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Sunday, June 21, 2015

South Carolina law forbids removal of Confederate flag from capitol—and it's padlocked in place

One of the most appalling sights since Dylann Roof's massacre of nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, is visible just over a hundred miles away: the Confederate flag, flying on the grounds of the state capitol in Columbia. Why is this revanchist, revisionist symbol of racial extermination still aloft?

Because South Carolina law explicitly requires it. A 2000 bill called the "South Carolina Heritage Act," which moved the flag from the capitol dome to a special "Confederate Soldiers' Monument" nearby, is vexillologically exacting in the utmost. It specifies the flag's shape (square), size (52 inches a side), and even its appearance, down to the finest detail ("The stars are five-pointed, inscribed in a circle six inches in diameter and are uniform in size").

It also says that the flag "shall not be removed, changed, or renamed without the enactment of a joint resolution by a two-thirds vote of the membership of each house of the General Assembly approving same." And to make absolutely certain the flag won't go anywhere, the law even calls for "appropriate decorative iron fences" to be erected around it, to keep it "secure."

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21 comments:

Anonymous said...

The flag ? It has nothing to do with race!
It's a piece of material that represents the confederates in the civil war.

Anonymous said...

This is how they keep racism alive by choosing things to be offended by.

Anonymous said...

Omg. It's not hate its heritage.

Concerned Retiree said...

Why is this flag not recognized as it should be. The proper respect when acknowledging this flag is "The Confederate Flag". This flag is "The Naval Jack". Yes it is most notable flag of the Confederate Era. This Flag "The Naval Jack" is part of the heritage of the Southern States during the Civil War. People should learn their history. Also am I eliminated to display the "Don't Tread On Me" flag? That also is a Naval Jack flag.
Why can all other Races and Nationalities in the US fly their Flags of Heritage but the Southern States cannot express their Heritage by flying / display the "Naval Jack" as their Heritage. If you cannot display the Naval Jack flag recognizing part of our heritage and history of the US, then you cannot display any other flag that is your heritage, with the exception of the US flag - "RED WHITE AND BLUE" when on American soil.
"LOVE IT ARE LEAVE
'

Anonymous said...

The flag is a symbol of the south not racism

Anonymous said...

Actually it is the battle flag of the Confederacy, not the National Flag.
The true 'Stars And Bars' or the 1st National Flag of the Confederacy had a blue field with 7 [later 11] stars in a circle and 3 broad horizontal stripes alternating red, white, red. The top two dying out into the blue field and the bottom red one running the full length of the flag.
The 2nd National Flag of the Confederacy, known as the 'Stainless Banner' or 'Jackson Flag', was in fact the square battle flag in the upper left, or right, on a solid white field. It was the official CSA flag from 1863 to 1865.
The 3rd and final National Flag of the Confederacy added a broad red vertical stripe to free end of the flag, the side away from the battle flag field. And, some claim it is still the South's official flag today.

Anonymous said...

It is a flag. It is not anything about race.
Black people need to grow up.

Anonymous said...

if its all about heritage. which heritage are we speaking of. the heritage connected to slavery period in history. the heritage when one race couldn't interact with the other. the heritage when sundown towns where a normal thing. or the heritage where individuals use the flag to represent their way of life. if that's the case then a rainbow is nothing more than a promise from god, and not how a certain group of individuals represent themselves

Anonymous said...

This is what happens in a liberal world.i am not racist I just dislike lazy freeloaders no matter the color!

Anonymous said...

well, according to Texas the sons of confederate licenses plate will not be allowed due to the symbolism the confederate flag represents. wow a deep south republican state acknowledging what the true meaning of the confederate flag stands for the in Today's society

Anonymous said...

If you have no idea about the History of things, you need to just STFU.


It's that simple, folks.

Anonymous said...

8:36 I think most of us here know.the history of what is commonly called the Confederate flag, and the misconceptions brewed up by those who are looking to make an issue out of it.

Do you?

Tony Cumia said...

7:32 9 black people can't grow up because they were shot dead by a racist. I'm sure you don't have a problem with the Nazi flag either. Should Jewish people grow up as well and forget about the Holocaust?

Anonymous said...

No, they can't "grow up" because they were shot dead, period.

Makes no difference whether it was a "racist" or another black person. The odds any one of them had of being murdered by a "racist" was far lower than being murdered by another black on the way home from that church.

Anonymous said...

Again Whites died in that war also morons. Brothers killed brothers to free the Blacks. The flag has meaning to those who served. Libtards should be hung y the neck no matter what color they are. This country is in the shitter because of political correctness.

Anonymous said...

1:31 Millions, upon millions, of people "can't grow up" due to something. Should we ban everything associated with their deaths as well? If this flag is so bad, why is this the first time we have heard anything about it since their law was passed in 2000, some 15 years of silence. Now, because 9 people were murdered by a lunatic, we should take it down? Makes zero sense.

Why aren't people questioning the public sector that let this monster walk freely with us, knowing he had issues? How did the system not pick him out in his background check? How did his friends and family just let him go, without saying one word (until now) about his aggressive rants towards blacks?

But, hey...let's take down a flag, that will fix everything.

Anonymous said...

Every slave brought into this country was brought here by ship flying the US Flag, not the confederate one. Also, The northern industrialist encouraged the agricultural south to buy more slave to incress production for their northern factories.
The flag the blacks need to hate is the called "Old Glory", that is the flag of slavery!

Anonymous said...

6:39, it's just like the word "bacon" is offensive to muslims. We can't suggest eating chicken, watermelon, and a grape soda either. Enough is enough!

Anonymous said...

You reap what you sow. If we continue to plant the seed of bigotry and hate in this country we will continue to see more racially motivated killings that are inspired by teachings and beliefs of the Confederate flag.

Anonymous said...

Such intolerance and ignorance. Everyone please read your history books before posting. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

If we all woke up tomorrow morning and just decided to get along with each other and help each other this would end in short order. It is all about hatred and hatred is MANY colors.