Dylann Roof is the face of evil and racism incarnate. The fact that this 21-year-old man walked into bible study class at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC has been forgiven by so many in the congregation baffles me.
On one hand, I get it. Forgiveness because god said so.
On the other hand, fuck that racist bastard and may he burn in hell.
I’m going to need black people to stop being so forgiving. This forgiveness thing has plagued us for centuries. I’m quite sure forgiveness was taught to black people by slave masters, the same people who taught black people Christianity. Isn’t it ironic?
Throughout history, black people have been benevolent and forgiving. And where has that gotten us? It’s gotten the families in South Carolina a white judge who told them in front of a merciless killer that they should forgive.
No other group of people have been expected to be so forgiving to those who’ve hated, killed and made them second class citizens. Has anyone yet asked or expected Holocaust survivors to forgive?
Roof’s act of domestic terrorism was a calculated and premeditated act. Fuck forgiving him.
And for those who say that forgiveness some how makes your heart better? Show me receipts and prove it.
And for the love of god, stop assuming just because you don’t forgive someone, means that you’re living with a heart filled with hatred. Forgiveness and hatred does not go hand in hand.
If I accidentally step on your foot and apologize and you forgive me. Cool.
If I purposefully step on your foot, and let you know it was done on purpose and I don’t apologize and you don’t forgive. Guess what? You’re in your every right not to forgive me.
Forgiveness isn’t deserving when acts are deliberate.
And let’s just squash this misconception about being an unforgiving person. Just because you’re unforgiving, doesn’t mean that you’re hateful. It means you’re human.
To those families in South Carolina who were affected by Roof’s act of racism and violence, I understand why you feel the need to forgive. But I don’t understand why you feel it’s necessary. He’s not sorry for anything he’s done. The bible says a lot of things that have been open to interpretation, and forgiveness is one of them.
Just because god forgives, doesn’t mean you have to.