Just going through some of my old clippings and news.
This from the Jan. 23rd WSOC TV in Charlotte, NC.
The leaders of the NAACP were hoping that the upcoming South Carolina Primary would renew the fight to remove the Confederate flag. The idea is to make Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton make their stand on the issue known.
Lonnie Randolph, the president of the state chapter of the NAACP said, "America is a mean country and South Carolina is a meaner state. For the government of this state to continue to endorse bigotry, racism, and white supremacy, we are going to continue to raise our voice and speak out against it."
The flag was removed from the capitol dome seven years ago and now flies in front of the Confederate monument. Both Clinton and Obama have called for the flag to be removed completely from the grounds.
The NAACP urged a tourist boycott but the state says its has had little impact on the state's largest industry which takes in $15 billion annually.
Mr. Randolph, that flag does not mean bigotry and racism to me. Please understand that many others feel the same way. It stands for the sacrifices and bravery of those outnumbered people who felt they no longer had a place in the US as it stood in the 1850s and 1860s.
Unfortunately, it is used by some groups that do not represent my feelings in any way. They use the flag without permission. Do not think for a moment that I agree with their hatred and goals.
You Need to Understand the Other Side. --Old B-Runner
The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.
