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.
5:58 pm
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.
6:05 pm
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.
10:17 pm
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