On Friday of last week senator and Republican presidential candidate Lindsey Graham (R-SC) defended the presence of the Confederate flag at the South Carolina capitol by saying it's "part of who we are," but Graham has reportedly changed his mind.
Mr. Graham is expected to make the announcement during a 4 p.m. news conference with Gov. Nikki Haley, who is also expected to call for the flag’s removal, The Post and Courier of Charleston reported on Monday.
The paper said South Carolina’s other senator, Tim Scott, a Republican, would do the same, although it was unclear if he would attend the news conference.
Far as I'm concerned, politicians do not deserve a cookie for doing what is undoubtedly the right thing to do. Something which should have been done a long time ago.
Removing the Confederate flag from the state capitol is a minimal gesture of good faith that should not have required a slaughter before elected leaders decided enough was enough. Removing the flag is a start, but it's merely the beginning of a process. It is not the end. We may not see the end in our lifetimes.
It has been known since very early this morning that the state government was planning to begin the process of removing the flag from the capitol. And in what does not appear to be a coincidence to me, conservative politicians grew increasingly outspoken against the flag in the hours following the news.
Even though it appears that certain politicians did not see fit to speak out against the flag until after the decision had already been made, I have seen praise of them for displaying leadership and even "brilliance." (this puff piece from The Washington Post is a contradictory mess of bullroar)
True brilliance and leadership would have been removing the flag -- or never displaying it to begin with -- long before the attack on an historic black church.
The flag would continue to fly if not for recent events. Where's the leadership?