SC

#ConfederateFlag: Taken Down

REBEL BANNER FURLED IN DIXIE …  || By FITSNEWS || Just like that … it’s gone. In a matter of seconds – using a few flexes of his tricep muscles – a member of the S.C. Highway Patrol honor guard took down the Confederate flag from the north lawn of the…

REBEL BANNER FURLED IN DIXIE … 

|| By FITSNEWS || Just like that … it’s gone.

In a matter of seconds – using a few flexes of his tricep muscles – a member of the S.C. Highway Patrol honor guard took down the Confederate flag from the north lawn of the S.C. State House.

Hundreds of onlookers erupted in applause.

“USA! USA!” they chanted.

Others stood stoically. A few holding the bygone banner over their shoulders wiped away tears.

But in that moment, a brief but bitter debate over the south’s most celebrated icon drew to a close – less than a month after it began anew with a flurry of bullets in a historic church two hours down the road from the state capital in Columbia, S.C.

The horrific, racially motivated “Holy City Massacre” – the mass murder of nine black churchgoers at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in downtown Charleston, S.C. – was the impetus for the movement to “furl the flag,” another popular chant among the crowd of flag opponents gathered at the S.C. State House for the ceremony.

The Mother Emanuel victims – among them S.C. Senator Clementa Pinckney, the church’s pastor – were gunned down during a Bible study by Dylann Storm Roof, a 21-year-old white supremacist who used the flag as his calling card.

We supported removing the flag (for more on “why” click here and here).  In fact lawmakers pretty much followed our advice in taking the banner down sooner rather than later – as they should have.

In the early morning hours Thursday, the S.C. House voted 94-20 to remove the banner “free and clear” – which is exactly what the S.C. Senate voted to do earlier in the week by a 37-3 margin.  S.C. governor Nikki Haley – a former flag supporter –  signed the bill on Thursday, paving the way for Friday’s lowering ceremony.

How did we get here?  Why was the flag flying from the State House grounds in the first place?

To recap: On April 11, 1961 a version of the Confederate flag was hoisted above the S.C. State House at the request of S.C. Rep. John A. May of Aiken, S.C.  The following March, a resolution sponsored by May was passed to keep the flag flying for one more year.  However May’s resolution contained no end date, and so the flag flew from atop the dome (and from within both chambers of the State House) for another four decades until July 1, 2000.  That’s when a bipartisan, biracial compromise took the banner off the dome (and out of the chambers) and hoisted another version of the flag at its current location on the north lawn of the State House.

“Off the dome and in your face,” flag supporters said at the time.

That version of the controversial banner has flown ever since … until today.

(Click to enlarge)

Media ...Police presence ... S.C. Highway Patrol ... More security ...One last breeze ... Flag crowd ...

Where will the flag go now?

Upon its removal, the banner was delivered to the director of the Confederate Relic Room – a government-run facility whose funding this website has repeatedly opposed (along with all non-Confederate museums).

S.C. House members have passed legislation guaranteeing the flag’s “permanent” placement at this facility – along with the construction of a shrine to South Carolina veterans of the Confederate army.

We oppose the creation of such a shrine – as well as the ongoing taxpayer subsidization of any museum.  The Confederate Relic Room should be privatized, and judging by the sizable contingent of flag supporters who gathered for Friday’s historic ceremony – there’s a market out there for such a facility.

***

Related posts

SC

South Carolina Dance Star Missing, Abandoned Vehicle Found Near Congaree Park

Callie Lyons
SC

Keeping The Peace At Solid Rock

Callie Lyons
SC

Flooding Temporarily Shuts Down Hunting Season In South Carolina

Erin Parrott

210 comments

Just Another Guy July 10, 2015 at 10:46 am

Control C and Control V

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 10:46 am

” horrific, racially motivated”

Now if you’d just take this overused phrase down.

Reply
Will Folks aka Sic July 10, 2015 at 11:05 am

I’d argue the Charleston church shooting was horrific. And racially motivated. Which is why we say it.

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 11:09 am

We’ve noticed. Everyone here knows what you’re talking about we don’t need detailed information of the shooting, it’s all you’ve talked about for the past three weeks.

Reply
Rrrright July 10, 2015 at 11:11 am

it’s a bit like listening to NPR. If I had a dime for every time the phrases “white cop, black man” or “white shooter, black victims” has been uttered over the past year, I’d retire.

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 11:12 am

If they reversed the colors they’d never get anything else said.

Jackie Chiles July 10, 2015 at 11:10 am

But every story? Literally nobody could seriously post the same sentence in this way and be serious about it. It’s pretty fucked up to troll people on what is a serious issue involving the literal murder of 9 people.

Reply
Copy Paste July 10, 2015 at 2:10 pm

Most posts on this site that are on the same vein have various paragraphs copied and pasted, this isn’t very uncommon with other media sites either, why are you just now complaining about it?

Reply
Jackie Chiles July 10, 2015 at 2:51 pm

Show me this or any other quasi news website that’s covered a single shooting with this many stories and used the same sentence describing the shootings so many times that it became a source of mockery.

SCBlues July 10, 2015 at 11:25 am

It wasn’t horrific to many on here . . . .

Reply
The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 11:38 am

Yeah, not so much, I doubt you can find one real poster who’d justify what happened.

Reply
SCBlues July 10, 2015 at 3:22 pm

Uh – well I am assuming those were real posts that I read on here – or do they just magically appear? Some of them vile and offensive and nauseating –

The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 3:39 pm

Real vice trolling by the same person.

Mom July 10, 2015 at 11:44 am

It was horrific unless you are a loner narcissist who has no life except for reading and posting to Fits.

