News Analysis
"I hope that, by removing the flag, we can take another step towards healing and recognition
— and a sign that South Carolina is moving forward” - Senator Scott Graham after the motion passed by Governor Nikki Haley to take down the confederate flag in the wake of the devastating Charleston shooting.
Written By: Morgan Barnes, Kamali Charles, Jordan McFarlane, Jewel McNel, and Dana Richio
In recent news, Dylann Storm Roof, has been apprehended after killing nine individuals at a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17th. Roof has yet to be formally charged, but allegations are murder with racial intent, homicide, and more. During the questioning of the suspect, background information on Roof was revealed to the public. This information included images with guns and the confederate flag from a website identified now as a white supremacist website. The release of this information along with hints and suspicion that the attack on the black church were intentional have sparked new conversation among America’s people. In lieu of recent events people have begun to call for the flying of the confederate flag to be put to a halt. This debate has sparked an internet uprising as countless individuals from both sides of the argument express their opinions on the matter. Many political figures have weighed in on this subject, including Governor Nikki Haley, United States Senators, and our very own
President of the United States, Barack Obama.

Podcast Link (At 14:00 minutes President Obama begins to speak on the tough issues) : President Barack Obama speaks on race relations, gun violence, the state of America, and changing the status quo in wake of Charleston shooting in a sit down podcast with Marc Maron
In speaking with Kenny Rodger on the matter, he had several notions to say, “I understand that the south has their flag and that they have had it for many decades, but it’s what it represents that’s presenting the problem. What people aren’t seeing is that with the
Confederate Flag still being allowed to be flown it is putting the country in a stagnant position right now. Southern states are about to be isolated as Northern and Western states begin to attack them for flying that flag. The Unite States can technically still go on due to government, but when put in perspective if we’re at odds with the southern states the United states can’t function as a whole.” Rodger’s take on the matter was not a rare case. Many following his feelings have expressed that what the people in support of the Confederate flag are envisioning the flag as and what other people see are two completely different things. Many supporters of the flag have stressed its intended or manifest meaning as preaching southern pride; however, other people look at southern pride as the support or recognition of slavery from that era in history, the latent meaning. This obvious cause of division has stopped the free flowing machine that is
America and has created a problem where diagnostics and support are needed to clear the problem for the machine to function at peak efficiency again.

Video Link: South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley called for the removal of the Confederate flag from the grounds of the state Capitol Monday, less than a week after a 21-year-old white man gunned down nine people at a historic African
American church.
In response to the many people that have argued for the fall of the flag, Rick Carlisle, a
Birmingham, Alabama resident, quoted that “This flag symbolizes Southern Heritage and to bring it down would be to shame everything that the great country of America was built from.”
Now the question is brought up on whether or not symbols can change over time. As the Eastern hemisphere has proven, symbols can be changed. The swastika, an iconic symbol used by
Germany in their effort to eliminate the Jews, was first used in India as a sign of peace. After the tragic events that occurred, the Nazi symbol was discontinued due to its reminder of the massive, infamous European genocide.
Ever since the Civil War (1861-1865) many people have connected the flag to not only southern pride, but the defense of slavery and persecution based on racial heritage. While many do retort that the use of slavery is what created America, the animosity and hostility have continued well past the removal of forced labor. Carl Tillman, a resident of MT Pleasant, a small city on the outskirts of Charleston, had a slightly different opinion on what it means for the flag to come down. “The symbolization of the confederate flag does represent old American southern heritage, but that’s just it, old American southern heritage!” Tillman firmly stated. “What other country do you know still flies the flag of the party that lost the war in their country? It is disrespectful and has way more to do with than just heritage. People tend to overlook that with all those years of ‘southern heritage’ came slavery, hate, prejudice, Jim Crow laws, segregation, oppression, inequality, and injustice for minorities especially in the black community. That is my family’s ‘heritage’ in regard to the flying of the confederate flag and one I do not want to be reminded of.” In a community where racial tensions are high, the confederate flag is a

controversial symbol. For Tillman and many others in his community, the confederate flag is a symbol that represents and signifies a different side of southern American heritage.
Three of many Facebook comments in response to Walmart’s announcement of the removal of the confederate flag from all of their stores.
Walmart To Discontinue All Confederate Flag Merchandise; Bigots Weep Nationwide
After Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina announced that, “it is time to remove the flag from the Capitol grounds,” referring to the Confederate flag and how, “while an integral part of our past, does not represent the future of our great state,” many big name companies took that as incentive to start removing the flag from their businesses as well. WalMart, Sears, Amazon, and eBay have all already announced bans on all confederate flag merchandise both in stores and online. This announcement has caused controversy for those in favor of the flag, and many people have expressed their opinions on the issue via social media such as Facebook. On one hand, many people who were pro-Confederate flag before the Charleston shooting still uphold the values that it represents to them because of their family’s history. However, there are people who were pro-Confederate flag who have now changed their viewpoint because of what a negative impact it seems to have made, especially on families and friends of the victims of the

Roof shooting. Then of course, the people who were never for the Confederate flag are beginning to have a larger impact with lawmakers, which is why they’re finally taking action.
The flag controversy did not start just because of the Roof incident in South Carolina; lawmakers have been under pressure for many years to take the Confederate flag down. In 2000, lawmakers compromised with both sides of the flag issue by removing the Confederate flag from the dome of the White House and moved it across the street, and in an attempt to make it an even stronger gesture, added a monument to African Americans. Despite the growing unsteadiness felt by those in favor of the flag, Gary Oliver, a Democratic state representative, explains that, “The only way we have a prayer to completely demolish segregation is by removing all objects that have ever had any correlation with segregation and slavery.” This is unwelcome news to members of the Sons of Confederacy such as Sean Ellis who stands by his heritage and expresses it by stating how his, “ancestors died to protect this flag. It represents far more than slavery and to refuse this image in stores is just as bad as refusing the American flag. It’s flat out unpatriotic.” Ellis is not the only one to express discontent on the issue. While states like
Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and Mississippi are doing all they can to remove the symbol
(not allowing it on license plates anymore, removing the image from all flags), states like South
Carolina and Texas continue to express the injustice they feel by its removal.
Possible Backlash
While the removal of the Confederate flag cannot be instantaneous all throughout the nation, many people and corporations are leading by example in purging what they deem a symbol of hatred and oppression. Walmart has issued a statement saying that they will begin discontinuing the sale of any item bearing the confederate symbol from flags to coffee mugs. But what does all this effort lead to in the long run? In defense of the people who want the flag to be taken down for good, does this lead to the end of racism or does it simply escalate the animosity between “Southern Pride” and “Modern Morality?” We’ve seen in the past the full extent that people will go to in order to protect their liberties and cultural ways. During the times of prohibition when alcohol was registered as an illegal substance bootleggers went to great lengths to smuggle alcohol into the towns. Even during the times of slavery, when attempting to escape to the north was deemed so impossible and dangerous that it was considered illegal, many still made the effort for what they desired most. While towards many people in favor of the bringing down the flag it is a symbol of hatred, it can not be forgotten that the only reason the flag has been flown for so long and why there is any resistance to this movement now is that to the people who support the flag it symbolizes much more. To those individuals it represents a culture that they don’t wish to let go of so easily. This was a factor to what caused the Civil War many years ago and while that may not come to fruition this time the idea that the flag will be brought down without anyone guarding the pole seems unreasonable.