After the tragic shooting deaths of nine churchgoers at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina yesterday, Fox & Friends went on a bit of a rant this morning. No, not because people of color were targeted and shot during the service in what police are calling a “hate crime,” but because an issue is being made of race in this shooting instead of Fox News’s favorite topic: The War on Christianity and the “rising hostility against Christians across this country.”
Elizabeth Hasselbeck made sure to plant Fox’s trademark message of fear and Christian persecution in viewers by asking:
“If we’re not safe in our own churches, where are we safe?”
Fox News host Steve Doocy questioned?Fox’s hired pastor of color, Bishop E.W. Jackson, on the topic of the shooting being considered a hate crime based on race by saying:
“It was released earlier…and extraordinarily, they called it a ‘hate crime,’ and some look at it as ‘Well, it’s because it’s a white guy and, apparently, in a black church,’ but you made a great point earlier about the hostility toward Christians…”
“Most people jump to conclusions about race,” Bishop E.W. Jackson?answered. “I long for the day when we stop doing that in our country.”
The dismissive attitude about the issue of race in this shooting came only shortly after the Christian pastor Jackson used the crime as a political talking point about the necessity of carrying guns, warning pastors to be armed during church services to protect their congregations.
Nowhere in the conversation on Fox was it mentioned that one of the survivors stated that the?gunman explained his motivation to the congregation by saying:
?You rape our women and you’re taking over our country ? and you have to go.?
The?horrifying assumptions about a group of people being made during that statement has absolutely nothing to do with typical assumptions made of Christians.
As for Ms. Hasslebeck’s question, here’s a clue: people of color aren’t safe in the streets, even with those most responsible for protecting them (police). They aren’t safe walking home from the store with Skittles and tea. They aren’t safe in public parks while playing with a toy gun, even at 12 years old. They aren’t safe in their cars while being pulled over for something as simple as a broken taillight. They aren’t even safe when they’re 14 years old and attending a pool party with friends.
I haven’t seen you ask where they can be safe, or question why they aren’t safe, and I certainly haven’t heard you insist that people of color should arm themselves against these crimes.
Bishop Jackson also noted that:
“He didn’t choose a bar. He didn’t choose a basketball court. He chose a church.”
Yes, Bishop Jackson. He did. However, he didn’t choose a white church, did he?
