Over the past few days, the nation stood stunned as post mail laced with explosives found their way to liberal politicians and news outlets. During the initial days of terror, the mail bomber sent a pipe bomb to CNN’s main office, causing an evacuation.
The overwhelming question, of course, was who exactly is the mail bomber? At the time of the initial strike, everyone suspected that the terrorist was an ultra-conservative Republican. None of the pipe bombs found their way to right-leaning institutions, such as Fox News.
Furthermore, it’s no stretch of the imagination to say that most assumed the mail bomber was white. That fits the narrative of the “deplorable.” It also contradicts the common stereotype that virtually all terrorists are Muslim.
But when law enforcement agencies finally captured a suspect in the case, it turned out that our possible mail bomber had a complex past. Yes, he fit most people’s stereotype of red-loving, right-wing Republican: he proudly attended President Trump’s campaign trails, and he blasted anyone voting Democrat.
However, one piece of the story didn’t quite match other cases of right-wing extremism: the mail bomber suspect isn’t quite white.
Mail Bomber Forces Discussion on Race Relations
When law enforcement arrested Cesar Sayoc Jr., they discovered that he is the son of a Filipino immigrant. That’s hardly what you would call a prime suspect in a right-wing extremism case.
Nevertheless, Sayoc’s arrest forces a nuanced discussion on race relations. For one thing, this case demonstrates the importance of not jumping to conclusions. The left were hoping for a “crazy white guy” to show up as the mail bomber suspect. They got something far different.
More critically, Sayoc demonstrably proved that you don’t have to be white to be racist. An uncomfortable perspective from a race relations standpoint is that non-whites are probably more prone to racism.
That’s because people who are “borderline white” attempt to prove their whiteness through overcompensation. To hide his Filipino-ness, Sayoc jumped completely in the opposite direction, attending Trump rallies and making hateful remarks.
Sayoc’s case draws to mind George Zimmerman. A “half-Hispanic” man, Zimmerman also attempted to assert his whiteness through his rent-a-cop antics. Unfortunately, that had tragic consequences when he encountered Trayvon Martin.
Notice, though, that the mainstream media refuses to cover this angle. Simply put, it doesn’t fit the common narrative of race relations. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
We’re a much more complicated society than our current black-white paradigm suggests.
Original Article Available HERE