Not in My Charleston

Not in My Charleston

I’m not a native of Charleston, but I call it home. I didn’t hear the news until this morning. Disbelief was my first feeling. I’m still in shock, following every bit of news. He’s been caught now. That’s good. At least that part of it won’t be delayed.

I will start to feel the pain soon enough. Others, closer to the scene, and the people who are now gone, and the church with the history of strength and faith, have already been feeling the pain, and will feel the pain much more deeply, and it will be much more prolonged than mine.

My pain is for the senseless act that took away people from families that I do not know. But I already know that they were good and they were loved. My pain is for the family of the person who did this too. My pain is for the city, the city that is a unique, special place that doesn’t deserve to have this become part of its history.

I feel fear for the story that people will try to tell about Charleston. We are the South and all that comes with that. We have history, not all of it good. We don’t hide it. We find strength in that I think. We are a lazy, cozy, easy place. We can’t be molded into a stereotyped race narrative for political points. With certain well known individuals on their way here, I fear they will create problems, and draw lines in the sand that will divide.

The problem that created this tragedy is not because something is wrong in Charleston. It rests solely with the individual who did this. I pray that we can focus on that alone, and come together. Come together instead of come apart.

Written by

5 Comments
  • Jodi Giddings says:

    Beautiful, Jenny. I’m right there with you.

  • Appalled By The World says:

    After this Charleston may never be the same. And not in a good way.

  • Nina says:

    We so enjoyed visiting there just a few months ago. Its a beautiful, laid-back city… and I’d love to see it again.

    Jenny, you are totally correct. The fault lies solely and entirely with that one crazed lunatic, NOT the city.

  • Penny says:

    Jenny, my thoughts and prayers are with Charleston. May the Lord comfort the families and friends of the victims, and hold the whole congregation of Emanuel AME Church in His hands.

    Keep the politics out of this so utterly excruciatingly painful time for this church and its congregants. Let them heal without the pain of loudmouths, agendas and riots.

    Yes, the young man committed a horrid hate crime, but it was not a terrorist act, nor a political action. Just an extremely hate filled young man who devastatingly trespassed in God’s house.

  • Jenny North says:

    Thanks for the lovely comments. I think Charleston is going to hold it together. I am gratified to see that my belief about what is here is actually reality. People have come together and so far are committed to each other without agenda.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe
Become a Victory Girl!

Are you interested in writing for Victory Girls? If you’d like to blog about politics and current events from a conservative POV, send us a writing sample here.
Ava Gardner
gisonboat
rovin_readhead