As the nation mourns for the 9 victims killed in the Charleston, South Carolina shooting, details are steady emerging about the killer, Dylan Roof. He is being painted a lot of things in an attempt to put the right spin on the incident. First, he was described as a lone wolf with mental issues. However, when people blasted the media for failing to label him as a terrorist (as they would have labeled other people with similar actions) finally, he was called a terrorist. There is so much more to the story, and we may never know the whole truth. However, there are more clues that can tell us more about the shooter.
90% of communication is nonverbal and the jacket the killer wore can tell a lot about Dylan. The jacket he wore proudly sported a patch of the Rhodesian flag. For those who may not be familiar, Rhodesia used to be what is currently called Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was founded by Cecil Rhodes (yes, of Rhodes Scholar fame) and had a very similar framework to South Africa, pre-apartheid, in that British whites owned the useful land. However in 1980, Robert Mugabe became Prime Minister and things changed. He eventually passed an edict that declared that white landowners must return the land back to the righful owners , Zimbabwean blacks. In 2002, when white landowners redused to adhere to the government’s order to leave, President Mugabe authorized the blacks to go in and take their land. The move “displaced” thousands of white landowners , angered white supremacists worldwide, and prompted certain U.N. sanctions. The move also unified white supremacists worldwide who longed for the days of Rhodesia. Translation: when whites had absolute power and rule. Rhodesia has become somewhat of a symbol of what should have been, and how they were “wronged”. Unfortunately , the white supremacy rhetoric is growing stronger.
The fact that Dylan Roof proudly wore the Rhodesian flag tells us that he isn’t crazy and, in fact, has good sense. It also tells us that he may be a part of a larger network of informed individuals who think just like him. The church he targeted was founded by Denmark Vesey, a black slave that would have pulled off the largest slave rebellion in history had his plan not been spoiled by snitches . Dylan Roof traveled from Columbia, SC to Charleston, SC to inflict his terror, which means he had plenty of time to think his plan through. Mentally challenged? I don’t think so. Lone wolf? I don’t think so. People, we have to be careful and on guard. Evidence suggests that this may not be the only incident brewing. Protect yourself.