Unfathomable: Church Massacre

[Muushka]

Such division, even on this thread. I wish everyone would take the cue from the victim's families and unite.

I didn't go to church yesterday, but I did watch one of my normal Sunday news programs. For a good portion they did a live broadcast of the service at the church in Charleston that had the massacre. It was amazing. I cried. These wonderful people and their ability to set aside the small stuff and focus on the big picture. And speak of forgiveness. These people are wonderful and amazing.

And now I'm watching a broadcast from another news show from Friday. They showed the son of one of the wonderful women who was murdered. His name is Chris Singleton.
‘Love Is Always Stronger Than Hate’ here is a link to the video http://nation.foxnews.com/2015/06/2...-chris-singleton-honor-mother-slain-sc-church

What a beautiful description this son had for his mom. What a loss for everyone.

There are a lot of really good things happening out there. When I find 'em, I'll post 'em.

 

[Luvchefmic]

I saw the son on Fox News the day he was originally on. What a moving tribute to his Mother and to the other people lost that day. It felt very cleansing to cry too.

 

[Muushka]

I found another good thing! SC is removing the Confederate Flag! Hopefully people won't find something else to argue about!

 

[eliza61]

I found another good thing! SC is removing the Confederate Flag! Hopefully people won't find something else to argue about!

You know I have mixed feelings about this, believe or not, LOL Now as a black gal, it wouldn't be my first choice to have flying over a state capital but I think we are too "reactionary". So I hate to see it remove because evil found a new friend and he did this horrific thing.
And now the poor presidential candidates are being asked whether or not it should come down. I mean really, I can think of 50 other things I want to know.

 

[sharonmickey]

I would like to commend all those in South Carolina, specifically those in Charleston who have united to show our country how to respond to such a horrific event. This tragedy has drawn the people in Charleston together. The forgiveness shown by the families is amazing. Hats off to all of the people in the Charleston area that have come together. Although I have not seen it on the national news, I know that many churches that meet in downtown Charleston met on Sunday morning and walked together to Mother Emanuel AME church where they sang Amazing Grace outside the church. May this awful event draw our country together so that we see Americans instead of classifying people by race or religion. Maybe I am being naive but that is my hope.

 

[luvsJack]

You know I have mixed feelings about this, believe or not, LOL Now as a black gal, it wouldn't be my first choice to have flying over a state capital but I think we are too "reactionary". So I hate to see it remove because evil found a new friend and he did this horrific thing.
And now the poor presidential candidates are being asked whether or not it should come down. I mean really, I can think of 50 other things I want to know.

Well put Eliza.

Look, I understand the issues with the flag. But all the concern over the flag has pushed away the real responsibility of this tragedy.

If people wanted the flag down, then they should have petioned for that to happen Just like years ago when so many states changed their state flags. But this wasn't the time to take the focus off of Charleston and the way the strength and faith of her citizens has brought them together. And its not a good thing to take the blame from where it belonga and place it on a flag.

 

[sunshinehighway]

Well put Eliza.

Look, I understand the issues with the flag. But all the concern over the flag has pushed away the real responsibility of this tragedy.

If people wanted the flag down, then they should have petioned for that to happen Just like years ago when so many states changed their state flags. But this wasn't the time to take the focus off of Charleston and the way the strength and faith of her citizens has brought them together. And its not a good thing to take the blame from where it belonga and place it on a flag.

I think the flag came into focus because it was the one raise high when the others were lowered. If that hasn't been the case, I don't think we'd have the same focus on it.

 

[Muushka]

You know I have mixed feelings about this, believe or not, LOL Now as a black gal, it wouldn't be my first choice to have flying over a state capital but I think we are too "reactionary". So I hate to see it remove because evil found a new friend and he did this horrific thing.
And now the poor presidential candidates are being asked whether or not it should come down. I mean really, I can think of 50 other things I want to know.

I agree with you E. The focus was placed where it should not be and once again, a great 'gotcha' question. It gets old, doesn't it?

I would like to commend all those in South Carolina, specifically those in Charleston who have united to show our country how to respond to such a horrific event. This tragedy has drawn the people in Charleston together. The forgiveness shown by the families is amazing. Hats off to all of the people in the Charleston area that have come together. Although I have not seen it on the national news, I know that many churches that meet in downtown Charleston met on Sunday morning and walked together to Mother Emanuel AME church where they sang Amazing Grace outside the church. May this awful event draw our country together so that we see Americans instead of classifying people by race or religion. Maybe I am being naive but that is my hope.