Reply
SCBlues July 10, 2015 at 3:24 pm

Well there must be a helluva bunch of loner narcissists with no life based on the disgusting comments appearing on this forum – none of them were yours were they?

Mom July 10, 2015 at 11:42 am

“Racially motivated” implies that large groups of pp against each other. Not the case here. Dylann Roof was ONE nutcase who happened to hate black people.

Reply
mamatiger92 July 10, 2015 at 12:49 pm

…. which is why it was racially motivated.

Reply
9" July 10, 2015 at 2:08 pm

Superficially.He was having a psychotic break.

SCBlues July 10, 2015 at 3:30 pm

(Mom has been into the cooking sherry again . . .)

The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 3:40 pm

Well after all this “…horrific, racially…” stuff, most of us have gone through all the good stuff…

CNSYD July 10, 2015 at 1:45 pm

“we”? is there a mouse in your pocket?

Reply
The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 1:53 pm

Does this response count? if so, we’re up to seven and I can go to lunch.

Reply
TontoBubbaGoldstein July 11, 2015 at 8:29 am

It was also unusual, rare, the act of a madman…

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 10:49 am

So nothing about the distrespect display by the anti-flag crowd?

On WIS’s feed all we heard was some ebonics screaming bitch yelling “WHAT!!!” to her tribe yelling “Take it down!!!”. Later to be changed to “Na, na, nana… hey, hey, goodbye!!!”. Pure class by the North Columbia Section 8 housing project section.

Reply
Speak D Truth July 10, 2015 at 10:59 am

WIS did just briefly mention the statements and that some people found them disrespectful. I was surprised.

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 10:59 am

And I bet Judy did it while smiling the entire time.

Reply
Fecal Matters July 10, 2015 at 11:06 am

Is that a smile? I thought the upturned lips were a secondary effect from squinting to read the teleprompter.

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 11:08 am

Well it does take those side-mounted eyes time to focus on anything directly in front of her.

Boss,I need time off 2 protest July 10, 2015 at 11:20 am

“Pure class by the North Columbia Section 8 housing project section.”

Wait, you’re telling me that they didn’t take time off from their job today to be there? Instead, they left their government subsidized housing to protest the Confederate flag residing on government land?

If that’s what you are saying, that’s pretty damn ironic.

Reply
Will's Key Board July 10, 2015 at 10:51 am

Somebody please wipe the spooge off of me.

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 10:55 am

I’m so sick of this media overbearing coverage that I’m almost glad that little bastard shot everyone.

Reply
Goobersmacker July 10, 2015 at 11:10 am

It’s a goddam shame he didn’t shoot you too, you ignorant piece of white trash.

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 11:11 am

Bet I’m smarter than you, Section 8 troll.

Reply
Goobersmacker July 10, 2015 at 11:13 am

You’ve already proved you’re not even close, white trash. I took a shit this morning that is smarter than you are. Trash is trash and ignorant white trash like you is the worst of all.

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 11:15 am

That made me laugh, you may be ignorant but at least your funny.

The Buzzman July 10, 2015 at 11:13 am

Sick fuckers like you is why the flag needed to come down.

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 11:14 am

Well now that it’s down, the country will transform into a utopian society.

Reply
The Buzzman July 10, 2015 at 11:17 am

No it won’t. That’s just rhetorical bullshit. What won’t happen now is your buddies in the pointy hats (over their pointy heads) won’t be able to pose for Dylann Roof style selfies in front of the damned thing, and agitate more of you people into doing crazy shit.

Reply
Jackie Chiles July 10, 2015 at 11:18 am

Uh, Roof didn’t take a photo in front of the statehouse battle flag. However, if that was the criteria, then when are we bulldozing boone hall plantation?

The Buzzman July 10, 2015 at 11:20 am

That’s a dumb comment, even for you. We are talking about a flag in front of the Statehouse. Who the hell is talking about bulldozing Boone Hall instead of you?

Jackie Chiles July 10, 2015 at 11:22 am

Roof took a photo of himself standing in front of Boone Hall bruh.

Fucking Idiot July 10, 2015 at 2:16 pm

Boone Hall is privately owned you moron. The flag was flying on public property mandated by the government. If you can’t tell a difference you need to get your head examined.

Jackie Chiles July 10, 2015 at 3:04 pm

Your stated reason that the flag should be removed was so people like Dylan Roof could not take photos in front of it before murdering innocent black people. Since he didn’t take photos in front of the battle flag on the State House grounds, I thought you maybe needed some help in pointing out places he took photos in front of so we could destroy them to prevent future people from taking photos in front of them and then proceeding to go on killing sprees.

You then get your feelings hurt and start asking me who brought up Boone Hall Plantation. I point out he took photos in front of Boone Hall Plantation, then, realizing you had tears streaming down your face in humiliation, you proceed to call me a moron because I lacked the ability to read your mind and determine that you meant that you were only talking about public property.

Tl;dr version: You need to learn how to communicate via the written medium.

SCBlues July 10, 2015 at 4:23 pm

” If you can’t tell a difference you need to get your head examined.>
It was examined and declared brainless . . . . fucking idiot is most appropriate.

Thank you kettle July 10, 2015 at 11:23 am

“That’s a dumb comment, even for you. ”

It really isn’t. You’re claiming that people “won’t be able to pose for Dylann Roof style selfies in front of the damned thing, and agitate more of you people into doing crazy shit.” which is pie in the sky fantasy.

You’re completely deluded. There will always be things that make crazy people do crazy things no matter how hard you try to cleanse society of all objectionable material.

You’re a lunatic.

