# Why do ANY mainstream figures doubt or deny racism is involved in the Charleston shooting? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 19, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956 "2015-06-19T17:02:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/121 "2015-06-19T23:53:38Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Knock yourself out, guy on internet. thanks ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/122 "2015-06-20T00:03:04Z")
Shoot, I missed something. THe latest outrage is that [the guy is not being called a terrorist.](https://news.yahoo.com/suspected-charleston-shooter-dylann-roof-wanted-to-start--race-war---reports-164102298.html). But I do want to point out that the local folks, the real victims, are still outclassing everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/123 "2015-06-20T00:04:11Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > But I do want to point out that the local folks, the real victims, are still outclassing everyone. thanks ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/124 "2015-06-20T00:04:38Z")
Havent read all the thread but shouldnt we wait till the psych eval comes back before we say this is a willful racist attack? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/125 "2015-06-20T00:08:09Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Havent read all the thread but shouldnt we wait till the psych eval comes back before we say this is a willful racist attack? What difference would it make? I think we can all agree that someone who guns down nine people he had been sitting with and praying with has something bent in his brain. That doesn’t preclude it from being a willful racist attack, which it was. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/126 "2015-06-20T00:08:36Z")
Why are so many people in this thread denying the obvious fact that several public figures are flat-out denying or waffling on the obviously racist shooting? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/127 "2015-06-20T00:09:09Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Shoot, I missed something. THe latest outrage is that [the guy is not being called a terrorist.](https://news.yahoo.com/suspected-charleston-shooter-dylann-roof-wanted-to-start--race-war---reports-164102298.html). > > But I do want to point out that the local folks, the real victims, are still outclassing everyone. Serious though distasteful question here…if this was considered terrorism and a terrorist act (and it certainly looks that way to me, though obviously domestic terrorism by a domestic terror group, the KKK or like minded idiots), do the victims (or their families) get some sort of compensation from the government? I seem to recall that 9/11 victims families got some sort of compensation, and I also seem to recall that so did some of the Boston survivors. I don’t recall if folk in the Oklahoma bombing got similar compensation and I might even be mis-remembering about the 9/11 and Boston bombing families/survivors. Seems to me that racially motivated acts and terrorism aren’t mutually exclusive, and you can be a racist fuck AND a terrorist at the same time. As this asshole clearly is. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/128 "2015-06-20T00:11:37Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Havent read all the thread but shouldnt we wait till the psych eval comes back before we say this is a willful racist attack? Well, I don’t see why we would. The guy has stated, quite clearly that he was motivated by wanting to start a race war and he deliberately attacked black people to that end. That he probably is crazier than a bed bug is beside the point that it was definitely a ‘willful racist attack’. I don’t think we need to wait for the psych eval to determine that aspect of this. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/129 "2015-06-20T00:14:05Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > What difference would it make? I think we can all agree that someone who guns down nine people he had been sitting with and praying with has something bent in his brain. That doesn’t preclude it from being a willful racist attack, which it was. No, it wouldnt. If he is schizophrenic it wouldnt be willful. And its in bad taste and an insult to the victims of this tragedy to use it as a political tool. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/130 "2015-06-20T00:14:22Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Shoot, I missed something. THe latest outrage is that [the guy is not being called a terrorist.](https://news.yahoo.com/suspected-charleston-shooter-dylann-roof-wanted-to-start--race-war---reports-164102298.html). Because he is one, ter·ror·ist ˈterərəst/ noun a person who uses terrorism in the pursuit of political aims. Right, Bricker? Help me out here. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/131 "2015-06-20T00:17:35Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > No, it wouldnt. If he is schizophrenic it wouldnt be willful. And its in bad taste and an insult to the victims of this tragedy to use it as a political tool. I am guessing the victim’s families are touched by concerns such as yours. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/132 "2015-06-20T00:19:33Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > I am guessing the victim’s families are touched by concerns such as yours. Doesnt seem like you care what they think. ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/133 "2015-06-20T00:21:59Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Doesnt seem like you care what they think. i think we are all guilty of trivializing the event ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/134 "2015-06-20T00:23:09Z")
His statements go to state of mind. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/135 "2015-06-20T00:23:56Z")
> [@Robert163](#): > > i think we are all guilty of trivializing the event I think a lot of folks are guilty of hijacking this tragedy to grind their own political axe. ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/136 "2015-06-20T00:26:11Z")
> [@XT](#): > > I think a lot of folks are guilty of hijacking this tragedy to grind their own political axe. yeah, this is the first SDMB thread about a mass shooting i’ve posted on. i think it is probably better to not talk about it beyond acknowledging the loss of the families of the victims. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/137 "2015-06-20T00:29:43Z")
Remember a similar event…the Paris shootings > **[Shooting at Paris Newspaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745603)** > > Link. As of now, 12 are dead, including a cartoonist known for his illustrations of Mohammed. In a video provided in the link you can see the gunman yelling “Alluha Akbar.” In that thread Muslims evil!! In this thread America racist!! But what do these events really tell us? I honestly dont know. We need to take a deep breath and try to figure out why people are resorting to violence. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/138 "2015-06-20T00:29:48Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Serious though distasteful question here…if this was considered terrorism and a terrorist act (and it certainly looks that way to me, though obviously domestic terrorism by a domestic terror group, the KKK or like minded idiots), do the victims (or their families) get some sort of compensation from the government? I seem to recall that 9/11 victims families got some sort of compensation, and I also seem to recall that so did some of the Boston survivors. I don’t recall if folk in the Oklahoma bombing got similar compensation and I might even be mis-remembering about the 9/11 and Boston bombing families/survivors. > > Seems to me that racially motivated acts and terrorism aren’t mutually exclusive, and you can be a racist fuck AND a terrorist at the same time. As this asshole clearly is. I have had the same thought. If we had another Timothy McVeigh Oklahoma bombing, would the survivors get broken off a piece like the 911 folks were? I can’t figure out who gets money and why. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/139 "2015-06-20T00:31:37Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Doesnt seem like you care what they think. What a bizarre conclusion to leap to. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956/140 "2015-06-20T00:34:13Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > What a bizarre conclusion to leap to. Sorry about that…shouldnt have snarked. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-any-mainstream-figures-doubt-or-deny-racism-is-involved-in-the-charleston-shooting/722956.md?page=8)