Charleston church massacre: The violence white America must answer for

[cali]

Where are the white fathers? When will white leaders step up? Charleston reveals our racial double standard

The historic African-American Emanuel AME Baptist Church was assaulted by at least one white gunman on Wednesday evening in Charleston, South Carolina. At least nine people have been confirmed dead.

The story is still developing. At present, Charleston authorities are reporting that this mass shooting and likely right-wing domestic terrorist assault is a hate crime.

While this horrific event is one more murderous and racist blow to the African-American community in Charleston–the killing of Walter Scott by a white thug cop being the most high-profile and recent offense–the reporting on the mass shooting at Emanuel Baptist is an additional affront via the White Racial Frame as practiced by the mainstream news media.

As shown on MSNBC Wednesday night, a local Charleston reporter asked a group of African-American activists, community leaders what the black community could do to prevent events like the mass shooting at Emanuel Baptist. This bizarre moment continued with the reporter seemingly rejecting the obvious–that racism is an obvious element in the white-on-black murders committed at Emanuel Baptist–and doubling down by suggesting that the black community gives comfort to “snitches,” thus wondering if black folks will in fact turn in a white domestic terrorist who had killed at least nine people.

<snip>

http://www.salon.com/2015/06/18/charleston_church_massacre_the_violence_white_america_must_answer_for/

[nc4bo]

1. But my, this is a really good article! Thanks. nt

[KittyWampus]

8. The 8 Questions Not Asked That Show The Racial Bias In News:

-tacking here so it's on top of this thread, hope you don't mind-


They include:

1. What is radicalizing white men to commit such acts of domestic terrorism and mass shootings? Are Fox News and the right-wing media encouraging violence?

2. Is something wrong with the white family? Why are their sons and men so violent?

3. What should law enforcement and white politicians do about white crime?

4. Is the Charleston mass shooting just one more sign that America needs sensible and reasonable gun control policies?

5. Where are the white fathers in the white home?

6. When will white leadership step up and stop white right-wing domestic terrorism?

7. Is White American culture pathological? Why is White America so violent?

8. Are there appropriate role models for white men and boys? Could better role models and mentoring help to prevent white men and boys from committing mass shootings and being seduced by right-wing domestic terrorism?

[Dustlawyer]

11. ^^^^THIS^^^^^!!!!!

As a white man married to a black woman in the South I understand the double standard!

[daleanime]

12. If a single one of those questions makes you uncomfortable.....

you need to ask yourself why.

And the MSM desperately has to be addressing the first one.

[Dont call me Shirley]

14. The Original Inhabitants called us crazy white people

I really wish we could do better as a whole. We must, survival of life on this earth depends upon it.

[Android3.14]

16. Now that is an eye opener

Reading it, my white male sensibilities were going what-what-whaat!? If it was poking my white privilege buttons, just imagine what it will do to moderates and conservatives.

Turnabout is so fair play.

[AtheistCrusader]

21. I see what you did there, but I'm going to have a go at some of these anyway because

They are good questions.


1. Yes.
2. Violence is acceptable in this society, therefore, it is perpetuated. It starts early, when people beat their kids. Those kids are learning a lesson, that violence is an acceptable solution to any problem, even non-conformity. My father beat the shit out of me and my brother for trivial reasons. He even hit my mom when I was too young to do anything about it. He believed, a little too much, in the corporal punishment doctrines of the Catholic church. Consequence; he passed on his temper, and propensity for violence to me. I’ve spent my entire adult life struggling to contain, and suppress that ‘nurture’. I think how we raise our children can go a long way to addressing America’s propensity for violence. Especially the much-overlooked white America. This is a symptom of a damaged culture, not a race.*
3. Enforcement. No quotas, no bias, no profiling. Equal protection under the law. The kind of protection my mother was denied, because dad was just a good ‘ol boy, and clearly she ‘must have done something to provoke him’, etc.
4. Possibly.
5. Sometimes; perpetuating violence by beating their family members.
6. First they have to be convinced it’s a thing at all. Confirmation bias blinds people. It’s happening in Charleston right now, as some people try to force the narrative into a religion/non-religion violence thing, rather than a race/terrorism problem. It’s easier to dismiss that way, for them. Don’t let them control the narrative.
7. I believe it’s a structural social problem. Starts in childhood, with how we raise our kids. The social culture has changed a bit, now people mostly have to beat their kids in the privacy of their own homes at this point or people will speak up, but they still do, and the problem is not yet solved.
8. Yes. Problem is, American culture tends to view them as weak, and marginalizes them.

