The terrorism the US is turning a blind eye to

[Lite Beer]

EDITORIAL
The terrorism the US is turning a blind eye to
The Nation June 21, 2015 1:00 am

WASHINGTON: -- The killing of nine black people in a historic church is symptomatic of a deeper malaise that needs to be addressed

Last week, a 21-year-old white male walked into a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina and shot dead nine people attending an evening Bible study.

The young man, Dylann Storm Roof, was caught not long after the incident. He confessed to the killings of the nine African-American in an act that the local police chief classified as "hate crime".

But as it became clearer that Roof was a white supremacist who embraced a racist ideology - and who reportedly told his friends that he wanted to kill enough black people

to start a race war in America - many people are wondering why law enforcement officials were still sticking to

the same word and not calling the act what it is - domestic terrorism.

The NAACP, or the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People, went further and called the Charleston massacre, "an act of racial terrorism".

The target that Roof had chosen was historic and a symbol of the black community in America. The sanctity of the place should not be overlooked either.

As President Barack Obama said in his statement on Thursday, this was "more than a church. This is a place of worship that was founded by African Americans seeking liberty. This is a church that was burned to the ground because its worshipers worked to end slavery."

Like other terrorist targets, this one wasn't personal. Roof didn't need to have an issue with any of the victims to kill them.

Murdering the nine black churchgoers was a way of working towards his hideous socio-political goal - a race war that would purify America and cleanse it from the unwanted "others".

He accused the blacks of raping "our women" and "taking over our country" and therefore "you have to go".

His fashion statement also speaks for itself: He wore the flags of apartheid Rhodesia and South Africa.

Roof's motivation aside, the killing placed a spotlight on what the Daily Show's Jon Stewart called "gaping racial wound that will not heal, but we pretend doesn't exist."

Stewart added that he is convinced that "we still won't do jack sh*t", although America will do whatever it takes to fight the so-called War on Terror.

A number of commentators also wondered out loud if the label "terrorism" is reserved for violent crime committed by Muslims, pointing out the inconsistency in how the media reported on violent incidents, especially when it involved non-white people.

Needless to say, terrorism as a label risks becoming a racist insult if it continues to be used frivolously. In other words, if the basic criteria apply, then we should be not shy to call a spade a spade.

Imagine if the Charleston killing was carried out by a Muslim shouting "Allah hu Akbar" as he shot those people one by one, it would fit neatly with the current narrative that Muslims, in or outside the US, are prone to violence and cannot be trusted.

Counting the nine victims in the Charleston massacre, according to the New America Foundation, extremist right wing and anti-government racists have killed 48 people in the United States since September 11, 2001, while jihadist terrorist attacks in the US have claimed 26 lives during the same period.

Since 9/11, the US has found itself in two drawn out ground wars in the name of global war on terrorism. As a result, the debate on what constitutes terrorism has become a contested notion.

But along the way, this contested notion has conveniently linked Islam to terrorism. The country's racial prejudices permit this kind of discourse.

But the use of violence as a political tool against civilian targets has been around long before 9/11.

If we believe that such a political tool does not adhere to any particular race or religion, then we must ask the question that can get to the root of this and other racially motivated violence.

Where and why did Roof learn to hate black people so much?

Or Americans could slide back to their comfortable position and dismiss him as a disturbed lone wolf, who is not a manifestation of current and past racism.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/The-terrorism-the-US-is-turning-a-blind-eye-to-30262764.html

-- The Nation 2015-06-21

[Pimay1]

many people are wondering why law enforcement officials were still sticking to the same word and not calling the act what it is - domestic terrorism.

Of course it is domestic terrorism. But it is quite disingenuous of the Nation to piously point the finger at the US when many people are wondering why the Thai law enforcement officials will not call what is happening in South Thailand domestic terrorism. First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly how to remove the speck out of others' eyes.

[HeijoshinCool]

You know nothing about my country or its people.

Racism and prejudice are not endemic in the American people, the vast majority of whom are tolerant, if not loving.

