UPDATED Friday, July 10, 2015, 10:16 a.m. ET-
Shortly after 10 a.m. Eastern time on Friday the confederate flag flying over South Carolina’s statehouse was lowered for good, while thousands cheered, chanted and sang. The flag was received by a representative of its new home: the Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum.
In the bloody aftermath of a bitter debate sparked by a racially motivated massacre at Emanuel AME Church last month, the Confederate flag will no longer fly at the South Carolina Statehouse.
On Thursday, Republican Gov. Nikki Haley signed legislation for the removal of the flag, which has flown over the capitol’s dome or on its grounds since 1961, according to The Washington Post.
The killings at Mother Emanuel spurred a national conversation from the statehouse to the White House to Capitol Hill, after photos emerged of Dylann Roof, the alleged gunman, waving the battle flag.
Now, Republican House Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio called for a review of Confederate symbols and memorabilia, which is likely to include those on display in the nation’s Capitol, writes The Post:
Boehner was forced to halt consideration of a government funding measure after it became engulfed by the Confederate flag controversy and whether it was appropriate to display the flags at national cemeteries where Confederate soldiers are buried.
The dispute pitted Southern conservatives who asserted that the tradition was part of their heritage against members of the Congressional Black Caucus who view the flag as a symbol of slavery and oppression.
We’re glad this reprehensible symbol is being removed from the South Carolina Statehouse, and is under review for removal at the nation’s Capitol. We also hope that the racist attitudes and divisions it represents are removed along with it.
SOURCE: The Washington Post | VIDEO CREDIT: The New York Times