Confederate Flag Removed From South Carolina Statehouse Grounds

The Republican governor has called for the flag’s removal. That design lasted only until 2003, when Barnes lost re-election and his Republican successor signed a bill into law restoring the stars and bars-inspired design. The flag resembles the Southern Cross design but is rectangular and does not have the white border. But the original reasons for that anger, including black people dying at the hands of police in Missouri, Ohio, New York and elsewhere, remain complex, unresolved, and far-flung from any southern statehouse.

Highway Patrol Cpl. Rupert Pope downplayed the significance of their race in the ceremony.

The honor guard was the same group of men who carried Pinckney’s coffin into the Statehouse for a viewing last month.

Before the debating started, a lawmaker whose district includes the Charleston church where a white racist murdered nine black worshipers on June 17, told the state Senators they owed it to the victims to mothball the flag.

Allegretti says he does not support Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree in his removal of the state flag from city buildings, “Why would he take our flag down?” But now on the other side of that tragedy, we see a lot of positives coming out.

“Generations were changed forever, from the act of one guy”, Bingley said.

The state legislature passed a bill ordering the flag’s relocation on Thursday by a wide majority after three days of tense debate.

In Virginia, the Sons of Confederate Veterans are fighting McAuliffe’s order to remove the Confederate flag from specialty license plates. The flag represented, for some white South Carolinians, a past that was invented out of whole cloth – a past in which something other than slavery was the cause of a conflict Southerners called the “War Between the States”.

It was also embraced by opponents of the civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s.

“We all have to live together you know, and I think everyone should be in an environment where everyone is comfortable around each other and that flag draws a line”, explained Goolsby. And that’s why he thinks it’s more appropriate that the board can get a more “honest” reaction from voters in a polling booth.

In the end, the version of the Confederate flag that today is painted on trucks, printed on ball caps and tattooed on people across the country is actually the “Navy Jack”, which was hung from the smaller mast of some Confederate ships, according to Mr. Martucci and John Hartvigsen, president of the North American Vexillological Association.

“I cannot believe that we do not have the heart in this body to do something meaningful, such as take a symbol of hate off these grounds on Friday!”

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) has been widely praised for leading the charge to take down the flag, even after she balked at doing so past year.

“It feels so good to be out here and be happy about it”, said Ronald D.

Still, some were not celebrating. Clad in a black dress similar to those worn in the 19th century, Cindy Lampley clutched a poster showing photos of ancestors who fought for the Confederacy.

“I think the more important part is it should have never been there”, she said.

“It seems that I’m still having to have the same conversation my parents had with me about being equal”.

FBI Director James Comey said on Friday that Roof was only able to purchase a gun in April because of the background check mix-up. Also with him was one of his 11 grandchildren, 4-year-old Shantel who, with his young niece, Allanee, began chanting, “Take it down”.