Amen! (I may be naive also, but it is my hope too).

 

[christineann]

I love the South as much as anybody but have never felt strongly either way about the Confederate flag, and it is not our state flag anyway. It is true that many have misused the flag for misguided beliefs, but I don’t think that moving it into a museum marks the beginning of a slippery slope nor does it diminish anyone's heritage, whatever that may be. If you feel that we err by taking the flag down, so be it, but I would rather err on the side of compassion for our neighbors, whose pain we share though most of us may never feel the depth of that pain. Being compassionate does not mean you give up your principles or lose part of yourself.

 

[luvsJack]

But is removing it really anything other than a very small band aid? If that flag had never been there in the first place, would this not have happened? Will race relations be better because the flag is gone?

There are many ignorant racist in this world but thankfully few do what this kid did. What brought him to this?

Everytime there is a mass shooting, the focus has gone to the music the person listens to, the video games they play, and now a flag. Millions of people listen to the same music, play the same games and see the same flag and do not even remotely consider commiting these acts. When do we start focusing on finding the real issues?

I am not from that NC, removing the flag or not removing it doesn't affect me. And sadly I don't think it will have any effect on the next crazy person who decides to take a gun into a church, a school or a movie theater. And when it happens, what will we focus on then?

The people of Charleston have come together in this. They have prayed together, marched together and supported each other. They have been a wonderful example of what our world should be. And yet the rest of the country, including myself in this thread and even out country's leader, have focused on a flag.

9 people died at the hands of a 21 year old that either abused drugs or was taking them due to mental illness. Maybe, just maybe, our focus--after honoring the 9 and the city of Charleston-- should be on fixing that not slapping a very small band aid on a very big problem.

 

[sunshinehighway]

But is removing it really anything other than a very small band aid? If that flag had never been there in the first place, would this not have happened? Will race relations be better because the flag is gone?

There are many ignorant racist in this world but thankfully few do what this kid did. What brought him to this?

Everytime there is a mass shooting, the focus has gone to the music the person listens to, the video games they play, and now a flag. Millions of people listen to the same music, play the same games and see the same flag and do not even remotely consider commiting these acts. When do we start focusing on finding the real issues?

I am not from that NC, removing the flag or not removing it doesn't affect me. And sadly I don't think it will have any effect on the next crazy person who decides to take a gun into a church, a school or a movie theater. And when it happens, what will we focus on then?

The people of Charleston have come together in this. They have prayed together, marched together and supported each other. They have been a wonderful example of what our world should be. And yet the rest of the country, including myself in this thread and even out country's leader, have focused on a flag.

9 people died at the hands of a 21 year old that either abused drugs or was taking them due to mental illness. Maybe, just maybe, our focus--after honoring the 9 and the city of Charleston-- should be on fixing that not slapping a very small band aid on a very big problem.

I don't think anyone has said the flag made him to do.
Yes, taking it down would be a small band aid but it's symbolic of a new start at addressing bigger problems. You have to start somewhere and bring people together. The flag is a small thing in the grand scheme but there's a lot of symbolism and history that goes along with it.
When people pray together, march together, come together and then look up to see that flag which does represent negativity and separation to so many, it lessens the impact of people coming together.

 

[luvsJack]

I don't think anyone has said the flag made him to do.
Yes, taking it down would be a small band aid but it's symbolic of a new start at addressing bigger problems. You have to start somewhere and bring people together. The flag is a small thing in the grand scheme but there's a lot of symbolism and history that goes along with it.
When people pray together, march together, come together and then look up to see that flag which does represent negativity and separation to so many, it lessens the impact of people coming together.

The fact that they did all of that IN SPITE of the flag still flying tells me that it didn't lessen the impact of anything. They didn't do those things for you or me or anyone else in this nation. They did those things for their city and her citizens. If the flag flying didn't lessen THEIR ability to ban together, why should we let it influence us.

