Charleston church shootings - why is everyone only talking about race?

[HootsMon]

Obviously there was a racial motivation to this outrage - the shooter has confessed as much - and god knows I have no idea what is must be like to be black in parts of the US. I'm sure they get the shitty end of the baton on many occasions.

But AIBU for being really angry that on news and social media, people seem only to be talking about the race issue - tying it in with recent police beatings, etc.- instead of the real issue, which is IMO - GUNS!

You get racist dicks in every country - America is one of the few countries that you can give one a gun for his 21st birthday.

To all the posters saying the boys not mentally ill and his racism must have gone unchallenged, both his uncle and girlfriend had expressed worry about his isolating himself and his paranoia and voiced wish to kill black people. Those arent the thoughts/behaviour of someone emotionally healthy, neither is isolating yourself and barely leaving your room. Which his uncle tried to do something about and failed.

Its about a mix of issues: in this case its involving race, and regularly involving mental health issues, social isolation, sometimes domestic violence/abuse , parenting issues: and the insanity of giving guns to teenagers, when recent research shows brain development in teenagers doesnt finish until 25, which in turn explains their poor decision making, & impulse control and grasp of actions having consequences. Its a toxic cocktail. Teenagers and guns dont mix - until the US gets to grips with that it going to keep happening, sometimes with race in the mix, sometimes not with race in the mix.

There's also the appalling treatment of Native Americans throughout US history.

Why would alleged 'mental health issues' express themselves in terms of intent to kill black people?

A lot of teens isolate themselves in their rooms and a lot are angry or think people are out to get them -- teachers, police, etc.

The language this murderer used indicates he spent time fueling up his hatred online, and he drew on a long and horrible history of racist cliches that are very much in circulation still.

I think it was Seneca upthread who said the internet features a proliferation of racist sites and the sheer volume and ubiquitousness of the hatred emboldens the racists. I agree with that.

I agree but what I mean really is that the guns were around right from the beginning too.

They weren't around because of fears of a police state or any of the other bogeymen so beloved of the NRA.

Mathanxiety I wasnt too clear there was i, I meant that his racism was combined with his paranoia and social isolation. He obviously was depressed and withdrawing and both his uncle and girlfireind were deeply worried about him. Yes teenagers love the internet and can spend hours in their room but they dont have serious paranoia and fantasies that escalate and are carriedd out about killing. I think his girlfriend said he told her he 'wanted to kill people' generally as in all people , as well as ranting about killing african americans in paranoid rants to her : and she told him he needed therapy ,then told a friend how concerned she was about his mental health.

Racism always involves paranoia. Just because one is a racist doesn't mean one is mentally ill though. Not all irrational hatred is evidence of mental illness.