Horrible things assail us in the news at every turn like what happened in a quiet church in Charleston, South Carolina, Wednesday night. Our gut reaction is to be shocked, appalled, and outraged at these inhuman acts.

Emotions can break us out of complacency and motivate us to take positive steps in a fight against evil.  The initial emotions flood over us, pumping adrenaline into our system.

At this point, though, we need to take a lesson from the press.  Did I really say that?  Yes.  Even though there appears to be adequate evidence that Dylann Roof was indeed the shooter, reputable journalists refer to him as the “alleged shooter.”

Why?

Because we live in a country that was founded on the idea of due process.  Our founding fathers believed that guilt or innocence should be decided in a court of law after hearing both sides of the story and…