Maybe the time has come to remove the flag. But here is the thing, NOW was not the time to focus on it. NOW is the time to focus on the healing of Charleston, NOW is the time to focus of figuring out what is wrong with people. People are not shooting up businesses and theaters and schools and churches because of songs, video games or flags. When do we focus on finding out what the real problem is? When do we focus on mental health issues, drug addictions, etc? When do we stop finding something to blame and look inside ourselves and our society and find the culprit?

 

[okeydokey]

I think it fantastic that Charleston is working on healing rather than disintegrating. The killer was hoping to start a race war and "complete his mission" and he did just the opposite. Because of his action, positive things are happening in the community and hopefully, the country. For the most part, people are coming together in compassion. I hope he gets the news behind bars.

 

[sunshinehighway]

The fact that they did all of that IN SPITE of the flag still flying tells me that it didn't lessen the impact of anything. They didn't do those things for you or me or anyone else in this nation. They did those things for their city and her citizens. If the flag flying didn't lessen THEIR ability to ban together, why should we let it influence us.

Maybe the time has come to remove the flag. But here is the thing, NOW was not the time to focus on it. NOW is the time to focus on the healing of Charleston, NOW is the time to focus of figuring out what is wrong with people. People are not shooting up businesses and theaters and schools and churches because of songs, video games or flags. When do we focus on finding out what the real problem is? When do we focus on mental health issues, drug addictions, etc? When do we stop finding something to blame and look inside ourselves and our society and find the culprit?

What better way to help with the healing than removing something that symbolizes a past of negativity and separation? What better way to say "now we must really come together and change"?
The image of all the other flags being lowered except the one flag that represents so much negativity to many because it has such strict rules for it being lowered makes a statement. Clearly you don't see or understand that but that doesn't mean many others don't.

 

[Lisaloo]

Now has to be the time to focus on it because the media has made it a huge hot topic. It's either address it or be accused of insensitivity and racism. I have lived in SC for 40 years. Went to college in the Capitol city. Raised by white parents who marched in Mississippi to integrate schools. My family has lived in SC for generations, outside of the 30 years my dad served in the Army, and yes I have family members who fought for the confederacy. I also have family members who owned slaves and others who were sharecroppers. That flag doesn't represent me and needs to come off the Capitol grounds. I love personal liberties. Anyone who loves that flag should fly it proudly, on their property.

 

[christineann]

I agree, Luvsjack, and I don't want to see the acts of one evil person who represents no one around here politicized. No one is trying to take anyone's flag away, but it is not a state flag or an official flag, and a museum is the appropriate place for it. There are issues that need to be discussed, but at this time, we need to concentrate on the families and Emanuel. One of our US Representatives, Wendell Gilliard, produced PSA's a month or two ago with the message "If you see something, say something. If something concerns you, call the authorities." Hopefully this will be a wake up call - several knew Roof had a gun and said he was going to kill a large number of people, and it's hard to accept that this might have been avoided. I drive by Emanuel twice a day as I go to and from work, and it hurts. The people in this city are peace loving even in horrible times, and we take care of our neighbors and will continue to do so when the media finally leaves.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

You know I have mixed feelings about this, believe or not, LOL Now as a black gal, it wouldn't be my first choice to have flying over a state capital but I think we are too "reactionary". So I hate to see it remove because evil found a new friend and he did this horrific thing.
And now the poor presidential candidates are being asked whether or not it should come down. I mean really, I can think of 50 other things I want to know.

I'm disappointed that it took a heinous act and several deaths to finally get the ball rolling again on removing it. But I am not disappointed in the least that it is rolling and gaining momentum. And I'll not be disappointed in the least to see that thing removed from the grounds of the Capitol. That is if it actually happens.

 

[cabanafrau]

Anytime I hear this case mentioned now I keep hearing one of the mother's speaking at the bond hearing, I believe the mother of the youngest victim. I hear her describing how every fiber of her being hurts. My heart just goes to her, I cannot imagine the pain.

 

[CPT Tripss]

I found another good thing! SC is removing the Confederate Flag! Hopefully people won't find something else to argue about!

Has it been removed yet? Will it be flying while Rev. Pinckney lies in state in the Capitol?

 

[sunshinehighway]

Has it been removed yet? Will it be flying while Rev. Pinckney lies in state in the Capitol?

They can't just remove it because of the laws in place. The SC House has voted to put it's removal on the agenda when they meet in a few weeks.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/south-c...rate-flag-removal-after-charleston-shootings/