Thoughts on the Charleston Church Shooting (Updated)

Details are still coming out about the shootings at a black church in Charleston, South Carolina. Here are reports from CNN, CBS News and the Post and Carrier. As we know from past incidents, early reports are nearly always incomplete and wrong. However, the basics, at this point, appear to be that a 21-year old white male (Dylon Roof), facing a felony drug charge, committed the shooting. He apparently was given the weapon (a handgun) as a birthday present by his father (Update: Actually, it has now been discovered that Roof purchased the gun himself, passing a background check). Roof is reported to have gone into the church in disguise to attend a bible study meeting and started shooting after being there a substantial time. Allegedly he stated that he was there to shoot black people, and that: “You rape our women and you’re taking over our country. And you have to go.”

Of course, the left (including Obama) is jumping all over this as evidence of the need for stricter gun control laws and the need to address race relations. Never let a tragedy go to waste is their motto.

Here are a few of my thoughts on the matter:

• To me, this is further evidence of why concealed carry is necessary. You never know when you might be subject to a violent attack. I recognize some jurisdictions restrict concealed carry to churches, but such restrictions should be lifted.
• Obama's comments will likely set off another frenzy of gun and ammunition buying unless the gun control talk is dropped quickly.
• This event will conveniently eat up the media's attention over other, more significant events, such as the TSA's utter inability to stop terrorists, the hacking of OPM computers (including security clearance information) by China, and Obama's various foreign policy disasters, as well as divert the public from the issue of the trade bill before Congress.

Update: Agitators want riots, it seems, based on this Washington Times article:

Black community activists raised alarms Thursday about the mass murder at the historic black church potentially sparking race riots in Charleston, South Carolina.

“We don’t need any more bloodshed and we don’t need a race war,” pleaded J. Denise Cromwell, a black community activists. “Charleston has a lot of racial tension. … We’re drowning and someone is pouring water over us.”

Ms. Cromwell said that nerves were still raw from the fatal shooting two months ago of a black man, Walter Scott, by a white police officer in neighboring North Charleston, which ignited major protests.

Black activist Michelle Felder, 58, said she feared the city’s young people “aren’t thinking” and might seek revenge, an emotional reaction that she said she understood but was mature enough to resist.

“This is 2015 and we are still going through the same things we went through 50 years ago,” she said. “This is so sickening. We are so tired.”