Terrorist at the Gate: Charleston, South Carolina

Historically, churches, especially in the African American community, have stood as pillars of safety,faith and forgiveness.  Our churches have always welcomed people from all walks of life.  Many people who have committed all types of crimes and who have done some of the most reprehensible acts known to man have found a safe haven in church.  I have traveled to many churches during my time on this earth, and I can honestly say that I have never felt unsafe at any of these churches.  It did not matter how sketchy the neighborhood, or how dangerous the city.  People, even criminals, rarely attack rivals anywhere near a church or other sacred building.  Certain lines should never be crossed. 

So, when I heard about the deaths of nine people at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church ("EAMEC), I was shocked.  I thought, “there must have been some mistake in reporting.”  Like, maybe, just maybe, the victims were killed near a church (like maybe a few miles from a church).   I just could not believe that these innocent victims had been killed, in cold blood, inside of a church.  If you have been following my blog the past few years, you know that I have not written a blog post in a while.  This is not because I have not wanted to write; rather, it has been that I have not had the time.  After reading about this terrorist attack, however, I felt compelled to write something.  Maybe writing this blog post is my selfish way of releasing some of the emotions that have been circling in my mind the past two days.  The emotions have ranged from shock, to anger, to prayerful, to disheartening.   

Terrorism has been defined as the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes.   Let’s be clear: the act that Roof perpetrated was an act of terror, which makes him a terrorist as far as I am concerned.  His attack was steeped in hate for African Americans.  Now, this deep-seated hate that runs through Roof’s blood really is nothing new to this country.  We have seen and heard this hate on many occasions during the history of the United States.  However, in recent history, I cannot recall a situation in which a church was attacked in this manner.  In 1963, more than 50 years ago, during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, four young girls lost their lives when 16^th Street Baptist Church was bombed.  Now, over 50 years later, and through the passage of countless laws, countless lives lost fighting for equal rights, we are right back to September 15, 1963.  There is an old adage that “history repeats itself.”  That should be changed to [bad] history repeats itself because that is what we just witnessed. 

Some folks may not be familiar with the history of EAMEC.  EAMEC has been a staple in Charleston, South Carolina since 1816, making it was one of the oldest African American churches in the United States.  It has endured many hardships, including being burned to the ground, being destroyed by an earthquake and even being banned by the state.  None of these obstacles, however, have stopped EAMEC, but the latest obstacle is the most difficult to understand to date.  I find it very ironic that Roof perpetrated his crime at one of the oldest African American churches in the country, and just days before Juneteenth.  Instead of readying for a celebration of Juneteenth, many people are mourning the loss of innocent lives.  I believe this is too ironic to not have been planned by a larger group.  This idea, of course, is unfounded at the moment, but I believe the truth will be uncovered.

The Act is one of the most cowardly, heinous crimes I have ever heard about.  The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing was terrible and unfathomable.  But, this crime is different because of the manner in which it was carried out. Imagine, for a moment, that a person plants a bomb at a church.  Imagine that person arming the bomb and setting it to explode at a certain time.  Now, imagine a person knocking on the door of a church, and then waiting on the church people to let him in.  Then, imagine this person joining a small, intimate prayer group.   Next, imagine the friendly interactions between the church members and the stranger.  Imagine the looks in their eyes and the love they showed to this stranger.  Then, imagine him looking each victim squarely in his or her eyes and seeing the terror and fear in their eyes as he pulled out his weapon.  Then, imagine him shooting each victim, in close range, inside of the church.  I cringed again as I described the scene that unfolded on June 17, 2015.

This act was premeditated, callous, intentional and unwarranted.

Racism still exists, and in some parts of the country, displays of racism are a normal part of life.  That being said, I do not know why some people are so afraid to talk about race.  This case was clearly a hate crime and race was the motivating factor for the act of terror.  According to survivors of the attack, Roof made multiple racist remarks during the commission of the crime.  Other individuals who know him spoke up about his use of racist language towards African American people and about his comments regarding starting a race war.  It truly is sad that you have people who hate other people simply because of the color of their skin.  As far as we have come as a society, we still are nowhere near a society free from the “isms,” including racism, sexism, and classism, to name a few.

Per usual, I went against my better judgment by watching the bond hearing this afternoon.  Roof looked just as cowardly as I thought he might look, but the statements made by family members of the victims were chilling.  Listening to them sob, but still tell Roof they forgave him, let me see how far I have to come in my faith.  Considering the severity of the crimes committed, I do not know many people who would have been uttering words of forgiveness that soon after the commission of a crime.  Maybe, after the wounds had some time to heal, maybe then, thoughts of forgiveness would creep in.  When I watched the bond hearing, all I could think about was Samuel Jackson’s role in “A Time to Kill.”  All that being said, I admire the strength and faith displayed by the family members of the victims.  

Lastly, some people were up in arms because his bond was set at a million dollars.  The presiding judge only had jurisdiction over the gun charges, not the murder charges.  Those charges will be addressed at a later time, but there is no chance that Roof will be getting out on bail. 

This act of terror has impacted millions of people.  The City of Charleston lost some great people who did not deserve to die.  You only hope that Roof, who has confessed to killing the victims, will get what is coming to him.  I sincerely hope he does not take his own life before he can be brought before a jury of his peers and punished to the fullest extent of the law. 

Peace