Austin Bomber: Terrorist, Racist or “Challenged Young Man?”

Today we are hearing that the man who confessed to the Austin showed no remorse in the 25-minute video where he admitted to his crimes. It’s safe to say his actions terrorized Austin for almost three weeks, so many are wondering why he isn’t being called a terrorist. The Austin Police Chief (and others) are also fielding a lot of criticism for how the suspect is being described, many question whether he would be characterized differently if he were black, Muslim or Hispanic?

Here’s what some are saying.

The New York Times:

“Three of the five bombs that terrorized Central Texas this month went off in East Austin, where the majority of the city’s black and Hispanic residents live, prompting the police to investigate them as possible hate crimes. When the fourth bomb was planted in an upscale gated and largely white community west of Interstate 35, the issue of race disappeared from most official statements — a fact that has stirred deep resentment among many black residents.”

Teen Vogue:

“Chief Brian Manley of the Austin PD described the bomber’s 25-minute video about his bomb-making as the “the outcry of a very challenged young man talking about challenges in his personal life that led him to this point.” What seems abundantly clear is that white men can terrorize entire cities, shoot up schools, or gun down dozens of people at a concert and still get the benefit of the doubt.”

Essence:

“Instead of headlines calling Conditt a domestic terrorist, several news agencies reported the 24-year-old bomber was “smart” and “introverted.” The Associated Press interviewed Conditt’s uncle, who called the killer a “smart and kind ‘computer geek,” and a neighbor described him as “polite.” The Washington Post said Conditt was “frustrated by life,” while Austin’s local ABC news channel described him as “quiet and introverted” and noted that he was into gymnastics.”

The Grio:

“…here’s a quick rule of thumb to keep in mind: Unless someone Black, Brown, or Muslim is identified — or links to terrorist networks that are Black, Brown, or Muslim are found — it’s not terrorism fam.

In Trump’s America you can actually blow up innocent private citizens in their own homes, flee from the police once they track you down, then injure a SWAT officer from the blast as you blow yourself up on the side of the road… and the White House will still hesitate to call a spade a spade, simply because you don’t fit the racial profile they need for talking points.”

The Houston Chronicle:

“…the debate raised a familiar question, one that floated unanswered after Las Vegas. After Orlando. After Charlottesville.

Do we describe mass killers differently based on the color of their skin?

To Shazia Ashraf, that seems like an easy question.

“It is blatantly obvious,” said Ashraf, a volunteer committee chair at the Islamic Society of Greater Houston. ‘And it leaves my community, the Muslim community, the black community, wondering why it is only people of color and Muslims are labeled terrorists. Our leaders need to call this what it is: terrorism.’”

https://twitter.com/kumailn/status/976638716490887168