South Carolina church fire: The US is asking - 'Who is burning black churches?'

[drunkenshoe]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/who-is-burning-black-churches-twitter-outrage-grows-as-seventh-church-burns-down-in-10-days-10357670.html

Concerns are growing in the southern US over a spate of possible arson incidents at black churches in the wake of the South Carolina shooting.

Seven historically black churches have burned down in just 10 days across four southern states, after the Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal church was “gutted” by flames on Tuesday night.

It comes after Dylann Roof was accused of killing nine people in an attack on the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on 17 June. He has been charged with nine counts of murder and hate crimes.

The latest church burning came just nine hours after the NAACP issued a statement “alerting black churches to take necessary precautions”.

An unnamed source at the FBI, which has said it is investigating the spate of burnings, has since told the Associated Press that the Mount Zion fire was not believed to be arson.

Local officials also observed that the fire appeared to break out during storms and that the accidental burning of churches is not uncommon across the US.

But the FBI has said that at least two of the incidents in the past 10 days were clear cases of arson.

Although the cases have received significant coverage in mainstream US outlets coverage across, there has been anger that the level of interest in the story has not garnered enough attention.

The hashtag #WhoIsBurningBlackChurches, has received more than 150,000 mentions.

This is getting serious apparently. Any thoughts? At this rate this is something more than a simple hate crime, isn't it?

[Munch]

Racist south is racist. The whole thing is built around a culture that embraced slavery of black people and still carry those racist ideas today with several people, so when their flag was taken away from them, they showed their true colours.

Its the same shit as Isis members, cultist ideas spread to people, attack like feral animals to things they feel intimidated by. If it were just churches in general, it would be an attack on christianity (which though I love the idea of seeing a church go up in smoke I'd never want anyone going their ever harmed) but since its churches with black people attending, yeah, its aim is clearly racist.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

I'm a bit of two minds about this.  On one hand it's very suspicious and very well may be racist nonsense, but on the other hand it very well could be a handful of greedy pastors trying to cash in from insurance companies. If it's the latter it's not going to look good for the black community and if it's the former it's not going to look good for the racist asswipes. I'm always a bit cynical about churches and the money aspect of things and there's never any shortage of people willing to take advantage of others sorrows.

[Shiranu]

A friend of mine (Sky;walker, use to post here), shared someone else's thoughts on this...

[Mike Cl]

A friend of mine (Sky;walker, use to post here), shared someone else's thoughts on this...

This has been my thought about this for a long time.  Just because you don't see people in hoods anymore (or not much) does not mean the KKK isn't around.  It is very much alive and in every state, not just the south.  CA has big pockets of it near Tracy and Stockton.  The prisons are full of SWP'ers (Supreme White Power).  In my classroom it was not uncommon for guys to come through that had SWP tattooed somewhere visible.  (I'd often ask them if that meant small white penis--most became irate at that--not sure why. :)) Actually, I'm a little surprised that more violence has not broken out.

[kilodelta]

With only reading the subject... I must ask... wouldn't it be a black church after it was burnt?

[Johan]

With only reading the subject... I must ask... wouldn't it be a black church after it was burnt?

I'm usually up for an inappropriate laugh. Not this time though. Not funny. Not even a little. These events make me ashamed to be human.

[drunkenshoe]

This is domestic terrorism. Shouldn't be downplayed just to the common hate crime and racism of the American South. These are public structures with specific commuities.

What is going to happen if it escalates? Next step is burning them while people in it.

[Atheon]

Yes, this is racially fueled terrorism.

Why weren't cops patrolling the churches?

[drunkenshoe]

Why weren't cops patrolling the churches?

I was thinking the same.

Not trying to take more media attention? Or not to cause panic? It would also make the perpetrators more vigilant? I don't know. They have to do something about asap though.

[Mike Cl]

This is domestic terrorism. Shouldn't be downplayed just to the common hate crime and racism of the American South. These are public structures with specific commuities.

What is going to happen if it escalates? Next step is burning them while people in it.

Yes, this is domestic terrorism.  But it is also business as usual.  The entire 'Jim Crow' era was domestic terrorism.  It was/is used to keep the 'darkies' in their place.  It is far from dead.

[Mermaid]

I read an article online that claims these were all natural disasters--lightning strikes, and that people are jumping on that to promote their agenda. Yes, really.

[aitm]

With only reading the subject... I must ask... wouldn't it be a black church after it was burnt?

I snorted.

[drunkenshoe]

I read an article online that claims these were all natural disasters--lightning strikes, and that people are jumping on that to promote their agenda. Yes, really.

Not surprising. Very soon somebody could claim that god is punishing them because of legalising marriage.