Hate Group Connected To Dylann Roof Speaks Out

A racist manifesto purportedly belonging to Dylann Roof made its way to mainstream media on Saturday, revealing the explicit details of Roof's racist beliefs that allegedly motivated him to kill nine church members in Charleston, South Carolina. Included in the manifesto was a specific mention of a white supremacist group called the Council of Conservative Citizens (CofCC). The CofCC is listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, who has described the organization as one that "initially tried to project a 'mainstream' image, [but] has evolved into a crudely white supremacist group." The CofCC has now spoken out publicly regarding Roof and the murders in Charleston, and it seems clear that they want to distance themselves from Roof while simultaneously backing his beliefs about race.

On Monday, the CofCC's website posted a blog entry entitled, "CofCC deeply saddened by Charleston spree killing." In the post, the CofCC paints Roof as a "lone wolf" who was deeply troubled, addicted to illegal drugs, and already in trouble with the law.

The perpetrator of the Charleston spree killing has been arrested. The suspect is 21 year old Dylann Storm Roof. The shooter was targeting blacks out of racial hatred. A victim of the shooting says that Roof expressed anger over black on white rape. However, he killed more black women than black men. He had previously been arrested twice while engaging in extremely suspicious activity at the Columbiana Centre, a popular mall, in Columbia, SC. These arrests took place last February and April.

It is a relief that the perpetrator has been caught. However, the loss of nine lives is devastating. It could also have severe consequences in terms of race relations in the US in general, and South Carolina in particular. The attack was similar to when ISIS bombs Shiite mosques. It is to incite the other side to retaliate and create a situation where the violence between the two sides spirals out of control.

On its face, this is more or less what one might expect from an amateur blog regarding the heinous act that occurred in Charleston. However, it doesn't add up given the blog comes from a known and documented hate group. In a post containing contact information for media outlets, the group stated:

The C of CC unequivocally condemns Roof’s murderous actions. However, the Council emphasizes the danger of denying the extent of black-on-white crime.

Perusing the group's site, it is clear that Roof shares the opinions and beliefs of the CofCC, which condemns "mixing of the races" and works to protect "national, cultural, and racial integrity" within the United States. Another post from the group provides commentary and speculation about a "racial hate crime" committed against a white Ontario man, who was allegedly killed by a group of black men.

Jeremy Cook, An 18 year old white male, had just moved to Toronto. He left his cell phone in a taxi cab and was using GPS to track it. At 5:15 am the GPS led him to a group of black males. Instead of giving him his cell phone back, they decided it would be more fun to shoot and kill him.

Throughout its site, the CofCC refers to alleged killings of white people by black people to be "hate crimes." It is this sort of crime ("black-on-white crime," according to the manifesto), that Roof claims he discovered through CofCC materials. Regarding any supposed or alleged affiliation between Roof and CofCC, the group's spokesperson said:

The CofCC is hardly responsible for the actions of this deranged individual merely because he gleaned accurate information from our website.

While the CofCC is publicly condemning Roof's actions (i.e. the murders in Charleston), it has given wholehearted support to the ideologies that Roof espouses, namely that white people are superior to other races (black people in particular), and that white people are victimized by black people and the presence of black culture.

It is evident there is a strong connection between the motivation behind Roof's alleged crimes and the beliefs of the CofCC; portions of Roof's manifesto appear to be reiterations of entries found on the CofCC's website. The group clearly does not want to be associated with Roof's actions in Charleston, but it continues to validate his racist judgments. The white supremacist beliefs promoted by the CofCC are so blatant, it is not at all surprising that extremists such as Roof would seek them out for information and validation. While the CofCC may not have collaborated with Roof on the murders in Charleston, the values it propagates are very dangerous in their own right.

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