That's fantastic. It's also not a given. Since you're "on the ground" so-to-speak, why have the folks in SC responded so much more positively than the folks in Ferguson or Baltimore? There's no agenda in that question, I'm just honestly curious.
The short answer is that the circumstances for Baltimore and Ferguson are far different and are not comparable to this instance. A more comparable issue is the shooting in North Charleston, with the difference being that the guy was filmed, arrested, fired and indicted. There was still a demonstration which remained mostly peaceful.
Police brutality against minorities is not consistent with hate crimes against minorities. Maybe the nuance is difficult to grasp but such subversive and deep seated culturally indoctrinated concepts are very nuanced.
Peninsular Charleston was settled by a very diverse group of people from Sephardic Jews to French Hugenots. Its history as a major port has always ensured it will be a melting pot. This is not so different that other coastal cities. Charleston is unique in that it is fairly progressive relative to the whole state and much of the south but is steeped in deep seated conservative principles which have dominated its social history. It is a city of stark societal differences (black and white if you will) where the population exists in between. There are many integrated neighborhoods and communities and others much more segregated.
For example we have the College of Charleston, one of the best liberal art colleges in the south. Not “liberal” politics, but liberal (diverse) arts in the original sense. Its probably in the oldest 20 public institutions. Not far from this is the Citadel, the top military college in the south (next to VMI) which originally began as a garrison in 1822 created and located just down from the original Mother Emanuel as a result of Denmark Vesey’s proposed slave rebellion. The rebellion was stopped, the congregation dispersed and the church burned by Charleston whites. The garrison was established to watch the church and nearby churches to make sure no blacks organized out of retribution. This garrison later grew into the Citadel which has since sent many boys into each of America’s wars. Most important to the city is the cadets involvement in the Civil War and taking of Ft. Sumter. The Citadel was located here till 1922. A statue of John C. Calhoun stands in the adjacent square with his back defiantly facing North and his front benevolently facing south. Being a cadet is currently still very prestigious in light of the schools sordid history as a state sanctioned military unit and its origins.
The peninsula is literally carved in half into poor black neighborhoods and uber wealthy ones. Separated by a six lane crosstown connector (BusterBluth would not approve). The schools and communities could not be more different and separate yet the kids are highly integrated into the various schools theough the Magent system and a lack of districting. Further the College of Charleston student body is pretty much required to live of campus and have more and more moved into previously rundown homes and gentrification/rehabbing slave homes are pulling these communities together.
Our mayor is a progressive yet conservative Democrat. Its hard to fully describe.
North Charleston was only recently incorporated in 1972 even though it has been a large military and industrial based community since 1901. Previously it was rural Charleston county and primarily black, until the Navy Base got cranked up in WWII when white began moving into the area. Along with the incorporation came the violence common throughout the south in the late 1950s and 1960s due to suburban sprawl. More and more blacks were forced into certain/specific areas. The North Charleston police force was tasked with maintaining order during this time and targeted these areas for many years. They developed very aggressive policies which are thoroughly enforced primarily in the black communities. The black community of North Charleston became very distrustful of the government and police. While simultaneously, Charleston was far more stable with a mayor determined to promote peace and growth during the turbulent time. The black community far more integrated and black community leaders held relatively important positions.
Anyway, the response by Charlestonians is not surprising as it has been seen and dealt with many times before and this is not so new.
That being said, all of this is moot outside of Charleston County. The population is far more conservative, far more rural, far more indoctrinated and it is no surprise to us here that a kid from a trailer park in rural Columbia had to make a 2 hour drive into a great city, attack a historically significant black church, by murdering a black State Senator who also is a pastor (one who was well respected in both endeavors).
It quite truly is the tale of a black and white society existing in a backdrop of grey.