Racism and hate is screamed from the rooftops, however, by our divisive government spokespersons, including the President, and very much so by western media, permeating both the journalistic and "entertainment" industries like the stench of rotted flesh on cloth. These people are the ones who are deliberately, methodically, seeking to incite us to hate each other, and so to commit violence against each other.

Either you have been brainwashed, or you know this, and are too trying to brainwash the masses.

[ezzra]

I wonder though, what will happened if the 9 dead people would have been white people

at a restaurant, would the story be as big had there were no racial and religious undertone

to it? would they still call it terrorism or hate crime? can a white man be accused of hate

crime killing his own kind?

In the US now day, everything is about race, even if it has nothing to do with race, some

one will find a way to connect it and make a big noise out of it, for fame, money, influence

or just to be seem relevant, would it ever change and be better? Never...as there always

will be powerful people who will not let peace be....

[sdanielmcev]

Let's not talk about black on white crime. Another farcical article design for sensationalism only..

[ABCer]

I wonder though, what will happened if the 9 dead people would have been white people

at a restaurant, would the story be as big had there were no racial and religious undertone

to it? would they still call it terrorism or hate crime? can a white man be accused of hate

crime killing his own kind?

In the US now day, everything is about race, even if it has nothing to do with race, some

one will find a way to connect it and make a big noise out of it, for fame, money, influence

or just to be seem relevant, would it ever change and be better? Never...as there always

will be powerful people who will not let peace be....

It is a Hate Crime of enormous proportions. This Storm in a 'shiit drum' is a poor excuse for a human being and must be put to death.

If his Lawyers cum twisted mind Judges will not do this - the Americans will have exactly what this disturbed nut said he wanted.

As to bar stool academicians trying to give the event a 'correct' name - first define your understanding of the word 'terrorism'.

It may be a terrorist act or it might not. What is the difference? Kill him!

And finally, ezzra, I would like to say what I wanted to say from the first publication of the news of this crime:

I am very happy about the directness of the very first article, calling a spade by its proper name: white young man killing 9 black people in a church for blacks.

Clean cut and clear.

I am very annoyed about the lack of similar directness in numerous articles describing violent crimes when the perpetrators are blacks or Muslims.

[copa8]

Let's not talk about black on white crime. Another farcical article design for sensationalism only..

Or black on Asian crime. http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/asian-women-hit-face-separate-incidents-nypd-article-1.2257689

"Police aren’t currently investigating the alleged senseless street attacks as hate crimes..."

I bet had the victims been all black and the perp white (or Asian or Hispanic) it would be a hate crime.

Edited June 21, 2015 by copa8

[pmarlin]

I have encountered more racialism right here in Thailand than I ever have seen in America. People kill people for what ever reasons all over the world. Some pretty bad example right here in this country. Mass graves in the south., etc. Double pricing. cops targeting westerners and more.

Edited June 21, 2015 by pmarlin

[Pimay1]

You know nothing about my country or its people.

Racism and prejudice are not endemic in the American people, the vast majority of whom are tolerant, if not loving.

Racism and hate is screamed from the rooftops, however, by our divisive government spokespersons, including the President, and very much so by western media, permeating both the journalistic and "entertainment" industries like the stench of rotted flesh on cloth. These people are the ones who are deliberately, methodically, seeking to incite us to hate each other, and so to commit violence against each other.

Either you have been brainwashed, or you know this, and are too trying to brainwash the masses.

Excellent post. A man of refreshing candor. Thank you.

[Merzik]

Where did Roof learn to hate blacks?

He looks like an effeminate, metrosexual loser. No doubt he was bullied and had many negative experiences with blacks ; none of which justify this heinous crime however.

[Merzik]

ThIs is the real racist crime wave that is possibly driving America to a race war.

https://vimeo.com/64279317

[Anthony5]

You know nothing about my country or its people.

Racism and prejudice are not endemic in the American people, the vast majority of whom are tolerant, if not loving.

Racism and hate is screamed from the rooftops, however, by our divisive government spokespersons, including the President, and very much so by western media, permeating both the journalistic and "entertainment" industries like the stench of rotted flesh on cloth. These people are the ones who are deliberately, methodically, seeking to incite us to hate each other, and so to commit violence against each other.

