The only thing that could make the utterly detestable #CharlestonShooting at the Emanuel AME Church worse is if some copycat were inspired to target other black churches. That would seem to be the case, as word spreads on social media that at least six black churches have been burned since the Charleston, S.C., massacre.
The symbolism of burning Black churches conveys the message that Black ppl have no rights to God's protection #WhoIsBurningBlackChurches
— Winky Dinky Hoecake (@FeministaJones) June 30, 2015
Burning a Black church is a sacrilegious act, an act of white supremacy against African American freedom. #WhoIsBurningBlackChurches
— ProfB (@AntheaButler) June 30, 2015
Why is there silence from conservatives on the burning of churches? Aren't churches their thing? Oh… right. #WhoIsBurningBlackChurches
— Cassandra Fairbanks ?✌️ (@CassandraRules) June 30, 2015
Weird. The people who so worried about the religious freedom of bakers aren't tweeting about the mysterious fires in black churches.
— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) June 29, 2015
Black Churches are burning around the south! http://t.co/ujafoXAGVq pic.twitter.com/VQmrlB7O4m
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) June 29, 2015
What if there were a resurgence of terrorist attacks on American churches. Should 24news make time for that? #WhoIsBurningBlackChurches?
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) June 30, 2015
.@CNN spent days covering one burned down CVS, but can't spend one day covering the recent Black church arsons http://t.co/bKMxLV8AFZ
— ColorOfChange.org (@ColorOfChange) June 29, 2015
This is despicable as is the lack of national media coverage: 6 black churches burn down in South in past week: http://t.co/JYMZcOPUfw
— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) June 30, 2015
If 6 predominantly white churches were to set on fire in a week, our country would declare a National Crisis.#WhoIsBurningBlackChurches
— BJ Thompson (@bj116) June 30, 2015
We know #WhoIsBurningBlackChurches, it is the spirit of the KKK, America's original hate group, a spirit that informed this nation's birth.
— deray (@deray) June 30, 2015
Black Churches Are Burning Again in America http://t.co/Bac5RMcTv2 pic.twitter.com/ljbA3x6kJQ
— Southern Poverty Law Center (@splcenter) June 29, 2015
6 black churches have burned in last 7 days http://t.co/xBAWxyCMPH
— WSB-TV (@wsbtv) June 30, 2015
Enter the Los Angeles Times to at last cover the story that no one’s reporting but has inspired the trending topic #WhoIsBurningBlackChurches.
None of the church fires have been a declared a hate crime and it's unclear whether any of them are linked. http://t.co/IWseVwdEWN
— Matt Pearce ? (@mattdpearce) June 29, 2015
“None of the late-night attacks have been a declared a hate crime and it’s unclear whether any of the fires are linked,” reports Matt Pearce of the Los Angeles Times. “Social media reports that six black churches have been burned down in arson attacks are not accurate, according to local officials’ accounts of the fires.” Pearce’s look into the fires, backed up by interviews with investigators, is illuminating.
One of the churches that burned down: “That church is a white church, and it was struck by lightning." http://t.co/IWseVwdEWN
— Matt Pearce ? (@mattdpearce) June 29, 2015
What happened to the Fruitland Presbyterian Church on the night of June 23 was sad — the church burned down — but it probably does not belong in news and social media reports circulating about arsons at black churches.
“That church is a white church, and it was struck by lightning,” Bryan Cathey, the Gibson County fire chief, told The Times. He said he is “98% sure” the blaze was caused by a lightning strike. “We’re just waiting on the ATF report,” he said.
Things are so divided racially in America that even white churches hit by lightning are now black churches hit by arsonists.
https://twitter.com/KeeganNYC/status/615691986276716544
Another church fire in Florida was attributed to a large tree limb falling on an electrical service line and causing an electrical short.
As usual, CNN’s Don Lemon was mistaken for Twitter’s punching bag.
Only 2 of 6 churches possible arson. 1 caused by lightning. 1 caused by tree limb. None determined hate crimes.#WhoIsBurningBlackChurches
— Don Lemon (@donlemon) June 30, 2015
Hilarious that @donlemon says ONLY 2 of 6 churches declared arson. Says none hate crimes. Motive determined? Hmm #WhoIsBurningBlackChurches
— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) June 30, 2015
https://twitter.com/MonishaChante/status/615700297042649088
@donlemon You would defend the "white" community regardless, you fail to see the truth based on the culture you've been brainwashed into..
— Apostle Mark Porter (@ProphetMarkP) June 30, 2015
@donlemon how does a tree limb set a church on fire? ?
— Dr. Ivy ??? (@ivyvines08) June 30, 2015
https://twitter.com/KweenAttire/status/615707313144504320
.@donlemon 100% BS.
— Black Sheep (@iloggedin4u) June 30, 2015
Hopefully none of the fires is determined to be a hate crime; there’s been enough hurt and division. What do you think, Chris Hayes?
I'd say: the timing and nature of the 3 congregations we've confirmed are being investigated as arson are extremely disturbing BUT…
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) June 30, 2015
we really have nothing *as of now* to indicate a) hate as a motive b) connection between them.
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) June 30, 2015
That’s not very dramatic. Can we punch that up a bit?
Who is burning black churches in the South?http://t.co/pK5uz3F7Gz #WhoIsBurningBlackChurches pic.twitter.com/g41ObQvNcP
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) June 30, 2015
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