The Confederacy Lost July 10, 2015 at 2:20 pm

The flag was put up during the Civil Rights era. It was an intentionally divisive thing to do. Roof sparked the movement but he’s not the sole reason it was taken down, but all the little racist punks whining today is music to our ears.

Roof didn’t spark a race war, people came together over the ones he killed and his favorite little piece of shit flag was taken down thanks in part to his actions. He failed miserably.

Really? July 10, 2015 at 3:04 pm

“but all the little racist punks whining today is music to our ears”

That’s really an odd thing to say. It’s like you want a race war.

“It was an intentionally divisive thing to do.”

Look, if you’re going to go through life worried about people & their symbols you’re gonna have a lot more cleansing to do than just 1 stupid flag.

Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 12:25 pm

Boy you’re worked up today…

jimlewisgowb July 10, 2015 at 11:28 am

It is far more politically correct to pick and choose what to destroy immediately based on polls and viability of furthering one’s political destiny, than to pursue other alternatives

Have no doubt if the little snot had posed in front of the Mast General Store on Main Street the building would have been bulldozed by now

Alex DeLarge July 10, 2015 at 10:58 am

Can we now stop pretending that white privilege has anything to do with the American Dream? The flag is down, now we can all embrace personal accountability. Right?

Reply
Speak D Truth July 10, 2015 at 11:02 am

Caution Highly sarcastic remark being made for comedic purposes:
If we do start embracing personal responsibility it will be all your fault. Don’t blame me.

Reply
RogueElephant July 10, 2015 at 12:32 pm

In your , and my , dreams. But it ain’t gonna happen with Dims ever.

Reply
Observer July 10, 2015 at 11:08 am

The same people who were chanting “USA, USA!” are the same ones who were posing for selfies STANDING on the American Flag not too long ago….which by the way is the next target. Bank on it.

Reply
erneba July 10, 2015 at 11:15 am

I heard a political pundit last night telling everyone that we are in the first stage of anarchy.
I am not in agreement with that, but lawlessness and constant turmoil has become common in certain areas and within certain groups.

Reply
mamatiger92 July 10, 2015 at 12:47 pm

No it’s not. For crissakes enough with this “the American Flag” is next nonsense.

Reply
Observer July 10, 2015 at 2:09 pm

Just. You. Watch.

Reply
Flip July 10, 2015 at 2:18 pm

I want to take down the American flag! I hate America! Just listen to me talk about the president, congress, the supreme court, even my fellow Americans on this blog! LMAO!!!!!!

Reply
Flip the Flipping Retard July 10, 2015 at 2:07 pm

Flip is the only one asking to burn American flags.

Reply
davis mcclam July 10, 2015 at 11:10 am

While my ancestors were defending their homeland, Nikki Haley’s were charming snakes on the streets of Bombay. There is no national identity left and apparently no Southern identity either. All of you need to remember that it was the North who attacked the South in Virginia.

Reply
SCBlueWoman July 10, 2015 at 11:14 am Reply
Victorious Secret July 10, 2015 at 11:36 am

Correct statement. But who fired the first shots is arguably someone else

http://www.citadel.edu/root/star-ofthe-west-152

Reply
Bible Thumper July 10, 2015 at 11:15 am

CORRECTION: While my ancestors were defending their homeland holding slaves, defending slavery or held as slaves.

I would rather be a snake charmer.

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 11:16 am

Who captured those slaves originally?

Reply
Bible Thumper July 10, 2015 at 11:22 am

Other black tribes, New England shippers. They might have agreed with you referring to a person’s entire heritage as snake charmers.

Reply
The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 11:45 am

Actually much of the slave trading was conducted by Arabs.

RogueElephant July 10, 2015 at 12:41 pm

Arabs were salve traders all the way back to biblical times and are still active in it today. Isn’t that what all the ruckus is in Africa today ? If I remember correctly those African girls were captured for the slave trade.

The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 1:30 pm

Shhh, we destroy the narrative when we talk about this stuff – many forget that slavery is still legal in Maratania and defacto legal in many countries in the world.

– Russia has more than a million young women wrapped up in the sex trades as slaves.

– Congo and Nigeria have more than 750,000 slave each.

– India may have as many as 14,000,000 slaves

http://247wallst.com/special-report/2014/11/20/countries-with-the-most-slaves/2/

RogueElephant July 10, 2015 at 4:35 pm

That’s right. Only white Southerners were ever slave owners. Yeah Right. LOL

The Buzzman July 11, 2015 at 3:15 pm

Fuck the narrative. Truth is truth, and again: All this justifies nothing at all about the past where slavery is concerned.

The Buzzman July 11, 2015 at 3:04 pm

Native American girls were captured and raped by Columbus and his crew, who also enslaved and murdered the natives by the hundreds, everywhere they went in the Americas. That is about as relevant to this conversation as any of this other crap. Slavery was and is wrong, whoever did it or does it, at in point in history and anywhere in the world. Native American slave owners include. Holy crap, what a lot of garbage you people spout about these issues to make the “white” rebel-flag-loving South look good in all ways.

linthead sandlapper July 10, 2015 at 5:01 pm

Eskimos

Reply
truthmonger July 10, 2015 at 12:03 pm

What about the four Unions states that remained slaveholding until AFTER the war?

Reply
Limbaughsaphatkhunt July 12, 2015 at 12:08 am

Shhhhh…..the truth hurts didn’t you know. They’d rather conveniently sweep that under the sweet grass rug.

Narrative vs. Reality…the struggle of the Fox News crowd.

Reply
mamatiger92 July 10, 2015 at 12:43 pm

Oh, please… what is your address? If the flag is that important to your “Southern identity”, I will mail you a dozen. Shave one in your chest hair if need be.

