(RNS) — In March, a 21-year-old white man went on a killing spree in Georgia. He targeted three massage businesses and murdered eight people, six of whom were Asian American.

The killer, Robert Aaron Long, told police that he did not target the victims because of their race. One Atlanta police officer, apparently attributing the killing spree to Long’s mental health, dismissed his crimes as the result of “a bad day.” Long himself claimed his actions were the result of “sex addiction.” At the time, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray said that while the shooting was “a heartbreaking incident, … it does not appear that (it) was racially motivated.”

Now, Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney who is prosecuting the shootings in Atlanta, has announced that she will be pursuing hate crime charges against Long. Willis intends to make the case that Long targeted these women because of their race, sex, gender and national origin.

RELATED: Black and Asian Christian leaders discuss role of church in fighting racism

Willis’ decision ignited a vigorous national debate about how we understand prejudice and hate in this country. Should these killings be prosecuted as hate crimes?

If we want justice in this case, the answer is a simple “Yes.” But hate crime prosecutions face challenges few other classes of crime do. By pursuing hate crime charges, Willis will now have to prove that Long’s killing spree was motivated by bias, knowing that detractors may use a defeat to say that the concept is unfair to defendants.

This expectation exposes a chasm between what modern science says about bias and what our legal system demands: While social scientists have clearly established that we all have implicit and unconscious biases that animate our actions and behaviors, our legal system presumes that, at least when it comes to hate crime law, biases only exist when they are made explicit. 

People view a makeshift memorial on Friday, March 19, 2021, in Atlanta. Robert Aaron Long, a white man, is accused of killing several people, most of whom were of Asian descent, at massage parlors in the Atlanta area. (AP Photo/Candice Choi)

No one understands this better than communities that regularly face violence due to hate. After the Georgia spa shootings, Asian Americans immediately pointed to the potential role of bias. They reminded us that the fetishization of East Asian women at the spas was itself a form of sexualized racism. Others pointed out that the killer passed by several strip clubs and adult entertainment shops en route to the massage parlors he targeted. If Long was only motivated by a general anger at sex workers, how is it that he selected three spas owned and operated by Asian women?

Daniel Dae Kim’s testimony before Congress argued it this way: “These were places associated with Asian people. If this was a synagogue or a Black church and someone shot up those places, would we really be asking whether this was a hate crime or not?”

These invested observers were able to connect the dots because they knew from experience where to look. Law enforcement’s vision of these same events can be often obscured by the manner in which they gather and consider evidence. Understanding how bias works — that it often doesn’t announce its own presence or fit into traditional categories of motive — will help them ask better questions and conduct more thorough investigations. 

For starters, is a shooter’s denial of being motivated by racial bias really enough for investigators to dismiss bias as a possible motive?

In April, a 19-year-old white male massacred eight people at an Indianapolis FedEx facility. A  former employee there, the killer would have known that about 90% of the employees at that warehouse were Punjabi Sikhs, many of whom have turbans, beards and brown skin. We also know now that he had a history of visiting white supremacist websites and posting far-right content on his own social media accounts.

Members of the Sikh Coalition gather at the Sikh Satsang of Indianapolis in Indianapolis, Saturday, April 17, 2021, to formulate a group response to the shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis that claimed the lives of four members of the Sikh community. A gunman killed eight people and wounded several others before apparently taking his own life in a late-night attack at a FedEx facility near the Indianapolis airport, police said. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

As soon as the shooting occurred, Sikh groups and leaders called on law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation of bias. I lent my voice to this effort, largely because I knew from past experience that by not holding authorities accountable, the question of possible bias often falls through the cracks.

RELATED: At nationwide rallies, Christians stand up for Asian Americans

But it shouldn’t be this way. Why should civil society have to advocate for law enforcement to apply laws that are on the books? Why do we have to connect the dots for investigators whose job it is to do so?

The answer is that we shouldn’t. Investigators must better understand the science around bias and be ready to take it into account when deciding whether to bring bias charges.

