Charleston church massacre...

[frugallegemom]

The right to bear arms in the United States is a joke. I'm not saying people can't own guns. But really does it have to be a constitutional "right"? I also think some people are more uncomfortable talking about racism or acknowledging its existence than they are bearing witness to the destruction it causes. Some people will find away to deny, excuse, find fault, minimize or deflect blame to avoid the issue regardless. Racism hurts. And far too often as we see in the US, racism kills. Burying heads won't make it go away.

I also think that a lot of the time, honest discussions don't happen or are impeded because people are afraid there will be punishment if we talk about it and are found at fault. We're so used to a punitive system of dealing with injustice. Someone does something wrong - they get punished - they get fired, go to jail, pay a fine, get evicted, get sued, are socially shamed etc. So I think pain avoidance in terms of punishment - whether they fear having to pay reparations, give different rights to some, give up some rights or whatever... is a big part of the problem behind why it seems it's impossible to have an honest and productive discussion about racism. I don't think society - especially Americans are ready to grasp or adopt a different scheme such as restorative justice which is much more about healing each other and understanding each other than it is about doling our fines, fees or sentences for a wrong. It's a shame because I think it's the real solution for healing, not reparations, punishments, affirmative actions, etc. those to me are bandaid solutions that also inspire jealousy or a sense of injustice (adding to the problem) on the other side.

I know it's not easy to implement but I do not think it's impossible. Healing discussions, finding understanding, and common ground and coming up with solutions to prevent conflict from happening again is something we all do in our day-to-day lives to mend bridges with friends, family or spouses. I just think it needs to be done on a grander scale.

AND AMERICA: Stop handing out guns to every wackadoo with a photo I.D.! We do not have as many of these shooting incidences in Canada, even if you adjust for population disparity.

[Lynn49]

A pastor on CNN said that if the shooter was planning a "white on black" war to erupt, he had the opposite effect; Charleston has come together in peace, love and forgiveness instead!

The icing on his cake will hopefully be the removal of his beloved confederate flag from his state!
I applaud Walmart, Sears, KMart and Amazon for removing everything with that emblem from their stock. Good on them!

I can't remember how many other states have the southern cross on their state flags, but they may not be long for this new world, continuing with Mississippi.
So terribly sad it has to take such a tragedy to open closed eyes and minds.....

[Natalka]

Very proud of a retailer here in Saskatoon - she pulled the flags from her store right after it happened. Now the Flag Shop chain across Canada has followed her lead.

Glad to know other stores have done it as well.

But it is true that so many who buy them here just do it for the Dukes of Hazzard reasons, and don't know the historical background.

[abbasgirl]

Natalka, I grew up watching the Dukes of Hazzard. During a difficult time in my early 20s, I saw the flag on display at a fair and bought it because it reminded me of the show and it cheered me up. I was mortified when my sister explained to me what the flag actually stood for! I really had no idea!
It is really a good thing after all this time that they are talking about taking it down.

[wolfwoman]

I agree about the Wackadoo's getting guns. We have guns up the wazoo and don't have as many of these incidents here. I think that is why we are so shocked when it does happen. It seems ( at least to me) that there is so much violence in the USA that Americans are becoming somewhat numb to it.

[Darth Penguin]

Shooter given death penalty

A white supremacist has been sentenced to death for the racially motivated killings of nine black people at a South Carolina church.
Shooter was convicted last month of 33 federal charges, including hate crimes, after opening fire on a Bible study group in 2015.

He remained unrepentant and had told the jury: "I felt like I had to do it and I still feel like I had to do it."
The jurors deliberated for nearly three hours before reaching their verdict.
The massacre shocked the nation and reignited a debate about race relations and the flying of the Confederate flag.
Shooter told police he wanted to start a race war and he was photographed holding the battle flag, which to many is a symbol of hate.

The tragedy led to the flag being removed from the South Carolina statehouse, where it had flown for 50 years.
Earlier on Tuesday, Shooter addressed the jury, saying: "I don't know what good it would do anyway" if they spared his life.

The judge will issue a formal sentence on Wednesday morning.
After the sentence was announced, the 22-year-old killer stood and requested to be appointed new lawyers and to file for a retrial.
US District Judge Richard Gergel replied that he was "strongly disinclined" and instructed Roof to think about it overnight.
Nearly two dozen friends and relatives of those gunned down at the Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston testified during the sentencing phase about how Shooter's crimes have affected their lives.

But none of them had appealed to the jury to return a death sentence.