Reply
sparklecity July 10, 2015 at 2:17 pm

Southern identity my ass!!!!!
If hot-headed South Carolinians had not shelled Ft. Sumter but instead blockaded it and starved the Federals out you just might have had that glorious Confederacy some of you swoon over………
But NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!
South Carolina has nothing to blame this bullshit on but itself
Plain and simple……………………

Reply
CNSYD July 10, 2015 at 4:06 pm

You miss several important events prior that created the situation. Start with Anderson’s move from Fort Moultrie and then go on to the Star of the West. Learn what really happened vs. oft told tales.

Reply
notLindaBurke July 11, 2015 at 2:20 pm

Don’t you mean “no WHITE Southern identity?” The kind that ignores the fact that in 1850 the number of blacks in Beaufort County SC was 5.4 times the number of whites? The 1850 population was enumerated at 38,505, with 84.7% being black (83.2% were slaves). With numbers like those, it’s hard to claim that at that time “Southern identity” was anything but dark-skinned immigrant forced labor.

Reply
Limbaughsaphatkhunt July 12, 2015 at 12:07 am

Soooooo…you support slavery and treason against the US?

Reply
jimlewisgowb July 10, 2015 at 11:19 am

Hey willie – now that the “flag” is down what in the hell are you going to write about

Oh, my bad – now we will get another 6 weeks of stories about the reactions that the “flag” is down

Reply
Scooter July 10, 2015 at 12:34 pm

Ravenel

Reply
Ernesto July 10, 2015 at 11:26 am

The racial froth being displayed here shows we have a long way to go.

Reply
KeepingItReal July 10, 2015 at 11:29 am

There’s really only one person in this threat espousing racist sentiments, the rest is just real talk you’re misinterpreting as racist.

Reply
State Employee July 10, 2015 at 11:26 am

Interestingly, Robert Ford was the one who introduced the bill moving the flag from the dome to the memorial. However, he wanted a three-flag system: one encased in glass at the memorial, one flying over the women’s memorial, and a black liberation flag at the african-american memorial. Funny that all of the #takeitdown-ers haven’t caught wind of the original intent of Mr. Ford’s bill, otherwise they’d be asking for the raising of additional flags in its stead.

Reply
Comrade1917 July 10, 2015 at 11:32 am

USSA!
USSA!
USSA!

Reply
Limbaughsaphatkhunt July 12, 2015 at 12:07 am

At least it’s not CSA! Lol…still losers after 150 years.

Reply
The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 11:36 am

“…The horrific, racially motivated “Holy City Massacre”…”

That would be six, cheers!

Reply
CNSYD July 10, 2015 at 1:53 pm

How close are you to 50? Notice that even the MSM doesn’t use that phrase.

Reply
The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 2:03 pm

3 years past…

Reply
Mom July 10, 2015 at 11:39 am

“Remove Ben Tillman Monument” is what we saw in today’s The State newspaper. This ain’t over yet.

Reply
The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 11:43 am

Wanna bet?

Reply
Mom July 10, 2015 at 11:54 am

Not a gambling gal. But you wait and see. People have been complaining about Tillman Hall at Clemson Univ for decades. They won’t stop until building names are changed and monuments are removed.

Reply
The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 11:58 am

Here’s the problem with Tillman Hall and Clemson/Winthrop; for all his evils, he is still a significant part of their founding. The issue is one of interpretation, it’s best to leave some historical villains around or you won’t recognize the next one.

Reply
Mom July 10, 2015 at 12:04 pm

Ditto. Same with Thomas Jefferson. He not only owned slaves, but used them as concubines and fathered children with them. Although he did support them financially he did not father them the way he would have if they were born to a white mother. To me that’s not something to be proud of. But we still have monuments, roads and schools named after him.

The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 12:19 pm

There is NO empirical evidence that Thomas Jefferson fathered any children with Sally Hemming or any other person of color. His brother Randolph was a known “swordsman” spreading his pollen among the white and colored, married and unmarried population at the time. He is most likely the father of Hemming’s children. The much ballyhooed DNA tests only showed that it was possible one of ten Jefferson men was the father.

Mom July 10, 2015 at 12:24 pm

Disagree. But Thomas Jefferson did own slaves and knew he needed them to hold on to his land.

The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 12:35 pm

Disagree all you want but the facts support my argument regardless of what you may have read.

Does this somehow make his ownership of slaves less scandalous to us? No, but in context, it is far less of an issue. The difference between Jefferson and Tillman is that Tillman boasted of murder and denial of the civil rights of fellow citizens while Jefferson wrote “..”For in a warm climate, no man will labour for himself who can make another labour for him. This is so true, that of the proprietors of slaves a very small proportion indeed are ever seen to labor. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever . . . “

CNSYD July 10, 2015 at 1:52 pm

DNA tests done in 2005 are touted as proof TJ was the father.

The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 3:24 pm

Since then, “…a committee commissioned by the Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society, after reviewing essentially the same material, reached different conclusions, namely that Sally Hemings was only a minor figure in Thomas Jefferson’s life and that it is very unlikely he fathered any of her children. This committee also suggested in its report, issued in April 2001 and revised in 2011, that Jefferson’s younger brother Randolph (1755-1815) was more likely the father of at least some of Sally Hemings’s children…” http://www.monticello.org/site/plantation-and-slavery/thomas-jefferson-and-sally-hemings-brief-account

CNSYD July 10, 2015 at 4:12 pm

I am always suspect of utterances from “Monticello.org”. You have to take anything said by FFV with a huge grain of salt.

Soft Sigh from Hell July 10, 2015 at 11:46 am

He has/had nothing to do with Confederate heritage.

Why would the supposed heritage types be supporting him?