*I have never and will never raise a hand to my child. I may be damaged, but it stops with me. No more. Not in my family. The day I am tempted to harm a family member, is the day I destroy myself to protect others from my own failures as a human.

[calimary]

25. GREAT point. EIGHT great points.

And I'd add a 9th - can we FINALLY get rid of that damn flag? Can we FINALLY bury it? Get RID of it. Get it OUT of our sight. That symbol of hate that's STILL out there in-yer-face all the time? Once and for all. It's an ABOMINATION. DO NOT reinforce with it. DO NOT validate it by flying it "proudly" ANYWHERE - whether it's on your damn t-shirt or bandana, or up at the top of the flagpole up at the top of the state capitol building.

Watching Mayor Joseph Riley of Charleston - and he just spoke of everyone who is wounded by this. It's not just Charleston. It's not just the black community that's wounded. Shit - it's ALL OF AMERICA that's wounded.

[July]

38. And, a couple more questions:

Where did this twenty-one year-old pick up his racist views?

What does " you're taking over OUR [my caps] country" mean? That the United States belongs only to white people and not to CITIZENS who are African-American?

i won't even get into his stupid comments about rape and "our" women. My best guess is that he knows nothing about "our," "their,"or "anybody else's" women, and all of us wimmins are luckier for that.

[Hoyt]

2. +10000000000000000

[peacebird]

3. Wow. Totally nails it.

[cali]

5. yes, this is a very powerful, spot on piece

[marym625]

4. K&R

Great piece. Similar to what women can do to stop rapists. Blame the victim if the victim is anything other than a white man. Especially if the terrorist is a white;, Christian, male.

Where are the white parents?

My heart goes out to these victims. Especially the child who lived by playing dead. What horror.

[Betty Karlson]

6. Kicked and recommended.

Also: where did that local Charleston reporter come from? This kind of victim-blaming sets a standard even Megyn Kelly might avoid.

[prayin4rain]

7. So true. n/t

[KittyWampus]

9. It has been noted that by objective standards, mass shooting are perpetrated mostly by

white men.

So there is a pathology there, for sure.

[calimary]

27. That point needs to be made again and again and again.

It's like we have OUR OWN homegrown ISIS movement - HERE. Right HERE, In This Country.

Hell, we don't need to obsess on those guys with the beards and the beheadings over there. We've got enough of a shit-pile of a mess to clean up RIGHT HERE! In THIS Country. Cue the jeb supporters from the other day: "USA! USA! USA!"

[malaise]

10. Must Read

Rec

[riderinthestorm]

13. Wow! This is a must read. Great find cali. Thanks for this nt

[napkinz]

15. K&R

[tularetom]

17. I can't speak for all 200 million+ white people in America

but for me personally I'd like to apologize to the Charleston black community for the utter cluelessness and mind numbing stupidity of the "local reporter".

[Helen Borg]

18. You don't get it!

This was just an isolated incident.

[Baitball Blogger]

19. The racist white fathers are teaching their children and grandchildren to fear people of color

Even if they are planting the idea that the rights and privileges bestowed to white people should be superior to those of dark skinned people, the effect will have an impact.

[L0oniX]

20. K & R

[raouldukelives]

22. K&R The violence has to stop. I believe it is all trickle down. nt

[gordianot]

23. What has shocked me is vehement white denial of a hate crime.

Of course I am looking at Facebook posts from KSDK in St. Louis. The sheer white racism is astounding.

[JustAnotherGen]

26. I think you should ask the author of the article

Believe there is a link at Salon.

[Snobblevitch]

28. I probablyshould not have used a personal pronoun in my post.

[geek tragedy]

30. jury results

On Thu Jun 18, 2015, 11:55 AM an alert was sent on the following post:

If white America must answer for this crime
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6857614

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

Post is very insensitive.

JURY RESULTS

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Thu Jun 18, 2015, 11:59 AM, and the Jury voted 4-3 to HIDE IT.

Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given

Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given

Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Given the topic of the OP, this is a completely fair question to ask. If the alerter didn't also alert on the OP, I suspect someone's alert is more about an agenda than sensitivities.

Juror #4 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given

Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: This reads like race baiting to me. MIRT should look at this member. Seems like a troll.

Juror #6 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Racist troll can kiss my ass. Getting cocky after passing the MIRT threshold apparently.

Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: stupid alert

[JustAnotherGen]

31. No problem

[Romulox]

29. It's a bad road to go down... People should be responsible for their own actions. nt

[JustAnotherGen]

33. That's a nice and idealistic

World view - but unfortunately I've never seen it work that way in America.

I mean - this man said, "You rape our women" prior to shooting - something like that.

So basically he said all blacks rape his women so nine people had to die.

Romulux - this shit can't be made up. *sigh*

These racists are blind to how what THEY do makes white people look to blacks, browns, etc. etc. who only have contact with white people at work or while engaging in commerce.

Note -my mom is white and so is my husband - so I don't personally think this way.

[Romulox]

36. I understand the emotional appeal, but such balkanization is what racist terrorists seek.

We can't let them divide us by skin tone and then pit us against each other.

[JustAnotherGen]

42. I totally don't look at this guy as a terrorist

Just a racist.

He could have just as easily have set off a bomb in that church. It was burned before - after the revolt.

It doesn't tear you and me apart - but if you are white American - it probably makes you run to me and throw him in the garbage pile!

Which is where he should be - because he is garbage.

[Matariki]

44. I was thinking the same thing

racism sucks. furthering a divisive us and them narrative does nothing to end it.

[matt819]

32. Domestic terrorism

Sure, this is a hate crime, but more than anything it is domestic terrorism, or, more accurately, terrorism. And the local, state, and federal governments should investigate and prosecute it as such.

Further, in the way that the government rounded up random brown people in the aftermath of 9/11, perhaps that's what they should do now. No, not round up random brown people. And not even round up random white people. But this terrorist has friends, associates, contacts. He bought his weapon somewhere, as well as ammo. He cased the church. He planned this. And the odds are that he didn't do it alone or without provocation/motivation. You know damn well that a terrorist attack like this by Muslims would generate an all hands on deck approach, with everyone known to the terrorist brought in. That's what should be done now.

As for Nikki Haley's idiotic comment, it is time to take down the flag of the losing side of the Civil War. It's one thing to condemn the killings and "wonder" about the reasons. But the reasons are clear, and you, Gov. Haley, are part of the problem. Take action and stop pandering.

[prayin4rain]

43. I agree. n/t

[niyad]

34. I had to read that last quoted paragraph three times, figuring I had misread it (lack of caffeine?)

sadly, I had not misread. what an appallingly hateful, ignorant, asshole question.

[gwheezie]

35. White people need to deal with their racists

Really, its not up to poc to somehow cope with white racists. We need to fix ourselves. We need to confront racists every time we meet one. They live in a racist bubble and our silence approves of their racism. We must always stand and say I am not like you, you are wrong.

[bettyellen]

41. THIS!

[Matariki]

45. +1

That is exactly it. It will probably take a few generations - sadly, but a constant reiteration that racism isn't acceptable will finally change how people think. Humans are social animals and tend to model their thinking and behavior to their prevailing social environment. Racists believe they're in the right because people around them are either also racist or 'politely' don't call them on their ugliness.

[whatchamacallit]

37. I'm struggling to resolve my liberal desire to keep justice free of cruelty

with my desire to punish these motherfuckers in a way that will dissuade anyone ever considering doing something like this again.

[Dont call me Shirley]

39. Growing up in an all white small town, I can say from experience the most common behaviors amongst

whites are ridicule, favoritism and ostracism. The layering of class and clique are so finely tuned and orchestrated it's going to take moving mountains to retrain these unreasonable behaviors. The first step is to become aware that we have these thoughts and behaviors. Then recognize that we must remove and replace them with thoughts/behaviors which benefit the common higher good in our community and ourselves.

We must first feel the shame of our hurtful deeds, then work to atone by changing our destructive ways. People would rather die than face their shame and this is where we are stuck, individually and as a race! Shame of harming other causes one to hate oneself, then it is turned on other (projected) so one does not have to feel the deep pain of the shame and the despair of self-hatred.

First step, honest self-awareness!

[lovemydog]

40. Yes, white people need to help fix this.

I think white people need to get out in the streets and march in solidarity with our black brothers and sisters. White people who oppose racism and senseless violence need to step up as best we can. Always.

Mentoring. Joining integrated churches or other organizations that are integrated. Listening. Big brothers and sisters. Prison reform. Volunteering. Marching. Talking with others.

Make it a lifelong commitment.