Friday, June 19, 2015
A Terrorist in Emanuel AME Church
I decided to break tradition and turn away from haiku this week, in order to have a timely reflection on an act of terrorism that is particularly repulsive: Dylann Roof's killing of nine parishioners at a Bible study at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on Wednesday.
Much has already been said, of course, and some of it is right on-- for example, that we need to describe this as terrorism. What else would it be?
There are three points I would like to add to the conversation.
1) Despite efforts to paint the killer as a "lone wolf," we must recognize that someone like him is produced by a culture (or what some might consider to be a sub-culture) within our society that is built upon top of the structural racism in the society as a whole. He didn't, at age 21, develop an ideology of racial hate all on his own. Our nation needs to root out and address that sub-culture with the same energy we bring to addressing Muslim extremists, because it presents the same danger-- violent death-- to innocent Americans.
2) Like every other part of the country, South Carolina has a race problem-- they just aren't as good at hiding it. The state flag and the U.S. flag flew at half-mast yesterday at the South Carolina state capitol in the wake of the killing, but the Confederate battle flag was still at the top of its flagpole… because it is permanently attached there and cannot be moved without legislation. Meanwhile, SC Governor Nikki Haley said that "we do know that we'll never understand what motivates" people to commit acts of violence such as this-- about an incident in which a white man shot up a black church while declaring that he was there "to shoot black people." It's pretty clear what this terrorist's motives were. I find it remarkable that anyone would suggest that we don't know the killer's motives, or that the killing "wasn't about race."
3) Over the course of my life, I have been to black churches several times, with a friend or my dad and sometimes by myself. Even though I was a stranger, even though I was potentially dangerous, I was always warmly welcomed. That warmth was a part of this case, too. CNN quoted Sylvia Johnson, a cousin of the church's Minister (and victim of the shooting) Rev. Clementa Pinckney (pictured here): Johnson told CNN her friend recounted the man coming into the church, asking for the minister.
"My
cousin, being the nice, kind, welcoming person he is, he welcomed him
to his congregation, welcomed him to the Bible study, and he sat there
for an hour ... At the conclusion of the Bible study, they just heard
just a ringing of a loud noise, and it was just awful from what I
heard," Johnson said.
Meanwhile, I know that not all white churches would show that courtesy to a black man who wanders in. That juxtaposition, which lies in the background of this tragedy, deeply saddens me as a person of faith and an American.
Comments:
Like Mark says in another context … all tragedy.
As someone that works with the mental health of this age group, it is a tough issue. I am one of those folks that has to make the call (and has), weighing the possibility of threat to “self or other”, the safety of others, while also considering (temporarily) the impact of suspending someone’s civil liberties (an almost universally traumatizing experience) ... is a difficult balancing act of often competing concerns.
I have only limited information about this young man and his history. Certainly sounds concerning from what I have seen. And although a lot of these young men share many similar characteristics … there are large numbers of disaffected, contrarian young people out there that may profile in similar ways (+/-) but never act out. In fact, people with MH issues are the victims of violence are FAR higher rates than those with MH issues that act out. They are far more inclined to kill themselves (particularly young males with guns). Yet the anomalies get great deal of attention. And more often than not those that act out are isolated and not connected to services. The hard part … even with history and good collateral information … is separating one from the other … and more so, predicting when they will be a threat and will act out.
I very much agree with IPLawguy and Ron about some sort of mandatory national service. Some countries allow either military service or an alternative (akin to Vista or AmeriCorps). Not everyone is ready for college at 18. At the same time the vast majority could benefit and mature from a year or two living away from home, from having to function somewhat independently, and from having to serve the country (the other) in some capacity.
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This whole incident just makes me sick. You have summed it up quite well. He is a terrorist. Can you imagine sitting in a Bible study in wait to shoot those you have been communing with for an hour.
Yes Racism is alive and well here in the Carolinas. We are lucky to live in a rural, mixed race farm community but we also have white neighbors with no trespassing signs and one that states "We will not call 911". The signs the results of neighbor complaints about the automatic and semi-automatic target shooting that takes place on their property. As sad as it is to see the Stars and Bars flying high it is a good reminder of the history and allows us to question how far we have or have not come since the 1860's.
As for black churches. The most welcoming congregants I have ever encountered the few times I have attended weddings or funerals.
Yes Racism is alive and well here in the Carolinas. We are lucky to live in a rural, mixed race farm community but we also have white neighbors with no trespassing signs and one that states "We will not call 911". The signs the results of neighbor complaints about the automatic and semi-automatic target shooting that takes place on their property. As sad as it is to see the Stars and Bars flying high it is a good reminder of the history and allows us to question how far we have or have not come since the 1860's.
