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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSilence 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 countrys steep investment in white supremacy and white innocence underlines Clarkes 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.
Lets 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.
Omaha Steve
(99,817 posts)malaise
(269,237 posts)Rec
RockaFowler
(7,429 posts)It's almost like they can't wait to say that it's not arson. Nothing to see here
lets get this out there, WTF is wrong with people?
Yo_Mama
(8,303 posts)The federal law enforcement team of ATF, FBI, the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorneys Offices are actively investigating several church fires across five states that have occurred over the past two weeks. Preliminary investigations indicate that two of the fires were started by natural causes and one was the result of an electrical fire. All of the fires remain under active investigation and federal law enforcement continues to work to determine the cause of all of the fires. To date the investigations have not revealed any potential links between the fires.
If in fact there is evidence to support hate crime charges in any one of these cases, the FBI, in coordination with the ATF and local authorities, will work closely with the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorneys Offices to bring those forward.
Indydem
(2,642 posts)When the culprit is God himself and faulty wiring?
But seriously, it was a stormy week. People need to quit trying to whip up further tensions between races over events which are terrible enough on their own.
Yo_Mama
(8,303 posts)JackInGreen
(2,975 posts)and SPREAD.
raouldukelives
(5,178 posts)I'm a broken record but it is all trickle down. All the racism, new Jim Crow laws, redistricting, even Dylan Roof.
There is a lot of old, dirty money in corporate America. With a long lineage of hate attached to it.
When one increases the wealth of a Trump or a Dimon, one is increasing the volume of racism.
I've been shocked at the silence.
Babel_17
(5,400 posts)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.
jaysunb
(11,856 posts)There is nothing new about it other than near instant reporting.
Mother Emanuel AME itself has been burned down.
eridani
(51,907 posts)Not that rooting out the effects of generations of oppression is going to be easy, but let's use what we have.