1. Basics
Attendees of a vigil held near the Church on Thursday the 18th. Photo by David Goldman/Associated Press
On June 17, a man now suspected to be 21-year-old Dylann Roof, entered the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina and shot down nine members of the congregation who were there for Bible study. One of the victims was 41-year-old state senator and pastor Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney. The victims' ages ranged from 26 to 87 according to The New York Times.
2. The Church Itself is Significant
The church in which the shooting occurred is regarded as "Mother Emanuel" as it is the oldest African-American congregation in the South. When addressing the nation in response to the murders, President Obama described the Church as a "sacred place in the history of Charleston, and in the history of America." This church was central in the abolitionist movement as well as the civil rights movement and has been described as "a symbol of black political and social power in Charleston" by Robert Greene II, a doctoral candidate at the University of South Carolina in an interview by Mic.
3. The Alleged Shooter
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Dylann Roof is now in police custody as a suspect in the mass shooting. The New York Times reported that Roof had a history of expressing racist views and, according to those who knew him, increasingly violent statements. As shown above, his Facebook profile picture shows himself wearing patches with the flags of apartheid-era South Africa and Rhodesia, the white-ruled era of what is now Zimbabwe. Additionally, a website has recently been uncovered featuring a white supremacist manifesto and many photos of Roof posing with the Confederate flag, various weapons, and visiting places like the graves of Confederate soldiers.
4. The Media's Reactions
As expected, there have been a variety of media reactions to this tragedy. Some called the shooter mentally unstable. Many ask for stricter gun control legislation. Others have labeled the incident an act of terrorism. Some hosts on Fox news claim that the shooter was actually an opponent of religious liberty, just one of the many "people out there looking for Christians to kill them." Additionally, a movement has been created in order to call for the removal of the Confederate flag from South Carolina's government buildings. Comedy Central comedian, and host of The Daily Show Jon Stewart gave a somber monologue, stating that he had "no jokes" and "nothing other than just sadness, once again, that we have to peer into the abyss of the depraved violence that we do to each other in the nexus of a just gaping racial wound that will not heal--yet we pretend doesn't exist." Since airing on June 18th, Jon Stewart's words about the racism, terrorism, and the underlying problem that America still faces today has gone viral.
5. Politician's Responses
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As the 2016 Presidential race nears, the American people look towards those who have announced their candidacy, and to those who may potentially announce, for their reactions to and policy announcements in response to events like the Charleston Church shooting. Hillary Clinton, one of the Democratic nominee hopefuls, has spoken out about how the nation needs to face the "hard truths" about race and issues of gun violence, also calling out for stricter gun control legislation. Senator Bernie Sanders called the event "a tragic reminder of the ugly stain of racism that still taints our nation" and, although remaining somewhat quiet about gun control for the time being, says he will "talk about guns at some length, but not right now." Republican candidate Jeb Bush has received some criticism for stating that he doesn't "know what was on the mind or the heart of the man who committed these atrocious crimes" at a Faith and Freedom Coalition summit, despite the plethora of evidence suggesting that Roof was motivated by white supremacist and racist ideals.
6. Significance
The fact that violence motivated by race is still such a prevalent issue in America today is saddening and upsetting and events like this serve as a horrific reminder that we still have such a long way to go. Our hearts hurt for the nine people who lost their lives and for their families and loved ones as we wonder why, in the land of the free and the equal, newspaper headlines featuring the loss of African American lives are so common. As a sign of the progress America has yet to make, the Confederate flag, a symbol for slavery and rebellion, still flies above the government buildings in South Carolina and many of its streets are named for Confederate generals. A man with a vast history of racist thinking, statements of intent to harm, and publicly posted photos displaying support of repressive white regimes was able to walk into a store and purchase a gun. Media responses playing the situation off as an issue of religion or one of mental instability do nothing to help the true issue at hand. It should not have to take the loss of innocent life to show America that something needs to change, but the grim reality is that often it does take tragedies such as these to shine a spotlight on the necessity for improvement. The question now is, how much more violence is it going to take?
