In a fitting postscript to
the Charleston murders June 17, the people of South Carolina continued to demonstrate to our leaders in
Washington , D.C. ,
the people of the USA ,
and the rest of the world how to handle a tragedy with compassion and grace.
In a matter of less than a
month one of the most divisive and controversial issues was resolved, perhaps
bringing to an end, at last, our Civil War.
As mentioned earlier, the
shooter in Charleston posted Facebook images of
his fascination with the Battle
flag of the Virginia Brigade who fought in the Civil War.
Most people and news media
mistakenly called it the Confederate Flag although my earlier article about the
Confederate flag proved that was false.
In fact, after the Civil
War it pretty much disappeared with all the other state militia flags from the
South until it was revived in the 1940's through 1960's and was hijacked from
being a symbol of patriotic pride for the South to being the face of racial
hatred and prejudice.
From 1962 on this flag
flew over the statehouse or on statehouse grounds in Charleston .
One of the positive offshoots of the tragic shooting was the actions by
Governor Nikki Haley, and the South
Carolina legislature ended decades of bitter debate
and removed the flag from the grounds of government to the museum where it
belonged.
It will forever be a
fitting tribute to the Charleston Nine and their legacy.
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