On June 17, a man killed nine people during a Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Dylann Roof, the 21-year-old charged with the crime, reportedly told victims — including two pastors, a high school track coach and a librarian, among others — "You rape our women," according to the Washington Post.
Race was a factor in this tragedy, and a national conversation naturally followed.
And memes seized on the situation. Some offered fair, universal sentiments (like "pray for the Emanuel 9"); others just fueled Roof's hate-filled mission.
Edited photos of lawmen escorting Roof — hands out of view — to a police vehicle included the caption, "White privilege is murdering 9 people and then having the police give you a bullet proof vest but not handcuffs."
More than 23,000 people retweeted the graphic without questioning why no news organizations were reporting on this supposed breach in protocol.
In fact, Roof was cuffed, but all those tweeters mistook the free arm of another man — standing behind him — as the suspect's.
Another meme showed a photo of the two — white — men escorting a handcuffed Roof to the police vehicle, alongside an image of a white Texas police officer slamming a bikini-clad black teenager to the ground.
The caption: "How police handle a man who just killed 9 people vs. how they handle a teenage girl at a pool party. America."
Yes, the teenage girls were mistreated when police responded earlier this month to a report of fighting at a pool party. But an officer in that incident was the exception, not the rule.
It's unfair to compare the situations.
Roof, from his handcuffs to his bullet-proof vest, was treated per protocol. In America, even murder suspects are treated with dignity; they are given a fair trial and found guilty or not guilty. On the other hand, the girls were not treated per protocol. There was injustice in that one moment.
This is why I dislike memes. They're often politically motivated and they spread disinformation to fan the flames.
Going forward, it would be great if we could remember why Roof shot those people, and why any murder occurs: hatred.
And before sharing any meme, it would be great if we could ask, "Does this promote peace or strife?"
What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet News Bulletin Editor Thomas Boni.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: BONI: Beware of Charleston memes that promote strife