Hating the Hatred

This week we're in the process of burying, memorializing, grieving and celebrating the people who were shot and killed at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, So. Carolina. We've been debating a symbol, the Confederate flag, and ignoring for the most part, the issue of guns and access to them.

It seems Dylann Roof was filled with hate. Hate that he said came from the Trayvon Martin case and research he conducted about black on white crime on the internet. There are literally millions of people who have reviewed and seen the same information and they've been able to handle it without shooting up a sanctuary in a church.

It is easy, simple, to hate Dylann Roof. He has made it easy for everyone to hate him and everything he stands for and represents. The families of the people killed and wounded in his attack have done something much more difficult. They have forced us to think about peace, nonviolence and reconciliation. Yes, of course they are hurting, but they've shown us that hurting is not a natural leap to hatred. Dylann Roof has strong beliefs but so do these families and friends of the people shot.

I'm trying to figure out where this 21 year old really did come up with all of this hate. Only by understanding where it came from can we attempt to do something about it relative to others. Was it something he grew up with? Were there experiences that impacted him? Was he recruited or radicalized intentionally? These are just a few of the questions I'm asking and so far very few answers are coming up.

There's one thing I've concluded however, and it has to do with our response to hateful acts like this. To me it's clear, we need to hate the hate. We need to hate it and do something about it by finding solutions and methods to change it. We need to stand with those families in Charleston.