Ditch The Confederate Flag

Last weekend was Independence Day. But the past four weeks have been Ditch the Confederate Flag Month.

In June, in the wake of yet another "random" event that seemingly happens regularly - the killing of nine people in a shooting at a historic black church in Charleston, S.C., allegedly by an individual with strong racist viewpoints, the author of a manifesto targeting blacks, Jews and Hispanics on his web site - a national push to remove the Confederate flag from public sites in southern states not only gained momentum, but resulted in said action.

State leaders across the south took up the debate over the prominence of the Confederate flag in their states following a sudden swell of support for removing the Confederate flag from the State House grounds in South Carolina. Heck, South Carolina Republican State Sen. Paul Thurmond - son of longtime US Senator and segregationist Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond - looked past his own ancestry and said the "time is right" to remove the symbolic flag from above the statehouse one day after Gov. Nikki Haley and Sen. Lindsey Graham called for its removal. The South Carolina state Senate voted 37-3 in favor of the measure this week. 

In Mississippi, GOP House Speaker Philip Gunn said it was time for his state to change its flag, which includes the Confederate insignia - a sign of the slave-holding South. And in Alabama, Gov. Robert Bentley ordered four Confederate banners taken down from a large monument to secessionist soldiers outside that state's capitol.

"This is the right thing to do,” Bentley said. “We are facing some major issues in this state regarding the budget and other matters that we need to deal with. This had the potential to become a major distraction as we go forward. I have taxes to raise, we have work to do. And it was my decision that the flag needed to come down.”

There are definitely pockets of resistance in Florida. Just a few days ago, Marion County commissioners voted unanimously to put the Confederate flag back up at the county's government complex; it has been removed for several weeks during the national discussion. And this Saturday morning, an “American & Southern Flag Rally” will include a parade down parts of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, Okeechobee Boulevard, State Road 7 and Southern Boulevard. It is being promoted as a “peaceful and respectful” event.

But in general, in Florida, no such public debate has existed, probably because the verbal spar took place 14 years ago. With far less fanfare, then-Gov. Jeb Bush removed the Confederate flag from the Florida state Capitol in Tallahassee.

"Regardless of our views about the symbolism of the ... flags - and people of goodwill can disagree on the subject - the governor believes that most Floridians would agree that the symbols of Florida's past should not be displayed in a manner that may divide Floridians today," a Bush spokeswoman said at the time.

On Feb. 2, 2001, Bush quietly retired the flag - as well as flags of the French, Spanish and British governments, which once controlled the state - and placed it in the Museum of Florida History.

When Bush made his move, he was called “spineless” and “racist to Southern people,” and was accused of “pandering” to African-Americans. He was also repeatedly warned he would be defeated in the next election. But he stood by his decision, stating, “I can lead by example for the rest of the state. I have done so by embracing diversity and having no tolerance for racial hatred. My record has lost me support but it is the right thing to do.”

In hindsight, Bush’s support did not suffer - he won re-election - and the move was, indeed, the right thing to do. I hope those supporters of alleged “southern pride” take note of this today. It’s time to move into the 21st Century.