Posted on 02/03/2004 9:54:29 AM PST by stainlessbanner
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Following Thursday night's Democratic Candidates' debate in Greenville's Peace Center, South Carolina's U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings, when asked about the issue of the Confederate flag, replied: "Don't worry about it. It's not an issue anymore."
But it was indeed an issue, in that NBC's debate moderator Tom Brokaw raised this issue during the presidential candidates' debates.
Candidate and Ohio congressman Dennis Kucinich replied that because of the NAACP boycott of the entire state of South Carolina (due to one Confederate flag flying on the state capitol grounds at a Confederate war memorial) he was spending the nights outside South Carolina.
Candidate Al Sharpton denounced the Confederate flag as representing a movement built on slavery.
After the debate, I was able to interview Sharpton.
WND: Are you going to campaign in Mississippi?
SHARPTON: I'm going to campaign in Mississippi.
WND: And you're going to condemn their state flag?
SHARPTON: Absolutely! Unequivocally!
WND: It was voted by a huge majority including a lot of blacks.
SHARPTON: It was still wrong. You had some blacks in the Confederate army.
WND: That's right! I'm delighted you recognized that.
SHARPTON: They were wrong. Absolutely.
Sen. Lieberman held a similar view, while being surprised at the fact there were black soldiers in the Confederate army.
WND: Senator, do you agree with your fellow candidates Sharpton and Edwards that the Confederate flag should be banned from any public display, even on courthouse memorials in every town in the South?
SEN. LIEBERMAN: The Confederate flag is a symbol that is offensive to people. It's not just African-Americans -- because it represents slavery.
WND: You would ban it?
SEN. LIEBERMAN: I've said this very clearly. I'd certainly take it off the statehouse grounds. The Confederate flag is part of history. It's not part we're proud of. The only place it would belong in my opinion would be in a museum case. Otherwise, to give it any public honor is offensive and divisive. It takes us backward and not forward. And frankly it does not represent the kind of coming together that I see here in South Carolina across racial lines.
WND: How about the black Confederate soldiers? There were a lot of them.
SEN. LIEBERMAN: Well you'd have to ask somebody else about that!
So, we asked somebody else: Gen. Wesley Clark.
WND: General, do you believe it's wrong for the people of Mississippi to have in their state flag the Confederate battle flag for which they voted overwhelmingly -- including blacks.
GEN. CLARK: I'd like to see the American flag.
WND: I'm asking you about.
GEN. CLARK: I'm telling you about the American flag! That's what I like to see.
WND: But you don't want to comment on that. Are you going to go to Mississippi?
Gen. Clark declined to answer and went to another reporter.
By very notable contrast to Sharpton and his fellow presidential Confederate flag-bashers, South Carolina Democratic Congressman James Clyburn (whose endorsement of Sen. John Kerry was regarded by the front-runner as significant enough for a special news conference) had the following to say about this issue.
WND: Congressman, do you feel that I have violated the NAACP's boycott of South Carolina because I'm going to spend the night here?
REP. CLYBURN: Oh, I don't know. You'll have to ask the NAACP people. I've made it very clear what my position is on that. And my position has been stated out there for a long time. Because I believe the compromise that was reached by the black legislators and the white legislators over the current position of that flag, gives us an interim solution that we ought to live with for a while. And maybe at some point in the future revisit it. As it stands now, that was a compromise voted for by every single black legislator, save one who did not vote, but abstained from voting. Everybody else supported it, and therefore I support it.
On the other side of the South Carolina capitol building there is a new monument to African-American history -- including blacks in Union army uniforms. Around the building is a marker noting the site of South Carolina's first capitol building: "Burned by Sherman's troops" in 1865.
One of Congressman Clyburn's staff told me that in Darlington, S.C., there is a Confederate War memorial to one of that army who was black.
Would Democratic candidates Edwards, Lieberman and Sharpton all be in favor of tearing down this memorial to a brave Confederate soldier who was black?
I BELEIVE THAT BY TAKING AWAY THIS STANDARD, AMERICA IS SETTING ITSELF UP FOR FAILURE. PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS OBJECT WHEN THEY HAVE SOMTHING TO OBJECT TO. SO I SAY FIGHT BACK. FORM AN ORGANIZATION THAT WILL STAND AGAINST THE NAACP. GET THE SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE. PUSH FOR THE BAN OF RACISM SUCH AS FUBU OR TOMMYHILL FIGURE.I THINK (FOR US BY US) IS MUCH MORE CLEAR IN ITS TRANSLATION THAN THE FALSE INTERPRATAION OF THE SOTHERN CROSS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'D BE WILLING TO WAGER THAT IN THE TWO HUNDRED YEARS PAST, THE TRUE MEANING OF THE CONFEDERACY HAS BEEN LOST. IN NONE OF THE SEPERATIONS POSTED BY THE STATE DID IT SAY "BECAUSE YOU WON'T LET ME HAVE SLAVES." IT CLEARLY STATES BECAUSE OF THE ACTS OF THE GOVERMENT. IN TWO HUNDRED YEARS HOWEVER THERE WILL BE NO MISTAKE IN A SINGLE RACE OF PEOPLE QUOTING "FOR US BY US." IM A CONFEDERATE SUPPORTOR AND HAVE FRIENDS THAT ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN WHO DON'T CARE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. MOST PEOPLE OVER LOOK THE MAIN SIMMULARITY BETWEEN AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA...AMERICA... WITH THAT SAID I SAY LET THEM STOP TAKING THEIR AGRESSION OUT ON THE SOUTH, STOP TAKING THEIR AGRESSIONS OUT ON EACH OTHER, AND START TAKING THEM OUT ON THE INDIVUALS, YES THE INDIVIDUALS WHO OPRESS THEM. GOD BLESS THE SOUTH
I BELEIVE THAT BY TAKING AWAY THIS STANDARD, AMERICA IS SETTING ITSELF UP FOR FAILURE. PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS OBJECT WHEN THEY HAVE SOMTHING TO OBJECT TO. SO I SAY FIGHT BACK. FORM AN ORGANIZATION THAT WILL STAND AGAINST THE NAACP. GET THE SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE. PUSH FOR THE BAN OF RACISM SUCH AS FUBU OR TOMMYHILL FIGURE.I THINK (FOR US BY US) IS MUCH MORE CLEAR IN ITS TRANSLATION THAN THE FALSE INTERPRATAION OF THE SOTHERN CROSS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'D BE WILLING TO WAGER THAT IN THE TWO HUNDRED YEARS PAST, THE TRUE MEANING OF THE CONFEDERACY HAS BEEN LOST. IN NONE OF THE SEPERATIONS POSTED BY THE STATE DID IT SAY "BECAUSE YOU WON'T LET ME HAVE SLAVES." IT CLEARLY STATES BECAUSE OF THE ACTS OF THE GOVERMENT. IN TWO HUNDRED YEARS HOWEVER THERE WILL BE NO MISTAKE IN A SINGLE RACE OF PEOPLE QUOTING "FOR US BY US." IM A CONFEDERATE SUPPORTOR AND HAVE FRIENDS THAT ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN WHO DON'T CARE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. MOST PEOPLE OVER LOOK THE MAIN SIMMULARITY BETWEEN AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA...AMERICA... WITH THAT SAID I SAY LET THEM STOP TAKING THEIR AGRESSION OUT ON THE SOUTH, STOP TAKING THEIR AGRESSIONS OUT ON EACH OTHER, AND START TAKING THEM OUT ON THE INDIVUALS, YES THE INDIVIDUALS WHO OPRESS THEM. GOD BLESS THE SOUTH
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.