Either you have been brainwashed, or you know this, and are too trying to brainwash the masses.

So I take it that what I read about slavery and the Ku klux Klan is all in the imagination of some writers.

[Robby nz]

I wondered how the author got from this terrible crime of a white killing blacks in a church to Islam.

If there was to be some balance on calling this urban terrorism surely the topic of black on white killings should be shown and given the same title.

Not to say that either is acceptable, but there would appear to be enough evidence of hate from all sides to address it as one.

To say that hate crime against blacks by a small minority of whites should be addressed while ignoring the small minority of blacks who commit hate crime against whites would only be dealing with half the problem.

Other random killings such as school shootings where there is no race involved also need to be included.

Those who are in positions of authority or influence who use such crimes to their own advantage and to stir even more hate also need to be tackled.

[Seastallion]

'Terrorism" is word bandied around far too much.

It was not terrorism, it was hate and it was an attempt to start trouble based on hate.

the FBI's definition; "Domestic terrorism" means activities with the following three characteristics:

• Involve acts dangerous to human life that violate federal or state law;
• Appear intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination. or kidnapping; and
• Occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the U.S."

At a stretch, Roof was intending to coerce the population into fighting each, but that's a long stretch of the definition.

By getting the incident defined as "terrorism", more laws and more public emotions can be invoked/evoked.

[bobmac10]

I wonder though, what will happened if the 9 dead people would have been white people

at a restaurant, would the story be as big had there were no racial and religious undertone

to it? would they still call it terrorism or hate crime? can a white man be accused of hate

crime killing his own kind?

In the US now day, everything is about race, even if it has nothing to do with race, some

one will find a way to connect it and make a big noise out of it, for fame, money, influence

or just to be seem relevant, would it ever change and be better? Never...as there always

will be powerful people who will not let peace be....

I'm sorry sir, but you are an idiot.

Can't you comprehend what you read?

Of course it was a hate crime because the shooter stated that he wanted to start a race war by deliberately targeting this church with a black congregation.

He identified with white supremacists, he identified with historical white racist governments.

This is the very definition of a hate crime

There can be no other interpretation.

[winstonc]

well if you have a backward country saying ..its my right to bear arms or what ever what do you expect..only losers need guns..oh and the police/military..

[MaxYakov]

There is not an agreed-upon definition of "terrorism", and this Wiki Entry on the Definition of Terrorism explains why.

I believe the primary goal of terrorism is to effectively "terrorize" or to create a "state of terror" in all or a specific group of people. Did Dylann Roof's mass assassination achieve the goal of creating a "state of terror"? I don't believe so, for many reasons. I don't think that was his intent by his very actions in selecting the victims, the location and perpetrating the assassinations and afterwards. I don't believe many people felt "terrorized" by this individual or his obviously outrageous killings.

Reportedly, his goal was not to terrorize, but to foment a "race war" by inciting a "revenge" backlash from the black community. It's easy to see how Mr. Roof might have believed that might have occurred given the black outrage and resulting violence at the deaths of only two black individuals in Ferguson and Baltimore.

Dylann Roof might have believed, as did Charles Mansion, that what I am calling "outrage assassinations" or "outrage killings", if one prefers, would foment a race war. They were obviously wrong in this belief, but they were delusional individuals with probably a long list of mental disorders, the primary one, IMHO, psychopathy.

A discussion of why it would or would not be easy or even possible to incite a "War Between the Races" in the USA would be interesting.

While I'm on the subject of "outrage assassinations/killings", we might ask the question of what's up with the public beheadings of Westerners by ISIS executioners. I see these as having the dual goals of "outrage" and "terror". But discussion of that strategy by ISIS would be off-topic and too illogical even for me.

Edited June 21, 2015 by MaxYakov

[pmarlin]

You know nothing about my country or its people.

Racism and prejudice are not endemic in the American people, the vast majority of whom are tolerant, if not loving.

