Time To Remove The Stars And Bars From Government Buildings

Yesterday, the South Carolina governor, Nikki Haley, a Republican, officially called for the Battle Flag of Northern Virginia, also known as the Stars and Bars to be removed from the capitol grounds in Columbia. 
And only someone of Gov. Haley's stature could call for such a move. And it more than likely be passed by the 2/3rds votes necessary in the legislature. But not without strong opposition from hangers-on to the tradition that had been in place since 1961.
And throw in GOP senator Tim Scott as another reason the move will probably be easier to do than at any other time heretofore.
As an aside, Sen. Scott and Sen. Goober Graham ran for election last year. Sen. Goober won his race with 55% of the vote and 665,605 votes. Sen Scott, who is black, won with 61% of the vote and 749,266 votes. Sen. Scott had about 83,700 more votes than the senior senator, Sen. Goober. And it should be noted that Gov. Haley is Indian-American.
In other words, in a very Southern state that has elected a black and Indian-American could the move be made to move the Stars and Bars to a state museum and off of the capitol grounds with little opposition.
It helps to have had a serious event to make this move.
The tragic massacre at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church last Wednesday stirred a great deal of emotion. And the left, as it is won't to do, did  not let a crisis go to waste. Collectively through the usual suspects, they used the occasion to call for the removal of the Stars and Bars from a Confederate war memorial on the capitol grounds.

Until 2000, the above flag was with the other flags atop the capitol flag pole. In a compromise, the Stars and Bars were moved to aforementioned war memorial but still on the capitol grounds.
Why was it put there in the first place?
It was put there in 1961 during the governorship of Democrat Ernest "Fritz" Hollings and it was done to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Civil War. But over time, like throughout much of the South during the 1960s and beyond, the Stars and Bars were seen as a sign of resistance against an intrusive federal government and supreme court. Rightly or wrongly, it has been seen by some as a flag of oppression and a defense of slavery. On the other side it has been seen as an honor to those who fought bravely, albeit for a lost cause.
And in reality, both sides can be and are right.
Mrs. RVFTLC, the late Scout the Wonder Dog and I visited the state capitol in Columbia on our epic 2009 Tour of the South. Seeing the Stars and Bars did evoke both of the above emotions. The compromise that moved the flag from the actual capitol flag pole to the Confederate war memorial seemed appropriate at the time.
But we are in a changing nation.
And one thing is that this state, South Carolina, where the War Between The States began, has changed dramatically.
Because they freely elected Gov. Haley and Sen. Scott, they can lead the effort to remove the flag from the capitol grounds and see it put in a place of honor and or history in the state museum.
If a white politician tried this as short a time as 15 years ago, that would end their political career in South Carolina.
Even today there are people that will say that Gov. Haley and Sen. Scott bowed to pressure but has anyone given one moment to think that the time was right? That maybe it is not proper for government to be flying a symbol that emotes a helluva lot of emotion. But that support I believe has waned as South Carolina has seen a lot of people move in from other parts of the United States. The South as a whole has seen more people from out of the region move there for many reasons. Many  of these people have no skin in the game about the whole Stars and Bars.
We cannot and should not try to wipe this part of American  history clean because we cannot. After all, we fought a civil war over, among other things, economics and slavery and the holding of the United States together. Remember, the Union won the war. Some people seem to forget this. They can fly a flag all they want but it is still the UNITED STATES of America. There is no Confederate States of America. We have to have a real teaching of history and that includes all the flags used by the rebel states. Without approval or disapproval.
But the time, the time is right to take such banners as the Stars and Bars and not flying over government buildings. Gov. Haley is the perfect South Carolinian to make this call.

Thoughts On The Charleston Church Massacre

There is so much to write about the events of this past Wednesday night in the massacre at Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal church in Charleston, South Carolina. 
It could and still may take multiple posts.
But let me start with arraignment of the suspect, Dylann Roof.
And let me say I am not a good Christian for I know that if something like this happened to my wife, son or other loved one, I could not express the forgiveness that so many did in court yesterday in North Charleston. But they did through their obvious pain. I would be angry, hurt and seeking justice. I do think that while they do sincerely seek to forgive, they did express the want of justice.
Which leads to Gov. Nikki Haley and her response to the massacre.
On the morning after, a visibly shaken and nearly crying governor seemed unable to speak. But once she regained her composure she spoke for a wounded state and a nation asking the collective question.
Why?
And Gov. Haley again set more of the tone that I feel yesterday by saying she wants to see the prosecutor seek the death penalty against Mr. Roof.
Then there is the suspect himself, Dylann Roof.
This is one young man fueled by clear hate, nothing more, nothing less.
Way too may people are trying to seek to make excuses or suggest that this is not the Dylann they know. Too bad but this looks like a non-starter as a website that appears to be that of Mr. Roof is filled with all the stuff of a certifiable racist. 
Our Dear Leader, President Obama, of course wasted no time-a crisis is a terrible thing to waste-in renewing his call for stricter gun control laws. His statement on Thursday morning, unlike that of Gov. Haley, sounded like a petulant child rather than a leader that should have used the occasion to promote healing and a total rejection of the Dylann Roof's of the United States. Not unlike other racial controversies, the Dear Leader, President Obama, admitted he did not have all of the facts, but suggested the ease of Mr. roof having a gun as the real reason so many were killed. I guess if Mr. Roof had simply driven a rent-a-truck full of explosives into the church, at least it would not have been a gun used, right?!
The most absurd outgrowth of this is the "Confederate" flag and the fact that it does fly near the statehouse in Columbia, South Carolina.
Now there is a massive call to remove the stars and bars one again. And everyone who seems to have commented seems to not grasp what the stars and bars are.
The origin of the flag, which I will not show, is the Army of Northern Virginia. And let's face it, the South were the antagonists and would have multiple battle flags. We, the victorious North would simply fly Old Glory at battle.
In fact, below is the actual flag of the government when the South broke away from the United States.

The stars are for the first seven states to join in open rebellion.
But as the war dragged on and the South was losing big time, the government flag became more rebellious.

In this flag in the upper left field is the dreaded stars and bars. This was the last flag of government as the North swept to victory.
There is no question that the battle flag of Northern Virginia is and always will be a flag of controversy. But let the people of South Carolina deal with it through their elected officials.
Sometimes I think way too many forgot who won the Civil War. It was us, the United States. There are too many who want to relitigate that time in our history when we have, thankfully, moved way past that dreaded time in our history.
To me, I will not forget the true Christian ladies that spoke forgiveness for a coward. They make me need to speak to Almighty God a lot more than I do now.