As for black churches. The most welcoming congregants I have ever encountered the few times I have attended weddings or funerals.
It seems that this guy was clearly nuts for some time... and told people about it. His "friends" heard him say he was going to do something crazy like shoot a bunch of people and try to start a civil war. Clearly delusional. Reminds me of the Tsarnaev (spelling?) brothers in Boston. They, esp. the older one, Tamerlane, made clear that they planned a violent act.
The Columbine HS shooters also planned their attack ahead of time. People knew they were planning "something."
But in each cases, no one said anything or turned them in. And that's a challenging paradox. Are we supposed to rat out anyone and everyone who says something nutty and crazy and threatening. It's been a while since I was a teenager or guy in my young 20's (the age of many of these shooters), but I do not recall anyone I knew making dangerous threatening pronouncements or threats. But I do remember people saying crazy stuff about nutty stunts that I knew that they would never carry out.
The Charleston shooter, with his Rhodesia and South Africa patches was clearly on a bad path. You'd think someone would have noticed. But my guess is that he was not hanging with upstanding members of society.
Here's a serious idea for a partial solution-- as noted, the vast majority of these shooters are aged 17-25. Let's face it, young men are full of testosterone and energy. And often lack executive function. They are aggressive and frustrated and need direction. Many nations, even some democracties (Switzerland, Israel) channel that energy by requiring universal military service/training. I am not suggesting we put every one in an army unifrom and send them to the middle east -- we could use them for WPA or CCC type work here in the U.S. But the point is, put young men to work, hard physical, exhausting, team building, "bridge building" (literally and figuratively) work. Make them get to know other young men from all over the nation, of all backgrounds, colors, faiths, etc. Part of what made this country relatively cohesive for 20 years or so after WWII was the shared military experience of most men.
The Columbine HS shooters also planned their attack ahead of time. People knew they were planning "something."
But in each cases, no one said anything or turned them in. And that's a challenging paradox. Are we supposed to rat out anyone and everyone who says something nutty and crazy and threatening. It's been a while since I was a teenager or guy in my young 20's (the age of many of these shooters), but I do not recall anyone I knew making dangerous threatening pronouncements or threats. But I do remember people saying crazy stuff about nutty stunts that I knew that they would never carry out.
The Charleston shooter, with his Rhodesia and South Africa patches was clearly on a bad path. You'd think someone would have noticed. But my guess is that he was not hanging with upstanding members of society.
Here's a serious idea for a partial solution-- as noted, the vast majority of these shooters are aged 17-25. Let's face it, young men are full of testosterone and energy. And often lack executive function. They are aggressive and frustrated and need direction. Many nations, even some democracties (Switzerland, Israel) channel that energy by requiring universal military service/training. I am not suggesting we put every one in an army unifrom and send them to the middle east -- we could use them for WPA or CCC type work here in the U.S. But the point is, put young men to work, hard physical, exhausting, team building, "bridge building" (literally and figuratively) work. Make them get to know other young men from all over the nation, of all backgrounds, colors, faiths, etc. Part of what made this country relatively cohesive for 20 years or so after WWII was the shared military experience of most men.
IPLawGuy-- I totally agree with you on National Service. It is something that Ron Fournier has been advocating over at the National Journal in the last few weeks.
WF-- I think you are right about many white-dominated churches, but of course there are others. In my own life experience, I remember being in a church when a black man came in during the service, and the reaction was noticeable-- and not friendly.
So, does a Southern white kid who has a gun and talks about starting a race war deserve surveillance and possible intervention, in the manner we use in Islamic terrorism investigations? Yes. The answer is yes, regardless of whether there is a "mastermind" at work.
So, does a Southern white kid who has a gun and talks about starting a race war deserve surveillance and possible intervention, in the manner we use in Islamic terrorism investigations? Yes. The answer is yes, regardless of whether there is a "mastermind" at work.
In the musical "South Pacific," Lt. Cable sings a song that sums up how racial bias happens. He sings, "You've got to be carefully taught." That "teaching" can come from family or from society at large, but no one is born with animus.
Totally agree with the idea of National Service, and have for years. Two years after high school, before college. Period.
Also agree with IPLG that there's a paradox here, of people knowing-but-not-knowing that something's off, and thus not wanting to get involved. Biggest problem may be that the people who overhear scary thoughts & plans may be ones who are in agreement with those scary thoughts & plans, and thus would not be likely to call the authorities.
One thing for sure, though... We've got to stop thinking of these elements as "fringes" full of "kooks." They are, indeed, terrorists (and always have been).
Totally agree with the idea of National Service, and have for years. Two years after high school, before college. Period.
