I’ve been asked the question, kind of in a rude way I might add, so I will answer the question. As was asked, since I had so much to talk about on Rachel Dolezal and other ‘black issues’ why haven’t I written about Charleston. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to talk about Charleston, it’s not that I have opinions about Charleston, but honestly, what can be said about Charleston that hasn’t been said about so many other mass shootings in this country? It is a tragedy, but it’s part of a long line of tragedies that have happened in America for years.

This was a shooting about race, this from the gunman’s own words, but this shooting has so many other components to it. It’s not a strictly black and white issue, and I mean that from the obvious to the esoteric. I can mention about how many of his friends knew of his racist comments and ideas, I can empathize and frankly get angry about the usual category that ‘lone wolf’ white men get when they decide to take a gun to solve their problems, and I can even mad about how all the gun folks, pro and con, will come out and exploit their position.

This week has just been too much for me. Normally if there is an event that hits on racial elements or gun violence, I can weather it. There has been so much violence in this country since Columbine that I, like many people in this country, have become numb to the killing. That’s sick when you think about it. Since Columbine, violence in America has been something we have reacted to with less anger, with less motivation to do anything. When over 20 children can be killed and we as a nation don’t do anything to prevent this in the future there is something wrong with us. Don’t give me the crap about how it was politicians who caved to the NRA. Americans had the chance, when the ultimate vote came up, to vote those politicians out of office. It didn’t happen. A sitting member of Congress was shot in Arizona a few years ago and nothing happened. Right now talk in media is for something to change in the wake of this shooting and I will be surprised if something meaningful will change. At best, the Confederate flag might be taken down in South Carolina but I’m not going to hold my breath on that.

We want to believe things are getting better, but that lie angers me most of all in situations like this. I downloaded the video where an on air personality from Fox News (no I will not mention his name) decided that the war on Christians was the reason why this boy shot up a black church. OK, let’s disregard what the boy told the police. Let’s disregard the images he posted on his Facebook page (which I did look up personally and captured). As much as liberals want to think this country is in a We Are the World moment, checking out the comments on sites reinforces the notion that this isn’t the case. I’m not saying we shouldn’t try to achieve a better world for all, but there should be some rational thinking that there are folks that might not agree and will actively fight against you. Lindsay Graham was on The View and wouldn’t clearly state this was a hate crime. He pushed the notion that this act of violence was some war against Christians. Wow.

I didn’t get want to get heated up about this week and sure enough I did. I am so angry and drained from what I typed, and what actually here now is the cleaned up and trying to be thoughtful version of my thoughts. Another mass killing and another chapter of the American experience where we will do nothing.