Why Is Charleston Shooter Called Mentally Deranged, Rather Than Thug Or Terrorist?

It’s an interesting question, as discussed in the USA Today

One hundred and forty characters isn’t nearly enough to unravel the politics of mass violence, to expound on America’s history of institutionalized racism, or to dissect the inconsistencies perceived in the way we talk about both.

But it’s more than enough to make us pause. It’s more than enough for a collective vent. And after Dylann Roof, who is white, allegedly opened fire Wednesday in a South Carolina church and killed nine black people, Twitter users exploded over what they saw as disparities in attitude and language the news media use to categorize violence.

The thesis of many was clear: White privilege persists, even in the coverage of heinous crimes. Users lamented that when a suspect is black, they’re often labeled a “thug” or a “gangster.” When they’re Muslim, they’re stamped a “terrorist.” When they’re white. they’re afforded the far more benign pathology of “troubled” or “mentally ill.”

More