Tom Finneran : A White Guy’s Thoughts

Friday, June 26, 2015
Tom Finneran, GoLocal MINDSETTER™

He’s an evil, racist, morally depraved sob. He deserves to die, after a fair trial and conviction of course………………….

“He” is Dylann Storm Roof. His is the mind and the face of evil. He planned to brazenly murder American citizens in the midst of peaceful worship. And he succeeded in his evil plan, killing nine black Americans whose “sin” was the color of their skin. He’s a direct DNA descendant of Adolf Hitler, only operating on a smaller scale, but with identical immorality.

Let’s not sugarcoat this one. If we, with great frustration, criticize the mainstream Muslim community for its failures to denounce and condemn Muslim fanatics and terrorists, then we, the majority white American community, must denounce and condemn this ugly racist act and actor. His deeds are sickening hateful actions and while he might be mentally ill that does not excuse in the slightest way his horrific behavior.

Nine Americans are dead because of this evil man. Nine families are shattered, their lives ripped apart by the news that a loved family member was gunned down at church. Think of that for a moment—a son or daughter, a mother or father, a brother or a sister went to church services and was gunned down by this evil hate-filled man.

A loving worshipful Christian community has been torn asunder by a shameful act of hatred. There at the church to hear God’s word and to practice their faith, that community came face to face with evil. The horror of that evil has scarred their lives. And yet they stoically soldier on toward God’s kingdom…….

Such faith, such strength, such love, such belief in the power and salvation of God and the brotherhood of man gives example to all. Within forty eight hours of the slaughter of their loved ones, several of the victims’ relatives offered words of kindness and forgiveness to the killer. They are better Christians, better people than I am. They matched Christian principles with Christian deeds and in doing so they shone light on the dark corner of human hate. They demonstrated that example is more powerful than precept. I wish that I had their strength for as the great prayer states ….”forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…”. We are supposed to strive for such love. Yet I know that I fall short, far short, of God’s standard.

It is clear that the evil Mr. Roof thinks that black people are inferior beings, deserving of slaughter in some kind of cleansing race war. How stark then the contrast between his words and deeds and the words and deeds of the faith community he attacked. That black faith community, indeed it seems the entire state of South Carolina, has responded in splendid united denunciation of Mr. Roof and his hate-filled philosophy.

The last several days have been a moving spectacle down there in South Carolina. Contrary to a multitude of geographic, racial, and religious stereotypes, South Carolinians have come together in harmony, in peace, and in prayer. White and black, Republican and Democrat, Christian and Jew and Muslim, have been publicly united in shared condemnation of Mr. Roof’s racial hatred and evil acts. White churches and congregations have joined black churches and congregations in shared prayer and solidarity. How ironic it is that Mr. Roof’s ugly intolerance, apparently intended to spark a race war, may become instead a new chapter in a new and urgently needed age of racial reconciliation. That chapter seems to be being written right now and right before our eyes in the state which started the Civil War. From Fort Sumter to the blood-stained pews of Emanuel AME Church, it’s an American journey that matches the march of Moses.

 How mysterious are God’s ways.

Tom Finneran is the former Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, served as the head the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, and was a longstanding radio voice in Boston radio.