So long as we fail to account for bias when it presents itself, we will continue to misunderstand the disease of hate and continue to be ravaged by it. This is why we must close the gap between the lived experiences of marginalized groups and how law enforcement understands and investigates hate. 

RASHTRIYA SWAYAMSEVAK Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat was discharged from hospital on Friday after successful treatment of Covid-19.

Bhagwat was admitted to Kingsway Hospital in Nagpur eight days ago after he developed symptoms. A medical bulletin by Shubhrajit Dasgupta, Director, Medical Services of the hospital, said, “All his vital parameters like pulse, blood pressure, respiration, oxygenation were normal. All blood investigation, including markers, were normal. The attending doctors have decided discharge today (Friday). He had a good sleep and usual diabetic high-protein diet. His blood sugar levels are within control and he was able to perform six-minute walk test on room air. He has been examined in the morning by Dr Rajan Barodkar and his tean expressed satisfaction with his condition. Team of attending doctors have decided to discharge him today (Friday) with advice to remain in home quarantine for the next five days.”

Bhagwat will remain quarantined at his regular residence at the RSS headquarters in Mahal area of the city.

Sources from the RSS said, “Former general secretary Suresh ‘Bhayyaji’ Joshi, who is also down with Covid, is recuperating under home quarantine treatment.”

LOS ANGELES, April 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Vision Films (“Vision”) is proud to announce the release of feature film anthology After Masks, from producers John Crockett, Brian McCulley and Jason Potter of AEC Studios, Drea Berg of Uncle Sammy Productions, Mitchell Hoog of The Collective International, and Andrew Burrill, on streaming and cable platforms in the US and Canada on May 18 and on dvd on June 8. 

After Masks is an emotional and therapeutic collaboration triggered and inspired by the unprecedented reshaping of our society during the global pandemic. Made about the stay-at-home order, during the stay-at-home order, this movie is not a recorded Zoom call. It is a full, rich, and emotional film shot in locations including Orlando, Denver, Santa Monica, Boulder, Tulsa, Los Angeles and more. Actors were cast and rehearsed over video, equipment was shipped to multiple locations across the country, and shoots were completed with professional, virtual support.

Synopsis: Journey through the human experience as the pandemic tests what we are made of both as individuals and as a culture. COVID-19 has challenged us with losing our jobs, being alone together, and facing death head-on. But a light still shines as we hope for togetherness, embrace the spirit of survival, and know that although we may bend, we are never broken. Everyone has a story. What’s yours?

The trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkMGE0whTMY 

The five distinctly different stories were individually produced and directed, each addressing a different theme, and are seamlessly woven together with interstitial artistic commentary by Narrator, Mitchell Hoog (Saved by The Bell 2020).

• Isolation: Winners
  Directed by Manaal Khan and featuring Alexandra Rodriguez
  An over-zealous, aspiring writer loses herself in routine in order to endure months-long solitude.
  
• Faith: Ushering The Light
  Directed by Rebekah Wiggins and featuring Frances Lee McCain (Back to the Future), Drea Berg
  A conservative Jewish couple struggle to preserve their relationship after the loss of their two-year-old son.
  
• Black Lives Matter: Hold On
  Directed by Tayo Amos and featuring Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins (TLC)
  A spirited black woman’s personal and professional relationships are strained when she confronts the trauma of racist police brutality.
  
• Identity: Clownfish 
  Directed by Rebekah Wiggins and featuring Lindsay Sparks, Ruth Lieberman
  At odds with society’s expectations, a grieving widow slowly supplants her own identity with that of her late husband.
  
• Self: Quarantales
  Directed by John Crockett and Brian McCulley and featuring Krista Allen (Baywatch), Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight), Eliza Roberts (Animal House), Debra Wilson (MadTV), Michael Welch (Twilight), Amber Lynn Ashley (Model Citizen), Ted Maritz (Scorpion), Brian McCulley (Pain is Beautiful), Jason Potter (The Social Dilemma), and John Crockett (Sin Eater)
  During months-long isolation, six individuals confront their inner demons when they are no longer able to hide from themselves.