Racism and hate is screamed from the rooftops, however, by our divisive government spokespersons, including the President, and very much so by western media, permeating both the journalistic and "entertainment" industries like the stench of rotted flesh on cloth. These people are the ones who are deliberately, methodically, seeking to incite us to hate each other, and so to commit violence against each other.

Either you have been brainwashed, or you know this, and are too trying to brainwash the masses.

So I take it that what I read about slavery and the Ku klux Klan is all in the imagination of some writers.

Europeans introduced slavery in the Americas long before their was a United States. You forgot to mention the Black Painters or the fact England was an ally to south during the civil war or the centuries of servitude in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world and in some places still going on.

[JDGRUEN]

Roof is mentally disturbed complicated by mind altering drugs and represents nothing in the way of a trend to domestic terrorism ... The article is a political hit piece to add to the Democrat campaign for 2016 ... DAMN WHITE PEOPLE despite the daily killings by Black on Black in Baltimore MD, Ferguson MO. and Chicago IL... that in ONE weekend has triple the murders of what happened in Charleston. SC.

Just a sensationalist piece of political rhetoric is all the article is ... There is no trend of white domestic terrorism -- only white guys who are mentally ill and on psychotropic drugs and have deranged views and act on them ... most in the past few years are liberal Democrats.

Those TVF posters on this Topic Thread who are parroting the American Liberal-Left narrative on this tragic event in Charleston are strongly implying that being a racist equates to being or becoming a killer... There are all kinds of racist in America, White racists, Black racists, Asian Racists, Hispanic Racists... some are even avowed supremacist. The vast majority of racists in America (around 99%) do not resort to killing the objects of their hate. Even the New Black Panthers who from time to time openly threaten to kill white people - seldom attempt it. Recent exception the New Black Panthers recently arrested in St. Louis for the planting of bombs - or the conspiracy to do so related to the Ferguson event.

There is little doubt that this Roof guy is a full blow racist. He got deep into racism because of his weak ego and his mind's potential to be delusional. Being a nutcase nobody Roof latched on to something that he could share with others in secret - sometimes in the open ... This made him important (in his own mind) - he became part of a group - on line anyway... Roof is a self sorrifull empty headed guys who actually ACT OUT and kill are loony - have certifiable mental health issues -- they are on prescribed drugs to curb their warped ideations. Sometimes their badly wired brain does not do well on the medications ... In Roof's case his hate becomes an obsession. Roof wanted to be important -- wanted to be accepted into a group -- for the first time in his life. Drug mixes often work the same as alcohol to lower inhibitions - and drive disjointed obsessive thoughts. Somewhere in all this Roof's miss-wired brain he felt he had to show he could do it ... he had to prove himself - he had to act. Roof's story line and behavior mirrors the actions of the other mass killers of recent vintage.

The Liberal-Leftist narrative just wants to exercise a political opportunity to focus on Gun Control (hardly a surprise - if a bit ill timed and callus). The Liberal-Left want to label the perp JUST a racist - as racist as sane and akin ALL OTHER RIGHT WINGERS and Conservatives in general.... Labeling Roof as an insane - drugged deranged idiot with racist beliefs is not good enough. This is the narrative of the President of the U.S. in his recent ill advised speech on this sad sad tragedy.

[Anthony5]

You know nothing about my country or its people.

Racism and prejudice are not endemic in the American people, the vast majority of whom are tolerant, if not loving.

Racism and hate is screamed from the rooftops, however, by our divisive government spokespersons, including the President, and very much so by western media, permeating both the journalistic and "entertainment" industries like the stench of rotted flesh on cloth. These people are the ones who are deliberately, methodically, seeking to incite us to hate each other, and so to commit violence against each other.

Either you have been brainwashed, or you know this, and are too trying to brainwash the masses.

So I take it that what I read about slavery and the Ku klux Klan is all in the imagination of some writers.

Europeans introduced slavery in the Americas long before their was a United States. You forgot to mention the Black Painters or the fact England was an ally to south during the civil war or the centuries of servitude in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world and in some places still going on.

