Note: This article has nothing to do with Peace Corps, my life after, or my experiences. This was a posting I wrote mainly for myself, because I needed to get these thoughts out, to vent, to make my feelings and thoughts known. This may seem a bit disjointed, as I touch on a variety of topics. If you don't like "leftist" opinions, like Rush Limbaugh, support the Confederate Flag, don't support gay people, hold attitudes about Muslims being terrorists, or similar positions, please skip this post.
Some thoughts on what happened in Charleston. A lot of people are criticizing "the left" for turning this tragedy into a political conversation about guns. You know why? Because that conversation NEEDS to happen. A real conversation, with no options off the table, because violence in this country has gotten out of hand.
Many have made statements about the disparity between the arrest of this man and the arrests of blacks. Eric Garner's arrest for selling loose cigarettes has been especially highlighted. I will say no more, because that is not the issue here, other than it touches on the race issues I will speak to soon. But keep in mind that a black man selling cigarettes was killed by cops because they felt the need to use force in arresting him, while no force was needed to arrest a man who had opened fire on a church. Think about that.
I've heard/read a lot of people asking about the shooter's mental health. Some have even implied that's relevant to whether this was a hate crime. Yes, we are in dire need of a national conversation on mental illness and how we treat, stigmatize, and handle it. And yes, this is a good time to have that discussion (a better time would've been years ago). However, there is no question about his mental health. ANYONE who can do something like this, killing another human being in cold blood, anyone who can have as much hate in their hearts, as this man did, is mentally ill.
HOWEVER, that doesn't make this any less of a hate crime. This doesn't make this any less of an act of terrorism. We have a problem with racism in this country. I'm all for freedom of speech, but NO government building should be allowed to fly the Confederate flag. It is not a symbol of "southern pride," it is a symbol of racism. Plain and simple, no exceptions. Yes, I get that it represents certain traditions. Those traditions are racism, slavery, and treason. If you want to fly it at home, in your car, wherever, that's one thing. But it should be banned in all government building in the United States. It would be like someone in Luderitz flying the apartheid-era flag of South Africa outside their town council building. No, I will not show respect for your decision to fly it in private. I respect your right to do so, but not your decision to, and not the person who would do so. Senator Graham, you are full of crap for implying this flag has even one positive association. Don't give the people a choice, get rid of it. Stop defending it, get rid of it. It's part of our past. It has no business being part of our present, much less our future.
Then, you have people like Santorum, saying it was an attack on religious freedom. No, it was not, and you should be ashamed of yourself for even entertaining the thought of tying this to your phony "War on Christians" in America, a fake example of an attempt to oppress Christians. This was an act of racism, plain and simple. This man was a Christian. Yes, I know the common thread.
When you try to counter neocon claims about Muslims and terrorism with examples of Christian terrorism, they respond with "no true Christians..." It's a logical fallacy. It's a load of crap. Christians, like anyone else, are capable of doing horrible things. That said, this man's (yes, I know his name, but I refuse to use it, because I feel that would show him more respect than he deserves) actions do not reflect on Christianity, any more than the men who shot up Charlie Hebdo represent my Muslim brother and Muslim childhood neighbor and the millions of wonderful Muslims out there.
I am not a perfect man. I recognize I have my own prejudices and bigotry. And I work to change that about myself. As a country, the first step towards fixing the problem of hate crimes is admitting they exist. Admit that racism is not a thing of the past. Admit that rhetoric towards Muslims has spurned violence against Muslims, Sikhs, etc. And, when we hear it, SAY SOMETHING. Don't just pass it off as a little thing, because it's the little things that build up into these build things. If you hear someone refer to blacks as "niggers," say something. If you hear a friend referring to "fags," say something. If you see people harassing Muslims outside a Mosque, don't just keep walking, don't just write it off as a demonstration of freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences, freedom of criticism, or freedom from being corrected. Don't let it slide. Yes, Rush, your rhetoric absolutely was complicit in the death of George Tiller, and blood is on his hands. Just like the blood is on the hands of all of us who witness little acts of racism and let the hatred slide.
With that said, I often take issue with people who expect all Muslims to apologize for every act of terrorism committed by Muslims. Just like I don't expect all Christians to apologize for Christian terrorism, like the Army of God. Likewise, I don't expect all white people to apologize for this and more than I apologize for the KKK existing. That being said, to the victims of this attack, I am truly sorry. Not because I'm white. Not because I feel like there is anything I could've done to prevent this, having never met the man. Not because I feel sorry for you (I do, but that's not why I am apologizing now). The reason I am sorry is I have witnessed acts of bigotry. I have heard people express hatred of blacks and other groups. And I have let it slide. And for that, I feel I, and all Americans, owe you an apology, for we all have blood on our hands, in that regard.
Look, I'm biased here. I realize that.
And, full disclosure, recent incidents of a personal attachment have made the issue of hate crimes a very touchy subject for me. No, you don't have a right to be racist without criticism. No, being Christian doesn't make you homophobia any more okay. No, I will not tolerate your intolerance. It does not go both ways. Intolerance is only going one direction, and only that side has an obligation to become more tolerant. Tolerance of other people and tolerance of intolerance are not comparable. So keep you "tolerance goes both ways" to yourself, keep your bigotry to yourself, or deal with the fact that you will have to deal with the fact that you will have to suffer through my telling you how wrong you are and why.
America, I know nothing will come of this. Nothing has come of the police brutality issue, nothing has come of past mass killings, nothing has come of past hate crimes, at least in terms of trying to prevent them. And, I have no doubt in a few weeks, we'll all have moved on from this. So please, even if we're not going to do what we need to, for those of you reading this, I ask you to do the following act: if you have children, love them and teach them to love others. If you experience racism in the course of your life, say something. Go out of your way to interact with people who look different from you, worship in a different way than you, and think differently than you. And hold people accountable for the continued refusal to act. Maybe then I can be proved wrong by this country.
Finally, there is one more thing I ask: call this act what it is. It's not a "tragedy." This man was not a "lone wolf." This is not an issue of mental illness. This was an act of terrorism. He is a terrorist. This was a hate crime. He was a racist. Yes, white people can be terrorists. Hate is still real. Once we admit that, we can start to change that. I could go on and on, and will do so, most likely, in other formats (like, in actual conversations). However, I am preparing to make an important announcement about my future in the coming days, so I will stop there before I risk burning any bridges. These are my thoughts, my opinions, and I felt I needed to say something. Thank you for reading. Expected a lighter toned posting in the coming days. And, I say this almost out of desperation at this point, God bless America as we work to heal.