A bonus chapter, Past Cure, directed by Carmelo Chimera and featuring Robert Picardo (Star Trek: Voyager) will be available exclusively on the dvd.

Lise Romanoff, CEO Managing Director of Vision Films shares, “After Masks is one of the most unique films we’ve had the privilege of releasing. As the world emerges from challenging times, this film reflects a myriad of experiences that we know audiences will find relatable as well as cathartic. After Masks features an extraordinary cast and exceptional filmmaking despite pandemic restrictions, it is a true time capsule for the ages.”

Co-Executive Producer Andrew Burrill adds, “As artists and creators of culture, I felt that our social responsibility was only intensified when we became one of the (few) teams approved by SAG to produce content during one of the deadliest pandemics in our Nation’s recent history.

 We approached After Masks with the utmost respect and aimed to create an authentic, living time capsule that reflects a multigenerational and diverse perspective of Covid-19. I hope audiences find a moment of truth within After Masks and that our film inspires and provides an opportunity for others to reflect and ultimately follow hope above all else.”

After Masks will be available on major streaming and cable platforms in the US including: iTunes, Microsoft Xbox, Amazon Instant, Google Play, Vudu, Vimeo, Hoopla, and across hundreds of cable providers including Comcast, Spectrum, Charter, Cox, Dish, DirecTV and more. Canadian cable providers include Rogers and Shaw. The dvd will be available at online retailers including Amazon.

About Vision Films

Vision Films is a leading independent sales and VOD aggregator specializing in the licensing, marketing, and distribution of over 800 feature films, documentaries, and series from some of the most prolific independent film producers in the world. Led by Lise Romanoff, Managing Director/CEO Worldwide Distribution, Vision Films releases 2-4 films a month across Theatrical, VOD, dvd, and television. www.visionfilms.net

Media Contact:
Andrea McKinnon
818-415-9442
[email protected] 

SOURCE Vision Films, Inc.

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“For me, Jepperd is this really tough exterior guy. We know he was a pro-athlete in the past, he has this dark past that he’s trying to get away from,” says Anozie. “So he’s got leadership qualities, toughness, he knows how to be strong. But there is a heart of gold in there, that Gus somehow, through his innocence and optimism, which is something Jepperd hasn’t come into contact with for many years, brings out in him.”

When the film was released, the media predicted there were “going to be so many movies starring women, about women, female road pictures, whatever”, Davis said in a QA session, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

AS healthcare across the country struggles to handle the Covid-19 surge, the RSS Saturday said anti-India forces were likely to create an atmosphere of “negativity” and “mistrust” during the pandemic, and asked people to be cautious against them and come together to fight the crisis.

RSS Sarkaryawah Dattatreya Hosabale also asked media to help foster a “positive atmosphere”. Offering condolences to the families who had lost members to the virus, the RSS No. 2 said the government was making extensive efforts and that in a country the size of India, problems can take “gigantic proportions”.

In a statement, Hosabale said, “It is also possible that destructive and anti-Bharat forces in society can take advantage of these adverse circumstances to create an atmosphere of negativity and mistrust in the country. The countrymen, apart from positive efforts to resolve the situation, should be cautious of the conspiracies of these destructive forces.”

To the media, Hosabale said, “We request all sections of society including media to contribute in maintaining an atmosphere of positivity, hope and trust. Those who are active in social media should play a positive role, being more restrained and vigilant.”

The RSS leader also exhorted Sangh workers, social, religious and service institutions and organisations, and people from the field of commerce and industry, to “come forward with a spirit of urgency and service to resolve the current challenges and leave no stone unturned in meeting any kind of shortages”.

Referring to the stress on healthcare infrastructure because of the pandemic, including the lack of oxygen, Hosabale said that in a large country like India, problems can blow up. “Due to the sudden worsening of the pandemic, people are facing a shortage of beds, oxygen and necessary medicines in hospitals. In a large society like Bharat, problems often gain gigantic proportions. Extensive efforts are being made to meet these challenges by Union and state governments and also local civic bodies.”

By Marianne Garvey, CNN

Updated 11:50 AM ET, Tue June 15, 2021