REGARDING THE CHARLESTON SHOOTING DEATHS

It seems so odd to me that people can deal with such staggering grief with instant forgiveness. Hey, if their faith permits them to do that, then it's probably healthier not to hold hate in their hearts. I don't share their faith, so I can't comprehend not emitting at least a little rage at such a loss. (Though that may be happening in private, away from cameras.) It seems that their faith is forcing them to do something which isn't a normal human reaction. Maybe they are better people than I am, more evolved or truly guided by a higher power. I don't believe in a higher power, but it almost seems as if they've been robbed of the natural grieving process—which includes angry, stinging rebukes and railing against the system which permitted this again—by their religious belief system. I realize that it probably will come off as the ultimate white privilege (dare I add male?) for me to suggest to anyone in their situation how to feel after something so horrific, but it does strike me as bizarre for the victim’s families to express concerns for the murderer’s families. Maybe they are just bigger people than me. 

I was also confused when the lady who helped apprehend him claimed that God lead her to recognize the fleeing murderer. If God can track a murderer so swiftly, why didn't he prevent the shooting? I had to turn the news off today, but much of it was officials talking about how this tragedy brought the community together. On one hand, it's great that the community comes together to help each other deal with the shock and pain. But on the other hand, how horrible that a mass shooting in a church brings us together! Is that to be commended, or is it damning of our society? Now that we are together, I hope we can take some steps to prevent similar events in the future. We also came together after the senseless carnage of Sandy Hook, but that didn't result in too many gun law reforms. Or not sufficient ones, certainly, if stuff like this is still happening. I'm glad Obama is talking forcefully about reform, but talk isn’t enough. Because as Chicago congressman Luis V. Guiterrez said on Bill Maher last night, the GOP represents guns and the Democrats don't have the guts to stand up to them. After Sandy Hook, TV news was crowing about how since the NRA-backed candidates didn't even win in the previous elections, that the NRA was now a paper tiger we could easily bypass. Sadly, we bypassed THAT moment of togetherness. And if the NSA is tracking every email and phone call for our safety, how did they miss this terrorist? Maybe they weren’t checking white terrorists quite as much.