Reply
Mom July 10, 2015 at 11:49 am

He was a nasty person – google him. But so was Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Martin Luther King, Strom Thurman. Are we going to remove all those monuments?

Reply
Soft Sigh from Hell July 10, 2015 at 11:53 am

So, to try to salvage some meaning out of your post, the Confederate heritage types support nasty people irrespective “irregardless,” for the home schooled) of any Confederate connection?

Reply
Mom July 10, 2015 at 11:58 am

Nope. Just sayin’ when a monument or building or school or road is named for a person, dead or alive, chances are there are some “imperfections” in the person named. Sometimes, those “imperfections” are not known for decades.

Soft Sigh from Hell July 10, 2015 at 12:07 pm

Sometimes the imperfections are why the person was memorialized.

Mom July 10, 2015 at 12:09 pm

Like who?

Soft Sigh from Hell July 10, 2015 at 12:15 pm

Like Tillman.

Mom July 10, 2015 at 12:19 pm

Tillman was memorialized bc he was S.C. governor and was instrumental in founding Clemson Univ., not bc he was a nasty person.

Soft Sigh from Hell July 10, 2015 at 4:28 pm

Tillman was memorialized because the Constitution of 1895 empowered the rural white trash and effectively disenfranchized blacks.

Scooter July 10, 2015 at 12:38 pm

Nasty. That is an AA word.

Reply
Mom July 10, 2015 at 11:59 am

He owned slaves, killed slaves and was a white supremist. He was also governor.

Reply
Soft Sigh from Hell July 10, 2015 at 12:05 pm

He was 18 when the war ended. He has no notable Civil War connection.

Reply
Betsy Ross July 10, 2015 at 11:39 am

FITS, maybe you can answer this? Why is Fritz Hollings name never mentioned by you and The State and other media and highlighted since he was the South Carolina Governor who presided over the raising of the Confederate Flag in 1961? You could call him a real “racist” for doing this but nobody every does, could it be because he was a Democratic Liberal? If Governor Jim Edwards had be serving as Governor at the time all Holy Hell would have been cast upon him by liberals. Does old jawbone, talkative Fritz get a pass from blacks/liberals cause he’s a liberal?

Reply
Alexander_N July 10, 2015 at 12:36 pm

Fritz was a lot of things but Liberal ain’t one of ’em. A conscientious liberal would have never protested the end of segregation. The very definition of conservatism however is the preservation of the current tradition or the reinstatement of old ways. He doesn’t get a pass. But you don’t hear anything about him because he was just the guy in charge who signed the law. There were a lot more dirty hands in the state congress who made sure this bill was written. They were all cowards. His signing or not would have never stopped it from happening. And then through the years as the power changed hands, nobody still did anything. It took Mitt and other Republicans outside the state saying how stupid it was to have that treasonous flag flying in front of our state capital to finally shame them into doing it; Republicans and Democrats both.

Reply
mamatiger92 July 10, 2015 at 12:39 pm

Does it matter?

Reply
Racist Republicans July 10, 2015 at 2:11 pm

It does if we are going to successfully project our support of the flag as Democrat racism.

Reply
Do what now? July 10, 2015 at 11:40 am

can someone explain to me what the lottery commission has to do with the flag?

Reply
CorruptionInColumbia July 10, 2015 at 3:05 pm

Huh???

Reply
Quietus July 10, 2015 at 3:25 pm

Someone was commenting on WIS-TV to about all the other things that need to be fixed so we can “move forward” one of them was apparently the “racist” lottery commission. I was exceeding confused by this.

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 3:46 pm

Well you get a life scholarship you have to graduate high school with a fairly decent GPA, so in a sense it is racist since that breed tends to drop out or graduate with a low GPA.

Reply
Comrade1917 July 10, 2015 at 11:41 am

Federal power rules supreme in 1865: the United STATE of America is enshrined forever.

Reply
Bible Thumper July 10, 2015 at 11:42 am

With all the snarky comments excepted, “This is a great day in South Carolina.”

The positive public relations could not have been bought with any amount of money. And there will be dividends that come out of it.

Reply
TontoBubbaGoldstein July 11, 2015 at 8:27 am

…there will be dividends that come out of it.

TBG’S gonna be rich, BEETCHEZZZZ!

Reply
Quietus July 10, 2015 at 11:47 am

The chanting, singing and calling fake cadence when the SCHP honor guard was marching were all inappropriate to the place and situation. If you cannot maintain decorum for a ceremonial flag lowering you should not attend.

Reply
Scooter July 10, 2015 at 12:36 pm

That honor guard was a shame Fat and out of shape.

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 3:45 pm

So you’re saying they represented SC as a whole very well.

You sit in a car all day eating doughnuts and see let’s see how you look.

Reply
sparklecity July 10, 2015 at 12:52 pm

I think you mean “participate’ and not “attend”
Anyhoo….
What were the “Smokies” chanting?——-Gregorian chants??? Or something like “more tickets,more tickets, more tickets,more tickets,more tickets,more tickets”
What were they singing—“Dixie”?
Even better would have been “The Day They Drove Old Dixie Down”!!!!!!!!!

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 1:18 pm

It wasn’t the honor guard chanting, it was a certain group of Section 8 housing project type individuals who likely wouldn’t qualify for military service.

Reply
Quietus July 10, 2015 at 1:27 pm

They weren’t. The crowd was being unruly and disrespectful.

Reply
sparklecity July 10, 2015 at 2:21 pm

OK
Just misunderstood what you were writing.
Who in the crowd were doing that: pro or con Rebel Flag?

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 2:35 pm

Who do you think? It was the same group being disrepectful the entire ceremony. What would they have thought if the flag supporters had started the “na, na, nana… hey, hey… goodbye” as ol’ Rev. Pinckney’s stiff carcass was carted by?

