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The Next State To Take On The Fight Against The Confederate Flag

CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK
CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK

Following Gov. Nikki Haley’s call for the removal of the Confederate flag from South Carolina’s capitol building, the fight to take down the flag is growing outside of the Palmetto State. Three of the country’s largest retailers, Walmart, Sears, and Kmart announced they would no longer sell Confederate merchandise. And soon, Mississippi lawmakers will propose legislation that would remove the Confederate symbol from the state flag.

“We never want to offend anyone with the products that we offer. We have taken steps to remove all items promoting the confederate flag from our assortment — whether in our stores or on our web site,” explained Brian Nick, a Walmart spokesman. “We have a process in place to help lead us to the right decisions when it comes to the merchandise we sell. Still, at times, items make their way into our assortment improperly — this is one of those instances.”

In the days following the mass shooting in Charleston’s Emanuel A.M.E. church, the Confederate flag has been under renewed scrutiny as a symbol of racism that perpetuates hostility towards black people in the South. A photograph of shooting suspect Dylann Storm Roof posing on top of a car with a Confederate flag license plate went viral shortly after the massacre. It was quickly determined that Roof’s primary motivation was to start a race war, as outlined in a lengthy manifesto.

Sen. Kenny Jones (D-MS) now says he and some of his colleagues may pre-file a bill to remove the Confederate emblem, before Mississippi’s next legislative session. He has the backing of Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn (R-MS), who echoed Haley’s calls to rethink the Confederate flag’s presence in his state on Monday. “We must always remember our past, but that does not mean we must let it define us,” he said. “As a Christian, I believe our state’s flag has become a point of offense that needs to be removed. We need to begin having conversations about changing Mississippi’s flag.” He is the first elected Mississippi Republican to argue the state flag should be changed or removed.

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But the fight to remove the flag from Southern state has historically been a contentious one, with many arguing the flag is actually a symbol of regional pride and history. In South Carolina alone, a long line of politicians has ardently opposed the removal of the flag, making Haley’s announcement all the more surprising. Nevertheless, growing backlash in the wake of the the church shooting has empowered people to speak publicly about the need to put the argument to rest.