COVID-19 first began in Wuhan, China. While there are still a lot of questions about the disease, the truth is that we know precisely where it comes from. For many, the Chinese government has much to answer for after weeks upon weeks of lies, deflections, and outright fabrications over the disease led to a global pandemic that has ground the world’s economy to a halt.

But for some people, it’s apparently too difficult to differentiate between the Chinese government and people who look like they might be Chinese or something.

Now, an Asian group in Texas is speaking out against this sort of stupidity.

“First, our community felt it right away,” said President of Midland-Odessa Chinese Association, Luke Young. “Sometimes we feel small. So when this happens, we were a little bit helpless and basically terrified.”

Young says he has been a proud West Texan for 30 years. He has raised his children in West Texas and works as an anesthesiologist for Odessa Regional Medical Center and Midland Memorial Hospital. Asian-Americans like Young are woven into communities all across the nation.

“We do have people, mothers especially, as you said, have concerns. Now they’re afraid of taking kids back to school, and also worried going to the supermarket. And of course, extremely worried, just by simply wearing a mask.”

To show West Texas that the Asian-American community is one with them, the Midland-Odessa Chinese Association donated medical gear to local officers. Midland County District Attorney, Laura Nodolf, wants Asian communities in West Texas to know this:

“There’s just no excuse. That is the bottom line. There is no excuse for committing a crime based on some type of racial motivation.”

[Midland County District Attorney, Laura] Nodolf says her team fully intends to move forward with the first-degree felony charges against Jose Gomez. Gomez was charged for the Midland Sam’s club stabbing on March 14th. Nodolf says any evidence of hate crime in Midland County enhances the range of punishment to the next level.

Good.

Look, I’ve found over the last few years that most so-called “hate crimes” we’ve seen reported turned out to be hoaxes, but this one isn’t. It’s also probable that many of the lesser hate crimes we’ve heard about are also legitimate, and that’s troubling.

The truth of the matter is that Asian-Americans aren’t responsible for what’s transpiring in any way, shape, or form. Blaming them for what the Chinese government did is akin to blaming me for policies being enacted in Great Britain. Sure, my ancestors might be from there, but I’m an American now and have no say in their politics.

Is it any wonder that so many swarmed gun stores in Southern California?

I only wish Gomez’s victims had been among those who could carry a firearm in Texas and they’d put his insane hatred down like the rabid dog that it is. I have no tolerance for anyone who hates another based on something like ethnicity, especially those who would act violently over such a superficial trait.

To any Asian-American reading this, my advice for you if you’re worried about being a victim because someone whose IQ is only room temperature if the room in question is a walk-in freezer decides to blame you for the disease, buy a gun. Get a gun, learn how to operate it safely–the guys at the gun store will be happy to give you a quick how-to–and get a permit as quickly as you can.

People like this may be fairly rare, but that’s still no excuse for this brand of stupidity.