The US is founded by Europeans, does that mean you can blame the Europeans for everything that happens IN the US long time after the English left?

https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=History_of_slavery#Slavery_in_American_colonial_law

The severe dislocations of war and Reconstruction had a severe negative impact on the black population, with a large amount of sickness and death.^[190][191] After liberation, many of the Freedmen remained on the same plantation. Others fled or crowded into refugee camps operated by the Freedmen's Bureau. The Bureau provided food, housing, clothing, medical care, church services, some schooling, legal support, and arranged for labor contracts.^[192] Fierce debates about the rights of the Freedmen, and of the defeated Confederates, often accompanied by killings of black leaders, marked the Reconstruction Era, 1863-77.^[193]

Slavery was never reestablished, but after 1877, conservative whites took control of all the southern states and blacks lost nearly all the political power they had achieved during Reconstruction. By 1900 they also lost the right to vote. They had become second class citizens. The great majority lived in the rural South in poverty working as laborers, sharecroppers or tenant farmers; a small proportion owned their own land. The black churches, especially the Baptist Church, was the center of community activity and leadership.^[194]

Edited June 21, 2015 by Anthony5

[MaxYakov]

'Terrorism" is word bandied around far too much.

It was not terrorism, it was hate and it was an attempt to start trouble based on hate.

the FBI's definition; "Domestic terrorism" means activities with the following three characteristics:

• Involve acts dangerous to human life that violate federal or state law;
• Appear intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination. or kidnapping; and
• Occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the U.S."

At a stretch, Roof was intending to coerce the population into fighting each, but that's a long stretch of the definition.

By getting the incident defined as "terrorism", more laws and more public emotions can be invoked/evoked.

I agree.

The deficiency with "coerce/coercion" is that it implies that it must occur over a period of time, perpetrated probably by multiple individuals or a group with multiple incidents (with the probability of future incidents) and it must be effective. If an individual perpetrator who is not part of a group gets apprehended the next day that's not going to do it, in my mind. A "one-time" attempt at coercion doesn't do it for me, anyway.

Edited June 21, 2015 by MaxYakov

[maderaroja]

In my personal experience, and there are many instances of such, the blacks in the United States exercise just as much extreme racism and any other ethnic group, and it is just as disgusting and distasteful, regardless of which group practices it.

[oneday]

"...The terrorism the US is turning a blind eye to..."

This implies police or someone knew this was going to happen and turned a blind eye. Total complete BS.

A sick man (and there are many) did a very sick thing for sick reasons. There are sick people all over the world. It's unfortunate that the US seems to have more than their fair share of sickos which hate all kinds of people and things, but it's not symptomatic of anything other than there are sick people in the world. Sick people have done much worse throughout history. Did people run around trying to put a nice neat slick label on it. Whoever wrote this article has their head up their...you-know-what.

"...The NAACP...went further and called the Charleston massacre, "an act of racial terrorism"..."

Should we call the massive deaths of school children resulting from school shootings "school children terrorism". No, it's just more sick people doing very sick things.

Is a nice neat slick label really going to make it all better? I guess the NAACP thinks it will or maybe it just makes them feel better to have a neat label.

We didn't see 911 coming so it's not a far cry to believe no one saw this coming and all the other mass shootings by sick people all over the world in the past and in the future.

[EnglishJohn]

The only people who would call this an act of terrorism are those who are racist against white Americans.

Of course, it seems racism can only occur from the majority towards the minority. The other way round is just oppressed people speaking out.

[oneday]

well if you have a backward country saying ..its my right to bear arms or what ever what do you expect..only losers need guns..oh and the police/military..

Apples and oranges my friend. Get with the program.

[Merzik]

You know nothing about my country or its people.

Racism and prejudice are not endemic in the American people, the vast majority of whom are tolerant, if not loving.

Racism and hate is screamed from the rooftops, however, by our divisive government spokespersons, including the President, and very much so by western media, permeating both the journalistic and "entertainment" industries like the stench of rotted flesh on cloth. These people are the ones who are deliberately, methodically, seeking to incite us to hate each other, and so to commit violence against each other.

Either you have been brainwashed, or you know this, and are too trying to brainwash the masses.

So I take it that what I read about slavery and the Ku klux Klan is all in the imagination of some writers.

