(June 22, 2015 at 10:58 am)Yeauxleaux Wrote:(June 21, 2015 at 4:32 pm)Secular Elf Wrote: Good point Exian. Even I have empathy for people I have a basic philosophical difference with, the belief in the transcendental of any kind. I often criticize Christians and their religious beliefs, but I am not without a heart. Tears came to my eyes when I watched the news reports of the aftermath of the Charleston Church Massacre. Those 9 people were human beings, minding their own business, and opened their arms to Roof. Those 9 people did not have to die.Exactly. I don't like any religion but that doesn't mean I think individual people who follow them have to die. It is still an abuse of human rights even if it's carried out by an atheist against religious people (I don't know if this situation was, I don't know Roof's religious beliefs, but just as an example).
I also agree with the people calling this a terrorist act. Let's call it like it is, it was a mass killing of innocent people which has scared other people, with the intent to further a political goal. It's textbook terrorism. It's not only terrorism if it's done by a Muslim, Dylann Roof is a terrorist.
I hate the word "terrorist" because unfortunately, that is a subjective word. From the killer's perspective they are trying to right an injustice. The core to violence in reaction to a perceived injustice, is a deep seeded disenfranchisement, combined with utopia idealism. McVeigh thought he was fighting the power the same as Isis. The only way to reduce this mentality, is for more humans to accept that there is no such thing as a utopia.
