Since the racist shooting in Charleston, SC, at least eight predominantly black churches - "a core institution of the black community" - have gone up in flames. Three have been confirmed arson.
From 1995-1999, the National Church Arson Task Force investigated 827 church fires. It is time to bring that task force back.
If we aren't safe at church, then where are we safe? Yet church fires are far too common: An average of five per week are intentional, and many are racially-motivated. We cannot look the other way if we claim to believe in justice or civil rights.
Racism is alive and well in the U.S. - and not just from individual terrorists like the Charleston shooter. Young white teenage males are 21 times less likely to be killed by police than their black counterparts. Black families are twice as likely to be denied a mortgage. Job seekers with "white" names are 50% more likely to be called back than those with "black" names.
It is past time to recognize and defeat racism. One small step is to save black churches by bringing back the National Church Arson Task Force. In its second report, it attributed a drop in fires to "increased vigilance, well publicized arrests, and proactive prevention efforts. Notwithstanding these results, we must remain vigilant." Bringing back the task force is one way to once again proactively increase that vigilance and publicity!
Will you sign now and ask President Obama and Attorney General Lynch to start a large-scale investigation?
I am writing to ask that you re-establish the National Church Arson Task Force.
As you know, at least eight predominantly black churches have gone up in flames since the racist shooting in Charleston, SC, and at least three of them have been confirmed arson. This may be part of a larger pattern - the National Fire Protection Association reports that roughly five churches suffered intentional fires per week from 2007-2011.
If we aren't safe at church, then where are we safe? Yet church fires are far too common. And while many may be due to lightning or accidents, many others are still racially-motivated, and we cannot look the other way if we claim to believe in justice or civil rights.
In its second report, the original task force's members attributed a drop in fires to "increased vigilance, well publicized arrests, and proactive prevention efforts. Notwithstanding these results, we must remain vigilant." Bringing back the task force is one way to once again proactively increase that vigilance and publicity, and remind our fellow Americans that racism is still alive and well and must be dealt with.
[YOUR PERSONAL COMMENT HERE]
Thank you for your swift action!