Europeans introduced slavery in the Americas long before their was a United States. You forgot to mention the Black Painters or the fact England was an ally to south during the civil war or the centuries of servitude in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world and in some places still going on.

True. The Czar of Russia was a big admirer of Abe Lincoln and treatened to enter the war if England entered the war on the South's behalf. Slavery is a barbaric practice indeed ; but it was not a European invention nor was slavery in the Americas a unique experience. It has been practiced all over the planet by all the major races. Slavery or slaughter was all too often the destiny of those losing wars throughout human history. Millions of Europeans were slaves themselves of both other Europeans and Muslim invaders and pirates. Africans enslaved fellow African enemy tribes and sold their fellow Africans as slaves to European, Jewish and Arab slavetraders. There were even African slaveholders in America; though this was certainly a small minority. Approximately 1.6 % of Americans owned slaves at the height of the slavery era and most Europeans migrated to America after the end of it. While segregation and discrimation followed the slavery era; this is also how humans have lived all over the planet. People have traditionally discriminated in favor of their own race and people .

Edited June 21, 2015 by Merzik

[MaxYakov]

Roof is mentally disturbed complicated by mind altering drugs and represents nothing in the way of a trend to domestic terrorism ... The article is a political hit piece to add to the Democrat campaign for 2016 ... DAMN WHITE PEOPLE despite the daily killings by Black on Black in Baltimore MD, Ferguson MO. and Chicago IL... that in ONE weekend has triple the murders of what happened in Charleston. SC.

Just a sensationalist piece of political rhetoric is all the article is ... There is no trend of white domestic terrorism -- only white guys who are mentally ill and on psychotropic drugs and have deranged views and act on them ... most in the past few years are liberal Democrats.

Those TVF posters on this Topic Thread who are parroting the American Liberal-Left narrative on this tragic event in Charleston are strongly implying that being a racist equates to being or becoming a killer... There are all kinds of racist in America, White racists, Black racists, Asian Racists, Hispanic Racists... some are even avowed supremacist. The vast majority of racists in America (around 99%) do not resort to killing the objects of their hate. Even the New Black Panthers who from time to time openly threaten to kill white people - seldom attempt it. Recent exception the New Black Panthers recently arrested in St. Louis for the planting of bombs - or the conspiracy to do so related to the Ferguson event.

There is little doubt that this Roof guy is a full blow racist. He got deep into racism because of his weak ego and his mind's potential to be delusional. Being a nutcase nobody Roof latched on to something that he could share with others in secret - sometimes in the open ... This made him important (in his own mind) - he became part of a group - on line anyway... Roof is a self sorrifull empty headed guys who actually ACT OUT and kill are loony - have certifiable mental health issues -- they are on prescribed drugs to curb their warped ideations. Sometimes their badly wired brain does not do well on the medications ... In Roof's case his hate becomes an obsession. Roof wanted to be important -- wanted to be accepted into a group -- for the first time in his life. Drug mixes often work the same as alcohol to lower inhibitions - and drive disjointed obsessive thoughts. Somewhere in all this Roof's miss-wired brain he felt he had to show he could do it ... he had to prove himself - he had to act. Roof's story line and behavior mirrors the actions of the other mass killers of recent vintage.

The Liberal-Leftist narrative just wants to exercise a political opportunity to focus on Gun Control (hardly a surprise - if a bit ill timed and callus). The Liberal-Left want to label the perp JUST a racist - as racist as sane and akin ALL OTHER RIGHT WINGERS and Conservatives in general.... Labeling Roof as an insane - drugged deranged idiot with racist beliefs is not good enough. This is the narrative of the President of the U.S. in his recent ill advised speech on this sad sad tragedy.

While I may agree with this post in general, I'm not aware of any references the president has made that specifically described or opined about Dylann Roof.

I would rather have heard him expound on Mr. Roof's mental condition rather than to have him pursue the gun-control narrative.

Has he made statements since specifically about Dylan Roof?

