Congressman (former Governor) Mark Sanford (R-SC) said that the Confederate Flag is a very complicated issue
for the people of South Carolina.
He said that while he understands that some may view it as a symbol of
racism, others view it as a symbol of the heritage of the state and of state’s
rights or that it serves as a reminder that someone’s great great grandfather
fought and died in a uniquely American war.
Those are cowardly reasons. The fact is that the Civil War has been over for 151 years
and the South lost. Let me repeat:
The South lost.
And the continuing “tribute” to the Southern soldiers who
fought and died in the war is not honorable at all. While surely brave, those soldiers fought and died under the banner of the Confederate
flag for a cause to perpetuate enslavement of other people, other Americans as
it turns out. Your great, great
grandfather who fought for the South was not fighting for a noble cause, so these soldiers should be remembered not celebrated. And
the Confederate flag, a symbol of white supremacy, should be appropriately relegated to the discarded ashes of history.
All this poetic lead up is almost frivolous to the essential
question for white South Carolinian politicians right now, which is “What are
you so afraid of in getting rid of that racist symbol?” What? Your white constituents will vote
you out of office? If that’s your
worry then your leadership skills should be brought into question. And if you support that symbol, then
categorize yourself appropriately – bigot at the least, racist at the utmost.
Honestly, it doesn’t take that much courage to vote to have
it removed, and every excuse for keeping it simply illustrates bigotry on the
part of the person supporting these ‘reasons.’ Any Southern politician who defends the continued flying of
the Confederate flag is a coward, pure and simple.
Obviously, I’m not from the South (I lived there - South Carolina as a matter of fact, beautiful state, wonderful people - but I'm not
from there) so I must not understand the nuance and history… but what really is
there to understand? I mean,
really?
It’s funny that in a country that can not remember history
of three years ago, somehow can not seem to let go this particularly horrible
aspect of our past.
Here’s a history lesson: At the time of the Revolution,
representatives from the Northern colonies proposed the elimination of slavery,
but the only way to get the Southern colonies on board in collective defiance of
England was to declare African-Americans as three-fifths of a person. A ludicrous notion, but that was the
compromise. So when someone says that
the civil war was about more than just the ownership of other humans, the other
factors are all ones that could have been negotiated without firing a shot.
It’s time to completely bury this symbol of the
Confederacy. It doesn’t serve as a
cautionary reminder of what we all call the original sin of the United
States. It’s continued display only
empowers bigotry without penance.
But what do I know...
The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/06/19/why-south-carolinas-confederate-flag-isnt-at-half-mast-after-church-shooting/?tid=hp_mm&hpid=z3
The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/20/us/charleston-shooting-reignites-debate-about-confederate-flag.html?rref=us&module=Ribbon&version=context®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=U.S.&pgtype=article
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