Side By Side

After today's guilty verdict, Jamelle Bouie writes this—

On June 16, 2015, Donald Trump took the stage at his eponymous tower in New York City and announced his bid for the White House. His message was clear. "The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everyone else's problems," Trump said.

A day later, in South Carolina, 21-year-old Dylann Roof walked into Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, where members were holding Bible study. Using a .45-caliber Glock handgun and eight magazines of ammunition, Roof shot and killed nine people, including the pastor, the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, who was also a state senator. Before he arrived at the church, Roof posted a manifesto on his website, a racist tirade that expressed his motives. His message was also clear. "Integration has done nothing but bring Whites down to level of brute animals," wrote Roof.

Sentencing set for next month, in federal court. Despite wishes of the families, the death penalty is being sought. All arguments against the death penalty aside, this would only make him a lone wolf, to be put behind us. A rare federal move that should be agreeable even to America's new ownership.