Thoughts On The Charleston Church Massacre

There is so much to write about the events of this past Wednesday night in the massacre at Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal church in Charleston, South Carolina. 
It could and still may take multiple posts.
But let me start with arraignment of the suspect, Dylann Roof.
And let me say I am not a good Christian for I know that if something like this happened to my wife, son or other loved one, I could not express the forgiveness that so many did in court yesterday in North Charleston. But they did through their obvious pain. I would be angry, hurt and seeking justice. I do think that while they do sincerely seek to forgive, they did express the want of justice.
Which leads to Gov. Nikki Haley and her response to the massacre.
On the morning after, a visibly shaken and nearly crying governor seemed unable to speak. But once she regained her composure she spoke for a wounded state and a nation asking the collective question.
Why?
And Gov. Haley again set more of the tone that I feel yesterday by saying she wants to see the prosecutor seek the death penalty against Mr. Roof.
Then there is the suspect himself, Dylann Roof.
This is one young man fueled by clear hate, nothing more, nothing less.
Way too may people are trying to seek to make excuses or suggest that this is not the Dylann they know. Too bad but this looks like a non-starter as a website that appears to be that of Mr. Roof is filled with all the stuff of a certifiable racist. 
Our Dear Leader, President Obama, of course wasted no time-a crisis is a terrible thing to waste-in renewing his call for stricter gun control laws. His statement on Thursday morning, unlike that of Gov. Haley, sounded like a petulant child rather than a leader that should have used the occasion to promote healing and a total rejection of the Dylann Roof's of the United States. Not unlike other racial controversies, the Dear Leader, President Obama, admitted he did not have all of the facts, but suggested the ease of Mr. roof having a gun as the real reason so many were killed. I guess if Mr. Roof had simply driven a rent-a-truck full of explosives into the church, at least it would not have been a gun used, right?!
The most absurd outgrowth of this is the "Confederate" flag and the fact that it does fly near the statehouse in Columbia, South Carolina.
Now there is a massive call to remove the stars and bars one again. And everyone who seems to have commented seems to not grasp what the stars and bars are.
The origin of the flag, which I will not show, is the Army of Northern Virginia. And let's face it, the South were the antagonists and would have multiple battle flags. We, the victorious North would simply fly Old Glory at battle.
In fact, below is the actual flag of the government when the South broke away from the United States.

The stars are for the first seven states to join in open rebellion.
But as the war dragged on and the South was losing big time, the government flag became more rebellious.

In this flag in the upper left field is the dreaded stars and bars. This was the last flag of government as the North swept to victory.
There is no question that the battle flag of Northern Virginia is and always will be a flag of controversy. But let the people of South Carolina deal with it through their elected officials.
Sometimes I think way too many forgot who won the Civil War. It was us, the United States. There are too many who want to relitigate that time in our history when we have, thankfully, moved way past that dreaded time in our history.
To me, I will not forget the true Christian ladies that spoke forgiveness for a coward. They make me need to speak to Almighty God a lot more than I do now.