I am so glad my parents do not over-share. My dad’s penis shall remain a mystery for another person on another day.

Thank you for posting this. A beautiful and fitting tribute to nine people, who were by all accounts, the best of humanity. May they rest in peace and may their families, friend and members of their church find peace.

I think you answered your own question: “...with the ability to feel empathy and compassion and respect for those different from you,...”

You’re right. Thinking black victims should just forgive and somehow go back to how things are is gross. My uncle died in the OKC bombing. I’m sensitive to putting any expectations on how victims and their families should behave. If forgiving the murderer helps them feel a modicum of peace, it’s not up to me to tell…

i am white, and i don’t know any white people showing this kind of happiness right now. maybe you need to change the people you associate with, if this is what you’re observing in them?

I grew up black and Christian and you’ve never met a more welcoming people than old school style Black church-going folks. They are incredible.

This pic right here incorporates everything wrong about the current state of America. That it is necessary to have a cop frisk people for weapons before they go to church. This pic should go down in infamy and should be shown every time someone goes against gun restrictions. That we have to do this because a gun man…

Fuck it, you’re right. I’m off to go shoot a bunch of white people, because that is how you solve racial problems in America.

The grace of the church and the victims’ families has been quite remarkable. If there is any silver lining from this tragedy, it may be that the killer’s intention of starting a race war has completely backfired. Yes, the Stormfront types are likely cheering what happened, but the more casual racists out there and…

I believe that their faith asks them to forgive. I would think respect should be given to that choice.

Totally classy act: nothing about the criminal, all about the good people who must to be honored and remembered. Respect to the Courrier-Post!

Jesus. I haven’t really gone into the details of how everything went down—after I heard the motherfucker sat there for an hour with his victims, I knew I just wasn’t yet ready to hear what went on in the church, so concentrated on the aftermath. This small detail, along with the shooter’s statement that he almost…

Very well said...it really does seem like if all people who call themselves Christians follow what Jesus preached and supported, the world would look WAY different.

How would revenge help anyone right now? How would giving the shooter the race war he wanted help?

This is us. This is the black community and this is the history We collectively share. We endure,forgive and continue to push forward. We are angry but more than anything we are hurt. We are hurt that we have to continue to beg for equality. We are hurt that progress is met with immediate disdain and a movement…

That kind of courage and sacrifice is almost beyond human comprehension.

Oh good Lord....

Oh what a lovely sentiment to welcome newcomers. That is love. Bless you Mr. Washington.

Man. I was raised by an atheist and an agnostic, and while I believe what I believe, I’ve never felt that there was any necessity for a third party to stand between me and whatever I believe in. And so many people who call themselves Christians drive me absolutely batshit.

I am not a religious person, but horrific events like these senseless and brutal murders help me understand why religion can be such a force for good and for love. The strength, the faith, the acceptance of a fate greater than their own....the members of this church are true Christians in every sense of the word.…