As you might expect, Charleston native Byron Maxwell deeply impacted by the Charleston church slaughter. It hit him emotionally like a ton of bricks. Maxwell expressed his pain to Robert Klemko of MMQB.com.
“At first you feel shock. Anger. Disgust. Then the next question is, what do we do about it?” he said. “How do we stop things like this from happening?”
The answer isn’t clear. Dylann Roof’s purported manifesto is something more sinister and more intelligent than the ramblings of a madman. The violent fracture of Charleston’s peace has spidered into familiar debates over gun control and the appropriate place for the Confederate flag. Maxwell wonders if the same symbols and words that alienated him as a boy enabled Roof’s development into a killer.
“You experience being called the n-word growing up,” Maxwell says, “and you just say, alright, cool. Until I left Charleston, I just figured that was a part of every community in America. I think the racism in the South is just more in your face.
“I remember just about every car had the Confederate flag when I was young. It’s something they’re proud of. If those things are still flying, how far have we really come? They want to say, it’s not hate, it’s heritage. But hate is the most important part of that heritage.”
I encourage to check out the article because Maxwell talks about how as a child he took visits to a former slave market in Charleston, which was turned into a museum. He also talks about going back to Charleston last Sunday to pay his respects. The talented cornerback will be holding a charity bowling event next week on June 27th to benefit the families of the victims.
The most senseless acts by a depraved and evil person. The victims were
beautiful, Godly, gifted and loving people. The grace and forgiveness shown by their survivors brought me to tears. Their faith overcame the evil they endured..