Quietus July 10, 2015 at 4:05 pm

Mostly the anti-flag contingent. Their could have been a few from the pro-flag contingent as well but the anti-flaggers were very vocal.

The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 11:53 am

Will, I just realized I was standing right beside you.

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 12:33 pm

Your brush with greatness?

Reply
The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 12:37 pm

More like sweatiness…

Reply
sparklecity July 10, 2015 at 12:45 pm

Let me get this straight:
You stood in the hot-assed Columbia sun just to bear witness to this “historical event”
As a West-by-God Virginian I wouldn’t have crossed the street to be part of it but from your postings you went there a number of days this week to bear witness.to an “historical” event. I know you are a government employee sucking off the federal AND state teat obviously with ample time on your hands but damn!!!!!!!
Two “sayings” come to mind:
1. “Mad dogs and Englishmen” (the Kipling version – not Joe Cocker’s album)
2. “South Carolina is too small to be a republic and too large to be an insane asylum” – I’m beginning to have my doubts whether this state is too large to be an INSANE asylum myself…………

Reply
The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 12:48 pm

Sparkle, I’ve witnessed some incredible stuff from the Start House grounds, the implosion of the Wade Hampton, the last time the flag was moved, kluxers, baseball players, unwashed hippies…

What can I say, I’m a historian.

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 1:04 pm

They let you get that close (across the street) to the Wade Hampton when they blew it up?

Reply
Quietus July 10, 2015 at 1:30 pm

Here’s video of the demolition of the Wade Hampton. There were people on the grounds of the State House. Apparently from the audio from the demolition team this fact was pissing off Mr. Loizeaux.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKR0qw7DGHQ

The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 1:52 pm

There were people up by the Confederate Memorial at the time. The Demo crew from CDI weren’t far from it.

Quietus July 10, 2015 at 7:08 pm

I was there though still in Elementary School. I was a bit closer than you since I had family that worked for a um local agency, they took me much closer than I should have been. That dust was no fun.

The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 1:43 pm

We’re talking 1985, things were a little looser then. I was sitting on the front steps of the State House. I was stationed at Fort Gordon and had ridden my motorcycle up very early that morning to watch it.

I think there was a one block perimeter, if I recall correctly. Several of the news crews onsite that day had their cameras ruined by the dust cloud. Implosions generally drop the building straight down so they didn’t keep you to far away back in the day (until litigation forced them to). Here’s WIS’s coverage from their camera atop their tower and on the ground: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKR0qw7DGHQ

Soft Sigh from Hell July 10, 2015 at 4:23 pm

I was there. About the same distance but to the west. Whose news helicopter was it that filmed the whole thing from up close to the south? I remember it hovering, which with a helicopter is always louder.

sparklecity July 10, 2015 at 2:41 pm

OK
When I was a boy I saw two goats fucking and witnessed the last shuttle launch (Atlantis). Do those count as memorable events?
It was just me and my cousin watching the goats mate but I was one of shit loads and I mean SHITLOADS of people (seems like I recall reading it being close to 1 million people) watching the Atlantis take off while sipping beer at the Moose Lodge dock in Titusville.
I’ll take watching a shuttle launch while chilling out at a Moose Lodge drinking beer over all this fuss about the flag of a defeated army any day………..And I’m positive that the goats were much more interested in mating than the broo-ha over the Battle Flag of Northern Virginia………..
And as you are probably aware, I’m a history buff myself………

Reply
The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 2:51 pm

You are what I call A coincidental historian. What I mean by that is if you just happen to be in the neighborhood you might drop by the battlefield or the birthplace or the whatever it was it took place 200 years ago. On the other hand I am an intentional historian I’ve been on the battlefield at Gettysburg on July 3rd more times than I can count I was there 2 years ago for the 150th anniversary of the battle but I’ve also been there with groups of Boy Scouts and Soldiers. I’ve walked the battlefield at 96 South Carolina more times than I can count with groups of Army Engineers and semi interested college students. One isn’t better than the other its just a difference in dedication, you know, “the mad dogs and Englishmen thing”.

Soft Sigh from Hell July 10, 2015 at 12:01 pm

Will there be a War on White Trash for Limbeck et al. to howl about? Oh, please let it be so. There is nothing so pathetically funny as hearing white men in America–as naturally privileged a large group as exists in the world–whining about their persecution!

Reply
jeff d. July 10, 2015 at 12:10 pm

still wont change the fact that most blacks that are killed are killed by blacks

Reply
Soft Sigh from Hell July 10, 2015 at 12:31 pm

Keep muttering that if it makes your feel better about being defeated over your silly flag . . . now dragged down to the chants of the victors and exiled to some musty warehouse.

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 12:33 pm

Maybe we could class it up by the ebonics crowd calling cadence while the honor guard marched out to the flag. Did these same folks do call out cadence as Pinkney’s rotting corpse was rolled into the Statehouse?

You know what’s going to change in the black community starting at 10:05 this morning? Not a damn thing. You will still have the same issues and problems as you’ve had the past 150 years.

Reply
Rrrright July 10, 2015 at 1:06 pm

What was it LBJ said? I can’t say it, because I don’t use that word. Someone help me out.

Reply
Mr. Helper July 10, 2015 at 2:56 pm

niggers+200 years+voting

KeepingItReal July 10, 2015 at 3:09 pm

Damn, that’s racist, and from a Democrat. I thought they were the ones against racism? This is so confusing. Then he followed that statement up with a welfare system that discourages and disenfranchises blacks from achieving the American Dream? That ideology seem way more racist than a piece of cloth.

