The Charleston church shooting: Killers should not receive celeb status

I arrived back in Pennsylvania just this morning, having spent the past ten days traveling across the country with my boyfriend and two dogs. Because I didn't have my computer or a network connection, I am posting this now -- this is my first piece to be published on the recently-launched Liberty Project. I was excited to work with the outlet and, of course, excited to see this article published. 

This piece discusses our country's tendency to become infatuated with criminals (particularly in grand-scheme killings), rather than focus on the lives lost or the victims' loved ones left behind. I think this is wrong, and a "habit" we should aim to overcome. I've felt strongly about this subject for some time (Dzhokhar Tsarnaev aka Boston bomber on Rolling Stone cover?? What?!) and with my older sister living in Charleston, SC, the words just kind of ~flowed~ out. This piece originally appeared on The Liberty Project.

Memorial outside the Charleston church, where nine people were killed -- Amy Deck, 6/19/2015

The massacre in Charleston, South Carolina, left Americans in shock and awe. It also left us — like so many times before — curious about a killer.

When we hear about such crimes, it has become routine to immediately wonder about the perpetrator. We have become more interested, it seems, in learning about the culprit’s history and mindset than learning about those who were killed mercilessly by his weapon.

As soon as I heard about the church shooting, I knew about Dylann Roof. I saw his face staring back at me from the television as I learned that he killed nine people. His act was foul, but the coverage he received was like that of a celebrity. The anchors reported every available detail. Roof became the man of the hour. He now has a Wikipedia page.

We have become accustomed to this attention; we have even come to expect it. We saw the same happen with the Virginia Tech murderer, the Boston Marathon bombers, the Sandy Hook shooter and all those before and in between. The Boston bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone — a breach in ethics, in my opinon.

While we all know Dylann Roof’s name, I wonder how many of us are as familiar with the names of his nine victims. It is their names we should be prioritizing. It is their legacies we should be left reading about. We are so familiar with Roof’s face we could probably pick him out in a crowd. Can we say the same about those he killed? Can we picture them and see humans who once smiled, laughed and loved?

In the wake of crimes such as these, the spotlight should be upon the unity, love and mourning that ensues. A Charleston bride — who was married the Saturday after the killings — walked over to lay her bouquet on the church’s steps. The street outside was filled with people bearing flowers, crosses and feelings of hope. Why don’t we highlight these raw, awe-inspiring reactions to tragedy?

We also shouldn’t forget about the families and friends, who are left to mourn. It is essential to offer support to the grieving survivors. If we don’t, who will?

The Charleston victims — as all victims of situations when hate pulled the trigger — were normal people who simply ended up in the wrong places at the wrong times. Any one of us could fall victim to such crimes. Would we want our killers to be honored with international discussion, let alone widespread fame?