A recent statement/speech at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in San Francisco Friday - ABC News

(where he said he was "not resigned" on gun-control, whatever that means, exactly)

"If Congress had passed some common sense gun safety reforms after Newtown, after a group of children had been gunned down in their own classroom, we might still have some more Americans with us." he said. "We might have stopped one shooter. Some families might still be whole. We all might have to attend fewer funerals and we should be strong enough to acknowledge this."

[Merzik]

well if you have a backward country saying ..its my right to bear arms or what ever what do you expect..only losers need guns..oh and the police/military..

Tell that to the Swiss. Losers? Are you even aware of why Americans were given the right to have weapons by our Founding Fathers ? An armed population in extremely difficult to subdue by any potential tyrant or foreign invading army. If you choose to live in a fantasy world where all governments are benevolent and looking out for you be my guest. I choose to live in the real world. I have been to countries with very restrictive gun laws like Mexico and Brazil ; and I failed to notice many benefits.

[Merzik]

You know nothing about my country or its people.

Racism and prejudice are not endemic in the American people, the vast majority of whom are tolerant, if not loving.

Racism and hate is screamed from the rooftops, however, by our divisive government spokespersons, including the President, and very much so by western media, permeating both the journalistic and "entertainment" industries like the stench of rotted flesh on cloth. These people are the ones who are deliberately, methodically, seeking to incite us to hate each other, and so to commit violence against each other.

Either you have been brainwashed, or you know this, and are too trying to brainwash the masses.

So I take it that what I read about slavery and the Ku klux Klan is all in the imagination of some writers.

No. But if you buy into the Cultural Marxism that the left is pushing today you will have the very mistaken impression that slavery and racial discrimination is uniquely the result of European culture and people and that the world will live in peace and harmony when we are gone. You have probaby read some very distorted versions of human history

[MaxYakov]

You know nothing about my country or its people.

Racism and prejudice are not endemic in the American people, the vast majority of whom are tolerant, if not loving.

Racism and hate is screamed from the rooftops, however, by our divisive government spokespersons, including the President, and very much so by western media, permeating both the journalistic and "entertainment" industries like the stench of rotted flesh on cloth. These people are the ones who are deliberately, methodically, seeking to incite us to hate each other, and so to commit violence against each other.

Either you have been brainwashed, or you know this, and are too trying to brainwash the masses.

So I take it that what I read about slavery and the Ku klux Klan is all in the imagination of some writers.

Europeans introduced slavery in the Americas long before their was a United States. You forgot to mention the Black Painters or the fact England was an ally to south during the civil war or the centuries of servitude in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world and in some places still going on.

The US is founded by Europeans, does that mean you can blame the Europeans for everything that happens IN the US long time after the English left?

https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=History_of_slavery#Slavery_in_American_colonial_law

The severe dislocations of war and Reconstruction had a severe negative impact on the black population, with a large amount of sickness and death.^[190][191] After liberation, many of the Freedmen remained on the same plantation. Others fled or crowded into refugee camps operated by the Freedmen's Bureau. The Bureau provided food, housing, clothing, medical care, church services, some schooling, legal support, and arranged for labor contracts.^[192] Fierce debates about the rights of the Freedmen, and of the defeated Confederates, often accompanied by killings of black leaders, marked the Reconstruction Era, 1863-77.^[193]

Slavery was never reestablished, but after 1877, conservative whites took control of all the southern states and blacks lost nearly all the political power they had achieved during Reconstruction. By 1900 they also lost the right to vote. They had become second class citizens. The great majority lived in the rural South in poverty working as laborers, sharecroppers or tenant farmers; a small proportion owned their own land. The black churches, especially the Baptist Church, was the center of community activity and leadership.^[194]

Did you say "conservative whites" took control?

Disenfranchisement after the Reconstruction Era - Wiki

"Considerable violence and fraud had accompanied elections during Reconstruction, as the white Democrats used paramilitary groups from the 1870s to suppress black Republican voting and turn Republicans out of office."

The term "white, racist, terrorist Democrats" would have been more accurate.

How the "white Democrats" took control strikes me as a better example of terrorism than what the Charleston shooter did.

Or is it that the Wiki entry was made by a "far right wing extremist"?

Where is Publicus when we need him?