Mr. Helper July 10, 2015 at 3:34 pm

Almost everyone’s a racist(at least 90% of the population). Those screaming “racist” are even more so than the general population.

Will is a racist as well, just in denial.

As of this moment, blacks in the US are probably the most racist race of all the races as evidenced by their 95% voting record for Obama.

Our government is incredibly racist, as almost every form they issue has a check box for “race”.

The problem is, the general population has trouble distinguishing racism from crime. They don’t even understand why it’s important to do so.

As a result, our leaders are now passing laws based on stupidity while the general population revels in said stupidity…it’s mass stupidity on display. It’s disheartening.

Bill Hicks is right, humanity is a failed experiment.

I talked with someone last week that though that people who said the word “nigger” should be thrown in jail 10 days.

Stupidity.

My telling him nicely that he was mistaken made him angry and he assumed I hated black people.

Stupidity.

TontoBubbaGoldstein July 11, 2015 at 8:21 am

MPAI.

GIYF.

Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 5:22 pm

And they’re still circling the no better off then they were 200 years ago. Actually they are slightly, they don’t have to work for their handouts.

I think I’ll see if Roots is on Netflix tonight, that’s one of the funniest movies ever made.

Classin' it up July 10, 2015 at 1:28 pm Reply
Classin' it up July 10, 2015 at 1:37 pm Reply
TSIB July 10, 2015 at 1:59 pm

You seem bitter.

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 2:15 pm

You seem content with the actions of these people.

Limbaughsaphatkhunt July 12, 2015 at 12:06 am

Well…except a symbol of the enslavement of mankind, tyranny, racism and systemic abuses of white gov’t just got taken down.

Reply
Rrrright July 10, 2015 at 1:08 pm

I’m in favor of the flags removal, but that doesn’t negate the statistics.

Reply
Limbaughsaphatkhunt July 12, 2015 at 12:05 am

Like more white single mothers get food stamps than black ones

Reply
Definitely Not Racist! July 10, 2015 at 2:06 pm

The flag isn’t about race and racism is dead, but the racists have to remind you

how dangerous those n*****s are!

Reply
Mr. Helper July 10, 2015 at 2:55 pm

*niggers

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 5:20 pm

If Obama has his way, it will soon be “neighbors”.

Reply
nitrat July 10, 2015 at 3:32 pm

And, you really, really hate that, don’t you?

Reply
Limbaughsaphatkhunt July 12, 2015 at 12:04 am

Gen. Lee is sucking off Stonewall Jackson in hell :-)

Deal with that stat.

Reply
sparklecity July 10, 2015 at 12:30 pm

What???
No one sang “Dixie” as the flag was lowered; just a smattering of sentimental Phil Donahue types dabbing handkerchiefs to wipe the tears away????
I was expecting more of a show than a smattering of watery eyes!!!!

Reply
Soft Sigh from Hell July 10, 2015 at 12:32 pm

Not a real man amongst them I suspect.

Reply
mamatiger92 July 10, 2015 at 12:37 pm

Finally!! Truly, a great day.

Reply
Comrade1917 July 10, 2015 at 12:43 pm

A great day for the USSA.

Reply
mamatiger92 July 10, 2015 at 12:45 pm

Yes. Because, clearly, removing the Confederate flag from the SC State House grounds and putting it into a museum is a sign that we have become like the USSR.

Reply
Patriot2015 July 10, 2015 at 2:22 pm

Let the old commie racist bastard rot in his misery, today is a GREAT day for our state and the past month has been a GREAT month for our beloved country!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

Reply
The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 1:23 pm

“…We oppose the creation of such a shrine – as well as the ongoing taxpayer subsidization of any museum…

Will, sometimes you write the stupidest stuff and you don’t even know why it’s stupid. As we sit here waiting for the next occurrence of “horrific massacre” so we can start the weekend, there are people all over the world denying that the Holocaust ever happened.

Interestingly enough, it is becoming very prevalent in Germany where all of the Nazi regalia was banned and any reference to Nazis and Nazism was forever prohibited after the war. When asked, German utes will say “…Americans or Jews made that up…” http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/at-the-edge/2014/05/23/did-the-holocaust-exist-scary-number-of-people-say-no-or-not-even-aware

The purpose of museums is to remember, not glorify. Remember both the good and more importantly the bad. Santayana said “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it” Huxley opined ” That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history.”

Reply
afmajret July 10, 2015 at 1:33 pm

Thanks, Colonel, I was just going to call him a no-nothing idiot. Yours is much classier.

Reply
nitrat July 10, 2015 at 3:29 pm

Rigid ideology makes people stupid.

Reply
The Colonel July 10, 2015 at 3:42 pm

So that’s what v happened to you!!

I keed, I keed, but when you tee one up like that…

Reply
linthead sandlapper July 10, 2015 at 1:40 pm

Horrific, racially motivated stats: 13% of the population, 52% of homicides. VIctims were 8 times more likely to be white.

Reply
Soft Sigh from Hell July 10, 2015 at 6:35 pm

Are you truly that dumb? Or is it just dishonest?

In a nation predominantly white, random or happenstance selection of victims will give a preponderance of white victims.

A Persian pickpocket in Piccadilly will, perforce, pick mostly British pockets.

Reply
Conservative "values" July 10, 2015 at 2:22 pm

See all the conservatives” are here sharing their “values.”

My favorites are the “yeah but” crowd.

You know,they’re REALLY in favor of the flag coming down(a lie)but…(then some irrelevant garbage to buttress their conservative “values”)

Reply
Non Racist Conservative July 10, 2015 at 2:26 pm

I’m not racist, but look at all these cherry picked statistics that I use to compare black people to animals! The flag had nothing to do with race, but we should tear down the African American monument. Racism is finally over, except for all the non-white people who are absolutely racist.

