South Carolina Senate Holds Landslide Vote To Remove Confederate Flag — But Will It Survive The House Of Representatives?
The horrific Charleston shooting perpetrated by white supremacist Dylann Roof sparked a major outcry among American citizens against the Confederate flag. While some people have defended the symbol as a representation of state’s rights, many politicians have actively called for its removal from public property. This week, South Carolina became the first state to take on the Confederate flag, with the Senate voting to remove it in an amazing 37 to 3 landslide.
According to the New York Times, the South Carolina Senate held the vote on Monday and ultimately decided to ban the flag from the grounds of the State House. Though the vote against the Confederate flag was a landslide, the proposition still has to go through the state of South Carolina’s House of Representatives. Both the Senate and the House are controlled by Republicans, but the opposition to the Confederate flag seems to be one issue both parties agree on.
South Carolina State Senator Vincent A. Sheheen, who sponsored the legislation, believes the nearly unanimous vote sends a strong message to the House that both the citizens and the state’s leaders are ready to see the Confederate flag gone.
“We did our job,” said South Carolina State Senator Vincent A. Sheheen. “I do think that it sends a very loud and clear message to the House of Representatives that there is support, momentum, consensus, and I think it helps us clear the hurdles that we need to in the House of Representatives.”
According to NBC, there are strong implications that the Confederate flag will put up a much harder fight in the House due to some reportedly powerful Republicans who adamantly claim they do not support the bill. Speaker of the House Jay Lucas is among the politicians who have defended the Confederate flag. However, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is one of the loudest voices against it.
“The South Carolina Senate today rose to this historic occasion, with a large majority of members from both parties coming together in the spirit of unity and healing that is binding our state back together and moving us forward in the right direction.”
The larger fate of the Confederate flag outside South Carolina is also unknown, but many politicians from both parties have been actively speaking out against the flag’s hateful historical baggage. Those campaigns have also been gaining momentum, and it seems to be only a matter of time before the Confederate flag is no longer displayed in any public arena. Some private organizations are even taking a stance against the Confederate flag, including removing smart phone apps that feature the image.
Do you think we should ban the Confederate flag?
[Image credit: Getty]
