the associations the Left are desperately trying to construct in front of our eyes, between hate and white supremacy, and white supremacy and conservatives. To make “whiteness” uniquely synonymous with hate, non-white “haters” just aren’t helpful.
The same attitude is applied to anti-Semitism. The Left are all too happy to use Jews as a political tool when convenient, condemning the vastly disproportional rate of anti-Semitic hatred in the United States while clutching their pearls in anger at the white supremacy that is to blame. All while, of course, rallying alongside non-white anti-Semites in their shared cause.
Because, ultimately, it’s not about combating hate. Otherwise, they would recognize that racism is an equal opportunity offender, and that white and non-white people alike can commit acts of bigotry. The Democrats are just trying to take advantage of certain incidents of hate — whether real or mischaracterized — to convince an entire racial group that they, the tolerant American Left, can provide salvation from hatred.
All while, of course, ignoring examples of hatred that are ideologically inconvenient.
Ian Haworth is an Editor and Writer for The Daily Wire. Follow him on Twitter at @ighaworth.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.