South Carolina lawmakers to decide the fate of the Confederate flag on government grounds

Many have called for the flag’s removal after the church massacre that left nine people dead

(AP Images)

The Confederate flag that flies on the grounds of the South Carolina State House could soon be removed, as state lawmakers are considering legislation to pull the flag from from its perch.

Calls for the flag’s removal have come from South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham — a presidential candidate — and several state lawmakers after a massacre at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston on 17 June that left nine black parishioners dead.

(AP Images)

The man who has admitted to the shooting, Dylan Roof, allegedly had been spewing racial hate prior to the committing the act and has since surfaced in several photos waving the Confederate flag.

Supporters of the flag say it is a symbol of Southern heritage, not racism, but opponents say it is a painful reminder of a troubling part of American history.

The Charleston shooting launched a wave of support for the removal of the Confederate flag and several large companies have removed items bearing the flag from their shelves.

In the days immediately after the shooting, calls began ringing out for the removal of the flag from the grounds of the South Carolina State House, where it has flown since 2000. Prior to that, it was on the dome of the State House.

The state’s Senate is expected to take up the debate on Monday and if they approve it, the bill will move to the state House. A survey of state lawmakers done by the Associated Press, the South Carolina Press Association and the Charleston Post and Courier found that the state legislature had enough votes to pass the measure.

“We should be able to get a bill to the governor’s desk by the end of the week,” said Marlon Kimpson, a state senator.

If the bill becomes law, the Confederate flag will be moved from its post near the State House to the state’s Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum in Columbia, the New York Times reported.

A CNN poll found that 57 per cent of Americans feel that the flag is more a symbol of pride than racism, while 33 per cent said it was more about racism.

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