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South Carolina Confederate Flag Comes Down

In an act that seems too unreal to imagine that a symbol of hate and violence could wave atop a federal building in the year 2015, the state of South Carolina finally voted to take down the confederate flag that has been the symbol of southern Jim Crow racism for decades, and most recently the emblem of American terrorist Dylan Roof.

Roof was seen in a picture holding the flag after he murdered nine Mother Emanuel church worshipers, including the minister,

A fiery plea from members of Congress, along with community and national support, tied the hands of South Carolina governor Nikki Haley.




[See also Jenny Horne's emotional plea on House floor]

Nearly ten thousand individuals stood at the state capital shouting "take it down!" while the flag was slowly lowered and transferred to a civil war relic room in an area of the State Capital.

 "That flag is gone, and we're glad to have it gone", said South Carolina representative Todd Rutherford.

In what was a defining moment for the state of South Carolina, Haley said today in an on-air interview, "No one should drive by the State House and feel pain... or feel like they don't belong."

Protesters at State Capital as flag is removed.  Photo: John Bazemore/Star Tribune.

Still, some don't believe the flag was ever a sign of hate, but rather a symbol of confederate heritage.

What's the real deal?   Here's a least one (of many, many) take on the subject.

[See also confederate views from the heart of Dixie]

Representative John Lewis, who marched in the 1960s with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr for human and civil rights for all people said today, “I don’t want to see our little children, whether they are black or white, Latino, Asian-American or Native American, growing up seeing these signs of division... “Hate is too heavy a burden to bear. We need not continue to plant these seeds in the minds of our people.”

What President Obama tweeted about the flag's removal.

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