Also agree with IPLG that there's a paradox here, of people knowing-but-not-knowing that something's off, and thus not wanting to get involved. Biggest problem may be that the people who overhear scary thoughts & plans may be ones who are in agreement with those scary thoughts & plans, and thus would not be likely to call the authorities.
One thing for sure, though... We've got to stop thinking of these elements as "fringes" full of "kooks." They are, indeed, terrorists (and always have been).
# posted by 
: 12:15 PM
: 12:15 PM
TT-- You are right about the closed nature of some of these networks, but they do overlap with other institutions-- people who are in them are also part of families, churches, and other groups that sometimes support and more often don't confront the bias that leads to violence.
Like Mark says in another context … all tragedy.
As someone that works with the mental health of this age group, it is a tough issue. I am one of those folks that has to make the call (and has), weighing the possibility of threat to “self or other”, the safety of others, while also considering (temporarily) the impact of suspending someone’s civil liberties (an almost universally traumatizing experience) ... is a difficult balancing act of often competing concerns.
I have only limited information about this young man and his history. Certainly sounds concerning from what I have seen. And although a lot of these young men share many similar characteristics … there are large numbers of disaffected, contrarian young people out there that may profile in similar ways (+/-) but never act out. In fact, people with MH issues are the victims of violence are FAR higher rates than those with MH issues that act out. They are far more inclined to kill themselves (particularly young males with guns). Yet the anomalies get great deal of attention. And more often than not those that act out are isolated and not connected to services. The hard part … even with history and good collateral information … is separating one from the other … and more so, predicting when they will be a threat and will act out.
I very much agree with IPLawguy and Ron about some sort of mandatory national service. Some countries allow either military service or an alternative (akin to Vista or AmeriCorps). Not everyone is ready for college at 18. At the same time the vast majority could benefit and mature from a year or two living away from home, from having to function somewhat independently, and from having to serve the country (the other) in some capacity.
# posted by : 1:11 PM
: 1:11 PM
After watching the bond hearing, and listening to the profound statements of the loved ones of the victims, and looking into the eyes of this twenty-one-year-old killer, I painfully realize none of the comments I posted this morning were appropriate to the gravity of this tragedy. Rather, I will silently pray for all the people involved in, and touched by, this horrific carnage.
The "silent majority" is still with us but is no longer very silent. Richard Nixon's successful self serving promotion of seeing others as a threat has been adopted and expanded. It is especially successful directed at those who have little contact with those we are told to fear. The results of this messaging are that we support discriminatory political and personal acts. Sometimes we are tragically instilled with hate. The killings in Charleston are universally condemned while the day to day discrimination is too often accepted.
I hope we can identify and correct all hate filled messages and their messengers. We have been too comfortable looking the other way for too long.
Here is Martin Luther King's message in his eulogy for the victims of the Birmingham church burning over 50 years ago.
"They are the martyred heroines of a holy crusade for freedom and human dignity. And so this afternoon in a real sense they have something to say to each of us in their death. They have something to say to every minister of the gospel who has remained silent behind the safe security of stained-glass windows. They have something to say to every politician who has fed his constituents with the stale bread of hatred and the spoiled meat of racism. They have something to say to a federal government that has compromised with the undemocratic practices of southern Dixiecrats and the blatant hypocrisy of right-wing northern Republicans. They have something to say to every Negro who has passively accepted the evil system of segregation and who has stood on the sidelines in a mighty struggle for justice. They say to each of us, black and white alike, that we must substitute courage for caution. They say to us that we must be concerned not merely about who murdered them, but about the system, the way of life, the philosophy which produced the murderers. Their death says to us that we must work passionately and unrelentingly for the realization of the American dream."
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I hope we can identify and correct all hate filled messages and their messengers. We have been too comfortable looking the other way for too long.
Here is Martin Luther King's message in his eulogy for the victims of the Birmingham church burning over 50 years ago.
"They are the martyred heroines of a holy crusade for freedom and human dignity. And so this afternoon in a real sense they have something to say to each of us in their death. They have something to say to every minister of the gospel who has remained silent behind the safe security of stained-glass windows. They have something to say to every politician who has fed his constituents with the stale bread of hatred and the spoiled meat of racism. They have something to say to a federal government that has compromised with the undemocratic practices of southern Dixiecrats and the blatant hypocrisy of right-wing northern Republicans. They have something to say to every Negro who has passively accepted the evil system of segregation and who has stood on the sidelines in a mighty struggle for justice. They say to each of us, black and white alike, that we must substitute courage for caution. They say to us that we must be concerned not merely about who murdered them, but about the system, the way of life, the philosophy which produced the murderers. Their death says to us that we must work passionately and unrelentingly for the realization of the American dream."
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