Charleston Shootings, Racism, and America

So much madness occurs in relation to people at churches. One would think that a place as sacred as the church wouldn’t attract such hatred and civil disrespect. Such intolerance has occurred, however, when protesters camped out in front of a mosque in Arizona. And I thought things could not become any more racially tiresome. Damn, I hate when reality slaps the shit out of me with the facts.

charleston-church-shootingHere is the latest:

Several people were killed in a shooting at a historic African-American church in Charleston,South Carolina, a source close to the investigation told CNN.

The shooter is still at large.

The shooting took place Wednesday evening at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. On its website, the church describes itself as the “oldest AME church in the south.”

“It’s really bad. It’s a very bad scene,” local pastor Thomas Dixon said.

“Apparently the person just entered the church and opened fire. That part has not been fully articulated on what happened yet … they are still looking for the suspect.”

https://twitter.com/iMadeSmartCool/status/611385452399099904/photo/1

Police haven’t yet said how many people have been shot. But the source who spoke to CNN said several bodies were in the church that were yet to be identified.

Police said the suspect in the shooting is a clean-shaven white man in his 20s, with a slender build. He was wearing a grey sweatshirt, blue jeans and boots. [1]

At the moment that I am writing this blog (11:35 p.m. on June 17, 2015), they did not apprehend the suspect. So, this person is still at large. This killer is still out there either hiding, planning, or laid out somewhere due to self-inflicted wounds. The scariest thing is that no one knows where he is.

Charleston and the Audacity of Insanity

Lately, Charleston has been struggling with racial unity. If we haven’t forgotten, this is the same city in which Walter Lamar Scott was shot and killed by a Thomas Slager [2]. And this wasn’t some isolated incident of “mistaken situation” or “a cop protecting his life”. In this situation, the entire ordeal was captured on camera. Thus, we have to remember that Charleston isn’t the city of “racially harmony”.

Then again, South Carolina has its own troubling racial history. You see, Charleston was one of the biggest hubs of slavery [3]. It was the wealthiest of the thirteen colonies and Charleston was the wealthiest city because of slavery. Ironically, the town remained in fear due to the possibility of slave revolts. So, racism in Charleston can’t be too surprising when there is a history of racial parity in existence.

And if anyone feels that I am recalling “ancient history”, let me reassure you that these old feelings haven’t been fully let go. How can these beliefs disappear in the town that houses the Confederacy Museum? Is it surprising that violence against Blacks happen in a state that supports the Palmetto Republic? When The League of the South comes to town, aren’t they heavily supported? Let’s get real, people: South Carolina, just like America, is racist as fuck.

All of this leads back to this present situation of a mass shooting of AME church members. People can label the shooter “a lone insane shooter” or “a crazy man”. That may be true. But I find it hard to believe that this wasn’t nothing more than a crazed man doing something racially motivated. With the history of this city, state, and nation, it will be hard to convince me otherwise.

Charleston Church Shooting Summarized

Charleston has the spirits and demons of racism drenched within its DNA. This shooting, as isolated as it seems, is a result of the racial contention that this city has dealt with. Yet, history shows that it all starts from the top. South Carolina is racist as hell just like theUnited States is. In the end, history will only repeat itself until our society pushes for better alternatives.

The Dominican Republic isn’t the only working on “ethnic cleansing”.