It was always an insult to African-Americans to keep a Confederate flag flying over the South Carolina Capitol. They are citizens of the state; the Confederate flag is not their flag.
Now, after the massacre of nine African-Americans at a historic church in Charleston, a Republican legislator has said he will introduce a bill to remove the Confederate flag.
South Carolina State Representative Doug Brannon made news tonight by going where most other Republicans refuse to go. He said in unqualified terms that race was the reason for the shooting that took the lives of nine Black South Carolinians gathered for bible study in an historic Black Charleston church. Then he announced he would sponsor a bill in the next legislative session to remove the Confederate flag from the state house grounds.
MSNBC’s Chris Hayes talked by phone with the obviously emotional Rep. Brannon, first confirming his plan to introduce a bill to remove the flag, and then asking him why he had decided to sponsor the legislation, which is sure to be controversial in the state.
“I had a friend die Wednesday night for no reason other than he was a Black man,” said Brannon, with unmistakeable emotion in his voice.
Rep. Brannon referred to Reverend Clementa Pinckney, a former state senator, as “an incredible human being.”
It should not take a tragedy to persuade people to do what is right and decent.
