Silence Around Who Is Burning Black Churches Speaks Volumes
http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/31133-silence-around-who-is-burning-black-churches-speaks-volumesThis country’s steep investment in white supremacy and white innocence underlines Clarke’s words. With scarce details, a narrative has emerged in the wake of the church fires that seems relentlessly devoted to ensuring that each fire is viewed in a vacuum. After nearly a week of silence from mainstream media, the forced response seems to be, “There's nothing to see here, no connection to the mass murder in a Charleston and definitely not to each other.”
Oh, but there is. Nothing could interest me less than cold theoretical musings on the history of church fires and the callous dismissal of black fear as its flung against a wall of apathy and tepid concern. And though forgiveness of the heinous acts committed against black folks has been positioned as next to godliness, if our blackness is really sacred, then our rage in response to attempts at its annihilation must be divine.
Let’s be clear: If these were white Christian churches being burned to the ground in the wake of a terrorist attack acted out by an Islamic extremist, there would be a national outcry. The terror-alert signals favored by former President George W. Bush post 9/11 would be on red.
If there were nine dead white people to bury, one being a state senator, who were murdered during their prayer meeting by a black man, no black person in America would be safe.
Dylann Roof put bullet-holes through the faith of Mother Emanuel AME Church and whoever is burning black churches is attempting to burn that faith to the ground. These fires -- and the willful minimization of them -- are messages intended to convey to black America that there is no sanctuary that can protect us. When Christianity was foisted onto the backs of enslaved Africans in the United States, it was never meant to empower us; we were never intended to replace our "masters" with God.
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Fighting after an international soccer match: Unacceptable behavior, but we've grown accustomed to its existence.
Excesses at spring break in Florida: Something that needs more monitoring and addressing by society, but we more or less endure it as being a thing.
Political corruption: Totally unacceptable, but generally seen as having no easy cure, or ending any time soon.
Too much violence in and around contact sports. Again, "Something that needs more monitoring and addressing by society, but we more or less endure it as being a thing."
And so on.
These church burnings are most decidedly different, and occurring in a wholly separate realm. They're akin to a military action, in a war of elimination. The church burnings are about people giving themselves up to the religion of hatred. The fire itself serves as a testament to their commitment to seeing things through.
Communities that don't have the resources to effectively deal with these church burnings should seek and accept outside help. Reward monies should be offered, and the law should let it be known that lesser criminals can help themselves by turning the arsonists over.
The arsonists are domestic terrorists. And while anyone arrested should get all of their rights under the law, the situation warrants the application of all our resources to roll up their cells and organization. If they are just local wannabes with not much organization, good, we can wrap this up quickly and the application of our resources was a good test, and a sign of our commitment to the rights of all of us, everywhere, and all the time.
Edit: I hope most do turn out to be accidental. But what I know of history suggests that the old pattern of violence against the black community is still around, and still having a hand in some of these. How great it would be to be wrong. 
I'd be happy if this just amounted to a wake up call for those who were able to donate to these fine churches so they can be made safer.
There is nothing new about it other than near instant reporting. 
Mother Emanuel AME itself has been burned down.
