Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina has officially called for the removal of the confederate flag from the state capitol. “The statehouse belongs to all of us,” Haley said. The governor focused on shifting the view from the flag to the real focus — the nine victims that lost their lives in Charleston last week. Their names are Cynthia Hurd, 54; Susie Jackson, 87; Ethel Lance, 70; Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, 49; Rev. Clementa Pinckney, 41; Tywanza Sanders, 26; Rev. Daniel Simmons, 74; Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, 45, and Myra Thompson, 59. “What I ask is that the focus still remain on the nine victims, the fact that causes pain for so many is enough to remove it from capitol grounds.”
Kudos to this idea, but before you get too excited, note that the decision isn’t Haley’s alone. Two-thirds of the general assembly in South Carolina have to agree with the flag’s removal. And two-thirds of the assembly will have to vote to extend their session before they can even get to that point.
Let’s hope this is a step in the direction toward removing such a harmful symbol. Check out Haley’s remarks below.
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