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inanna

(3,547 posts)
Thu Jul 2, 2015, 02:18 PM Jul 2015

Latest black church fire may not have been set by lightning, authorities say

Source: The Guardian

Thursday 2 July 2015 19.03 BST

Police and firefighters are disputing an anonymous report claiming that the most recent of seven fires at predominantly black churches in the south was caused by lightning.

A spate of fires has followed the racially motivated killing of nine people at a church in Charleston, South Carolina last month, provoking concerns that the incidents were related. Black churches have been targeted by racists since at least the early 19th century.

The Associated Press and the New York Times both cited an anonymous law enforcement official who said that a fire at Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Greeleyville was caused by lightning.

“Bogus, bogus. We just don’t know yet,” Williamsburg fire chief Randy Swinton told the Post and Courier of the reports.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/02/south-carolina-black-church-fires-lightning-charleston

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For Freddie

(79 posts)
13. Cracker Lightening...
Thu Jul 2, 2015, 05:41 PM
Jul 2015

Yeah and it goes with that survey about pride and the flag.


Do they REALLY think this is going to work?
The generation that believed everything they read in the papers or on TV is gone. What a bunch of idiots. It does reflect how much trouble the right wing is in now. So the spinning is going to get more absurd.

Maybe this is all about making Jeb look reasonable. If that is what
The Donald is being paid for,there will be more idiocy ahead.
I think it is getting very difficult for Karl lately.
It just ain't like it wuz with Lee A. in the past.

The buffet of jerk offs out there is just a reflection of this.
More "studies" and survey are a head. One encouraging sign
is the women in the independent living place my 92 year old Mum
is in are totally against what men are saying.
She says only the men are glued to the TV and "news" now.
Most of the women agree with their children and grandchildren.

We may be at the end of the era of "toxic paternalism" as pushed by FauX. Hense fugazi surveys about pride of flag and tradition.
From the right wing of my family what we are seeing is no more serious discussions or "debates". They always loose in that activity.
No, sniping and outrageous nastiness is all they got. And Oh yeah,
flags and guns. To get us "mad" now they say, "Ted Cruz in 2016.And we just laugh.

randys1

(16,286 posts)
2. I didnt believe that report for a second
Thu Jul 2, 2015, 02:21 PM
Jul 2015

More than one DU'er could not fucking WAIT to post it, too.

fuck

flobee1

(870 posts)
3. Now its anonymous
Thu Jul 2, 2015, 02:35 PM
Jul 2015

Yesterday it was absolutely lightning, now its some person said....

Its absolutely bullshit!

ToxMarz

(2,167 posts)
7. It's the story the media wanted to tell
Thu Jul 2, 2015, 03:23 PM
Jul 2015

So the source doesn't really matter, just had to have anyone say it so they can flood the news cycle with the story. 99% of people that heard it will never hear this and the collective wisdom will forever be that it was lightning. Makes it easier to dismiss reporting Black church fires in the future as headline news.

Javaman

(62,530 posts)
12. Fire Chief: Hmmmm...
Thu Jul 2, 2015, 04:46 PM
Jul 2015

Fire Chief: this lightening strike smells oddly like gasoline.

Random passerby reeking of gasoline: must be one of them gas storms.

DallasNE

(7,403 posts)
4. Why Does Lightning Discriminate
Thu Jul 2, 2015, 02:48 PM
Jul 2015

And only strike black churches?

When the news reports said a thunderstorm passed through the area about 90 minutes before the fire was called in I had my doubts because the passage of time seemed too great.

jeff47

(26,549 posts)
10. It takes a while for a fire in an empty building to be noticed.
Thu Jul 2, 2015, 04:23 PM
Jul 2015

Plus a lightning strike wouldn't cause the building to suddenly burst into flame. Some relatively small part starts burning. Since it's raining, this part that is burning has to be somewhat protected from the weather, and thus also protected from being seen. Then the fire has to grow for a while before it's obvious enough to be noticed.

So 90 minutes isn't unreasonable. Long-ish, but not "no way in hell".

mountain grammy

(26,621 posts)
6. Get the Feds in there. The locals shouldn't be trusted to conduct an honest investigation.
Thu Jul 2, 2015, 02:57 PM
Jul 2015

Small towns, good buddies, etc. Like the police departments investigating themselves. Bring in the Feds.

jeff47

(26,549 posts)
11. FBI and ATF are already investigating 3 or 4 of them.
Thu Jul 2, 2015, 04:27 PM
Jul 2015

The others are claimed to have clear non-arson causes. (Such as tree fell down, causing an electrical short that started the fire)

 

dballance

(5,756 posts)
8. You mean those guys in white hoods with torches wern't lighting it?
Thu Jul 2, 2015, 03:36 PM
Jul 2015

So it was just spontaneous combustion? You know, like spontaneous lynching. No one does it on purpose. Those poor black (I'd have used the n-word for effect here but don't want to get a time-out) guys just get caught up in that tree or just dragged behind a truck so many miles their head comes off on accident. Nothing intentional going on here at all. Nobody is doing that on purpose.

Right Clem?

 

olddots

(10,237 posts)
9. these fires should be front page news
Thu Jul 2, 2015, 04:08 PM
Jul 2015

oops forgot there is no journalism anywhere just gossip and brands .

jwirr

(39,215 posts)
14. They are never going to make me believe that any of these are not arson. 9 murders in a church
Thu Jul 2, 2015, 06:00 PM
Jul 2015

and 7 churches burned within 2 weeks after. These churches are old historical churches that have withstood many a lightning storm. Now all of a sudden they are vulnerable. The only way they have ever burned has been arson.

I remember reading how some of the Muslim people surrounded a Christian church in order to protect it. It is time that white churches get out there and stand on the line helping to protect the black churches. And they also have to start fundraising to rebuild those churches. GoFundMe: black church.

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