A surprise which should not have been

I was amused to hear it described on the radio this morning as a surprise that the Republican governor of South Carolina, Nikki R. Haley called on Monday for South Carolina to do what just a week ago seemed politically impossible — remove the Confederate battle flag from its perch in front of the State House building here.

Governor Haley, an Indian-American, is the first member of an ethnic minority to serve as governor of the state as well as the first woman.

She argued that a symbol long revered by many Southerners was for some, after the church massacre in Charleston, a

“deeply offensive symbol of a brutally offensive past”

and added that

“The events of this week call upon us to look at this in a different way.”

A few minutes ago the South Carolina House of Representatives voted 103 to 10 to debate Governor Haley's request. The state senate also agreed on a voice vote.

The only thing which was surprising about this was the fact that some people thought it was a surprise. I am indebted to Quentin Langley for some aspects of the history below


1860 - Republican President associated with opposition to slavery elected
1860 - in response Southern Democrats begin preparing plans to secede/rebel
1861 - Democrats first fly Confederate flag in South Carolina as symbol of secession/rebellion.
1865 - Confederates lose. Republican President removes flag of the defeated rebellion.
1962 - Democrats decide to fly the flag again
1995 - Republican governor removes it
2000 - Democrat legislature passes law, signed by a Democrat governor, requiring the flag be flown
2015 - Gunman murders nine black people. Arrested suspect had posed with Confederate flag
2015 - some Democrats demand to know why Republican governor is flying the flag
2015 - Republican governor asks state legislature for agreement to remove the flag.

Comments

Jim said…
Smells a bit of the tweet on flags of the St George Cross in Rotherham really. Confederate flags are a part of some peoples identity almost, in the same way the St George Cross is a part of mine, I much prefer that than the Union Jack, and it will be a cold day in hell before you ever see me with an EU Ensign.
Jim said…
An example is my driving licence, on the front of it each section is numbered.

Section 3 gives your Date and Country of birth, Most people have "United Kingdom" on it, I don't. It says "ENGLAND", there is a UNITED KINGDOM tick box when you apply for it, I ticked "Other" and wrote England, I am pleased to state the DVLA respected that (probably because they are based in Wales and the staff understood and respected my view point).

Its not a good idea to remove things that people relate to as a part of who they are, This goes for the confederate flag as well as to the nation of England.
Chris Whiteside said…
I have the impression that a number of people in the states who, up until the South Caroline church massacre last week, would have taken that position are now changing their minds.

I know some people accuse the Union Flag and the Cross of St George of being racist symbols, but they are basically spouting politically-correct drivel and most people realise it. Even Labour don't dare to say that sort of thing openly any more - witness the fact that Emily Thornberry had to resign from the shadow cabinet.

Unfortunately for those non-racists who think the Confederate Flag is a symbol of States Rights and of their Southern identity, people who link it to support for slavery actually do have a case. And ironically the South Carolina gunman, in a manner he probably did not intend, has significantly boosted that argument.

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