Why are you looking at me like that? I’m just a race realist!

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 2:32 pm

All you have to do is look at black run cities and countries to see how well they do at that job.

Reply
Democratic "values" July 10, 2015 at 3:21 pm

Don’t forget champ, it was a Rep. John A. May, a Democrat from Aiken, that asked the flag be put up in 1961 and it happened under a Democrat governor, Fritz Hollings.

But please, don’t let that interfere with your agenda/hyperbole.

Reply
Soft Sigh from Hell July 10, 2015 at 4:52 pm

The flag-fellators were defeated, that’s all that matters.

All conservatives.

Reply
linthead sandlapper July 10, 2015 at 5:08 pm

That’s right. As long as White, Southern, Christian identity is wiped from the face of their former homeland, I will bathe in their tears. After all, it’s the only way I can get any sort of relief from my White guilt. How do you handle the hate you have for yourself, comrade?

Reply
Soft Sigh from Hell July 10, 2015 at 6:28 pm

Watching the flag thugs (“in your face”) get their just deserts is a pleasure for many of us to behold. Turnabout is fair play, whiner.

Though, please, continue the whining.

"in your face" July 10, 2015 at 7:58 pm

Just deserts eh?

Moron.

Soft Sigh from Hell July 11, 2015 at 9:31 am

It’s the perfect expression for the circumstance, doofus.

Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 5:19 pm

And illegitimacy and illiteracy rates for black folks will suddenly plummet in the coming year. Some may even give up their EBT cards.

Reply
Democratic "values" July 10, 2015 at 6:11 pm

“All conservatives”

So says you, anecdotally of course because you have no proof.

Further though, your ilk bitching about divisiveness & the flag fail to mention that without Republican help the flag wouldn’t be coming down.

You’re a hypocrite. Just be thankful I’m not the same. I don’t call all democrats race-baiters just because a few promote such ideology in the name of political victory

Reply
Soft Sigh from Hell July 10, 2015 at 6:24 pm

“Be thankful?” Ha! Who cares what you are?

ALL the Confederate flag worshipers are conservatives.

Democratic "values" July 10, 2015 at 6:42 pm

You know, when Squishy called you an idiot, I actually disagreed.

I see now I was wrong, as least as far as this topic goes, race-baiter.

Soft Sigh from Hell July 10, 2015 at 6:45 pm

Did I say anything about race here, doofus?

You haters hear things.

Democratic "values" July 10, 2015 at 7:42 pm

Who do you think you’re fooling ignoramus?

“Their southern strategy has crammed the party with racists”

Really, enough of your bullshit. Don’t run away from what you are, baiter.

Squishy123 July 11, 2015 at 9:07 am

You talk like being conservative is a bad thing. You want to see what happens when the opposite of conservatives are in power? Take a look at Greece.

Soft Sigh from Hell July 10, 2015 at 4:15 pm

The flag pole is still up (as of 1:30 when I went by). They better guard it. Some Klanservative will probably try to run up yet another hate banner (they apparently have a score of different kinds). You know how they are.

Reply
Fecal Matters July 10, 2015 at 4:17 pm

Pretty sure it’s gone now. Saw an overhead shot of a crane going to work.

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 4:25 pm

Oh dear Lord, tell me it’s not so!!!

I’m more concerned with the armed Black Panthers showing up. You know how they are.

Reply
Squishy123 July 10, 2015 at 5:18 pm

Some of us were at work so we wouldn’t know.

Reply
Soft Sigh from Hell July 10, 2015 at 4:55 pm

Are the fallen-flag losers going to try to take political revenge on their legislators?

Where will be the best seat to enjoy that mud rasslin’?

Reply
9" July 10, 2015 at 5:07 pm Reply
Confederate Flag July 10, 2015 at 6:43 pm

The good news is I’m better for the time we spent together, and the bad news is you’re gone.

Reply
Just Me July 10, 2015 at 11:35 pm

Well now that we got this over hyped issue out of the way our elected officials can move on to other more important things…….NOT.

Reply
intlet9949 July 11, 2015 at 7:45 am

Gov. Haley said in her last campaign about the flag…:” I talk to CEOs everyday and none of them have ever mentioned the flag.” After the massacre Haley sensed a change in attitude and all of sudden runs to the front of the parade to bring the flag down. Admittedly the massacre changed a lot of peoples minds about the flag.

Reply
Christ Lives! July 11, 2015 at 10:04 am

Not really. It was the reaction by the Christian families, who immediately reached out in forgiveness, distancing themselves from the hatred fomented by the Democrat Party. The people were moved by those Christians, not the murderer or the exploitation of the killings by the liberals.

Reply
Soft Sigh from Hell July 11, 2015 at 11:21 am

Christ weeps at the misuse of His name and message and memory by the wicked racist conservatives.

Reply
The Irony July 11, 2015 at 10:00 am

The murdering of 9 Christians led to the biggest political victory for (and exploitation by) the Democrats, that Republicans will get all the credit for, when the next election comes. It’s a mean and cruel world, is it not?

Reply
Soft Siigh from Hell July 11, 2015 at 11:18 am

The few black votes you garner will be negated by all the Hispanic votes Trump ran off . . . and by all the fuming flag-worshipers who are mad at their GOPer legislators.

Reply
Soft Sigh from Hell July 11, 2015 at 11:58 pm

You racist redneck GOPer goobers lost. Your betters beat you. Deal with it.

Reply
shifty henry July 12, 2015 at 10:50 am

What is a ‘goober’?

Reply

Leave a Comment