The Confederate flag issue is being used as a red herring to distract from the real causes of this tragedy. The people who want it removed from the state capitol, have wanted it removed before. They are just using this incident as an opportunity to further that agenda to justify taking the flag down. Much like Obama uses all incidents involving blacks as evidence of racism. Or Obama using violent crimes as an excuse to try and take our guns away from us. Or Obama using the cops-killed-the-poor-innocent-gentle-giant-black-kid to try and federalize law enforcement throughout the nation.
It had nothing to do with the Confederate flag, but the brand has been tarnished (or destroyed) by him, so to speak.
I think in a lot of ways supporters of the Confederate flag as a non-racist “localist” symbol should have been more vigilant and outspoken in preventing loonies from adopting it. Roof wasn’t attracted by the flag, but by a group of racist loonies who appealed to his insanity and who unfortunately were often shown with Confederate flags.
The way it is now, however, after these shootings, nobody will be able to look at that flag again without having seriously negative thoughts, and it shouldn’t fly over official buildings.