The Charleston, South Carolina Church Massacre & The Immorality of Forgiving the Unrepentant

[The Alabama Governor ordered the Confederate flag to be removed from state grounds there today.]

Relatives of the nine people slaughtered by white supremacist murderer Dylann Storm Roof in the historic  Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, told him in person at his court arraignment that they "forgive" him for his vicious act despite the anguish he has caused them. (No indication in news reports that he gives a damn about the torment he is making them suffer, or regrets cutting short the lives of nine perfect strangers who welcomed him into their presence in their church, despite the fact that they, as southern blacks, had every reason to shun a  white like Roof barging into their social circle uninvited. He apparently didn't thank the relatives for their forgiveness, either.)

This is, from one angle, exceedingly bizarre. it was less than a week since the slaughter. Roof had not apologized for his murders. He is, as of now, remorseless. He isn't wracked by guilt. He hasn't done anything to atone for his crimes. He hasn't even asked for forgiveness. All the evidence indicates that he considers himself a righteous warrior in a race war he hoped to spark.

Yet here are the relatives, presenting him with the gift of forgiveness on a silver platter, at his arraignment, no less.

Really, this is objectively absurd.

Forgiveness given automatically, unearned, has no weight and is morally worthless. Forgiveness without remorse, repentance, or even apology is cheap indeed. And how much can something gotten so easily be appreciated by the recipient? Certainly a hate-filled, deranged bigot like Roof isn't going to be moved by such a magnanimous gesture. (I can think of few people less worthy of such a generous gift.)

It is also unjust to the repentant. It treats those who go through the hardship and pain of acknowledging to themselves the evil they did, the harm they caused others, who have to endure guilt and shame and humble themselves by asking for forgiveness and trying to atone for their crimes, exactly the same as the guiltless and unrepentant who deny or even revel (overtly or secretly) in their crimes.  And it discourages instead of encouraging reflection, remorse, repentance, and atonement on the part of the guilty. So the effect is objectively  harmful both to society as well as contributing nothing to the redemption and rehabilitation of the evildoer. (Yet these fine Christians think unearned forgiveness can magically redeem the "sinner." Or they throw it into the lap of "God," a supernatural imaginary being, to judge, punish, redeem, or whatever, the offender.)

And forgiveness prior even to punishment is especially pernicious.

Forgiveness eases the mind of the maldoer. In this case, it can only reinforce Roof's conviction that what he did is nothing bad.

Forgiveness is a form of absolution. Roof has no reason to apologize now (except to try and lessen his sentence) since he's already been forgiven.

Now, I understand why the relatives did this. They are deeply immersed in a form of the Christian religion. This form exhorts its followers to love thy enemies, turn the other cheek, hate the sin but love the sinner, cast no stones.

I can also understand why for reasons of their own mental well-being, they might take this path.

I remember the story of a priest who belonged to the anti-apartheid movement. The racist terrorist secret police of the regime (supported until almost the end by the U.S.) sent him a letter or package bomb that blew off his hands and blinded him. Yet he described his feelings and it was surprising to hear that he did not feel anger or hatred. I found this frustrating yet realized for his own mental health it was probably for the best. Most of us would be consumed by anger and hatred, and suffering intense frustration from our inability to punish the culprits. I know I would. The priest presented this as a higher spiritual path. I saw it as a psychological adaptation which was healthy. The "normal" psychological reaction of most of us would create masses of emotional scar tissue, analogous to the physical scars that grow after a horrible burn.

That's not to say that either the priest or the relatives of Roof's victims consciously analyzed their reactions this way. It is more instinctive and intuitive than consciously planned.

But in terms of politics, the health of society, and the advancement of civilization, the forbearance of these victims is harmful. Therefore it behooves the rest of us to not forgive or forget the anti-human actions of fascist and racist scum, and WE should bring retribution to them. Just is a social obligation, not a personal burden on victims (a tleast that's how it should be).

Roof will get deserved punishment. The South African racists never did. I believe that has deleterious consequences to this day.

Now here's a challenge for people who think of themselves as progressives, or reformers, or leftists.
Ronald Reagan has been apotheosized by the U.S. propaganda system. Among his many crimes was his diehard support for the apartheid regime. Congress had to override his veto to impose sanctions on South Africa.

Nelson Mandela was imprisoned because the CIA set him up and tipped off the apartheid secret police to his whereabouts. He was also listed officially as a "terrorist" by the U.S. government until 2008.

Hardly any Americans are aware of these facts. Why is that?

Because virtually no one ever mentions them.

Why aren't YOU mentioning them? Over and over? Repetition is what causes people to remember
thing.

You are either an opponent of this gangster system, or you aren't. If you constantly help cover up their crimes, you should stop pretending to be in opposition. Even if you believe in reform, there will never be reform without confrontation with the dirty truths of the power system. Reform only comes from mass discontent and outrage.

Now do your duty or stop faking it.