Like America, he said, it was about freedom. “Freedom to worship … freedom to be all God intends you to be,” he said. “Sometimes you gotta make noise to do that.  – Rev Clementa Pinckney

USA  Charleston Terrorist, Dylann Roof, Attack Claim Nine Victims

Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston was the scene of a terror attack as a white gunman opened fire, killing nine people in the church, and sparing one woman  to spread the word of terror.

According to the Daily Mail, eight victims died at the scene and one in the hospital. A smart five year old girl pretended to be dead and luckily survived the attack.

The suspect (terrorist) is described as a clean-shaven, 21-year-old white male and is believed to be wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and Timberland boots.

Mother Emanuel, as Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church is called in the community, is the home to the oldest black congregation south of Baltimore.

The historical Black AME church is tied to the history of the American South since the early 1800s. From slave revolts to the civil rights movements to present day police brutality.

In 1969, civil rights activist Coretta Scott King, wife of Dr. King, led a protest to the church; 900 were arrested by the national guard.

In 1962 the civil rights leader, Reverend Martin Luther King, gave the famous speech to vote.

In 1909 even the legendary African-American leader Booker T Washington spoke there.

During the 1861-65 Civil War, it was a secret meeting place for many southern black organizers.

Mother Emanuel’s pastor, State Senator Clementa Pinckney, was among the victims of this hate crime / terrorist attack on black lives by white men.

Sen. Pinckney, 41, a married father of two, had actually counseled the family of Walter Scott. The reader will remember Mr. Scott was murdered by Officer Michael Slager (on April 4th) as he was pulled over for a missing tailgate light.

{Victims of the Charleston Terrorist Attack}

President Obama  stated he and his wife knew all the members of the Emanuel congregation well, including Sen. Pinckney.

For nearly an hour, Dylann Storm Roof (a 21 year old white male supremacist) was inside the AME church. Watching his victims before killing “six [black] females and three [black] males at a prayer meeting”, Police Chief Greg Mullen said. (6)

A childhood friend of Roof alerted the the FBI. Police found Dylann’s car in Shelby, North Carolina, where Roof was arrested without physical harm. It is unclear if he was armed at the time of his arrest.  However, the police did not fear or feel threatened. Compare with when they confront unarmed young black men.

Family and friends of the shooter had this to say:

“I don’t know what was going through his head,” Kozny said. “He was a really sweet kid. He was quiet. He only had a few friends.”

Roof, however, had been to jail: State court records show a pending felony drug case against him, plus a past misdemeanour trespassing charge. He also displayed a deliberately offensive Confederate flag on his license plate.

Traditional media downplayed this as a possible hate crime, instead of calling it what it is (a terror attack). Roof knew what he was doing and let one woman go to spread the word.

This case highlights the disparities in treatment of white versus black suspects. Two white suspects apprehended for the murdering of 9 people, were arrested without the use of excessive force. The cops did not fear for their lives.

If this had been a Catholic Church where a Muslim gunman murdered 9 white people, including a priest or congressman, this would be a called a terrorist attack without a doubt. Just look at the case of the Boston Marathon.

Hate Crime vs Terrorism

Are black people now forbidden to pray?
We are not allowed negativity or anger.
Where is the positive in being murdered while praying to God?

Self-harm is frowned upon because it deprives cops of income and target practice. Medical treatment is likely to be inferior and lead to more harm, as many black people already receive poor medical care.

Residents of Charleston, and black people all over the US, are living in fear of police officers and now any white male.

What can African-Americans do, as fear builds among the black community?

Why is this a hate crime, not a terrorist attack? Why was the Boston Marathon attack a terrorist attack and not a hate crime? Is the word terrorism reserved for those of Muslim heritage?

Didn’t the Holocaust start something like that?

Definitions:

“In both crime and law, hate crime (also known as bias-motivated crime) is a usually violent, prejudice motivated crime that occurs when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_crime

“Terrorism is commonly defined as violent acts (or the threat of violent acts) intended to create fear (terror), perpetrated for an economic,[1] religious, political, or ideological goal, and which deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants (e.g., neutral military personnel or civilians). Another common definition sees terrorism as political, ideological or religious violence by non-state actors.”

“In the international community, terrorism has no legally binding, criminal-law definition.[5][6]”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism

Image Source:  The Daily Mail (1)

These Are The Victims Of The Charleston Church Shooting

Nine people were killed Wednesday night when a shooter opened fire at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina during a prayer meeting. This post will be updated as victims are identified.

posted on Jun. 18, 2015, at 11:57 a.m.