Long after the Civil War (or, as Confederacy fetishists would call it, “The War of Northern Aggression”) ended, the battle raged on in the hearts and minds of a small (yet vocal) segment of the population who chose to continue fighting for a return to the “good old days” when certain people didn’t have rights.
But now, the South has officially lost.
Some call the Confederate battle flag their “heritage,” while others concoct flimsy excuses that it is a point of pride that their ancestors fought for the right to continue owning people — or, they simply say that the flag is part of “history,” while neglecting to mention that said history should be relegated to the back corner of America’s attic, never to be seen again.
The flag, which has been flying outside of South Carolina’s statehouse, first atop the dome, and then on the grounds, since 1961, the centennial of the start of Civil War and, as The Nightly Show‘s Larry Wilmore pointed out, “coincidentally, right around when the black people started with the wanting of the civil rights” — has been the subject of an intense debate since white supremacist, right-wing terrorist Dylann Roof acted on his long-planned urge to shoot a bunch of black people and start a race war.
Roof, who became radicalized through a white power web site run by a heavy Republican campaign donor, said in his manifesto that he had “no choice” but to take his hatred “to the real world”:
“I have no choice. I am not in the position to, alone, go into the ghetto and fight. I chose Charleston because it is most historic city in my state, and at one time had the highest ratio of blacks to Whites in the country. We have no skinheads, no real KKK, no one doing anything but talking on the internet. Well someone has to have the bravery to take it to the real world, and I guess that has to be me.”
“Segregation was not a bad thing. It was a defensive measure. Segregation did not exist to hold back negroes. It existed to protect us from them,” Roof claimed in his hateful musings.
Since the massacre, which left nine dead in in a South Carolina church, many businesses — including, Walmart, Sears, eBay, and Amazon — have removed the flag from their stores, though some flag stores are finding themselves at a loss as to what to do.
Even Republican South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who once defended the Confederate battle flag’s presence in front of the state capitol because South Carolina fixed racism by electing her and appointing an African-American U.S. senator, called for the removal of the flag in the wake of Roof’s horrific terrorist act.
“Today we are here in a moment of unity in our state without ill will to say it is time to remove the flag from our capitol grounds,” Haley said. “This flag, while an integral part of our past, does not represent the future of our great state.”
“I hope that, by removing the flag, we can take another step towards healing and recognition — and a sign that South Carolina is moving forward,” she urged. Haley has found a surprising ally in her efforts — NASCAR.
On Tuesday, NASCAR issued a statement not only urging the removal of the flag that flies in front of the state capitol — but promising that they would continue to disallow the use of the Confederate flag in any and all official merchandise (Apparently, that policy existed):
“As we continue to mourn the tragic loss of life last week in Charleston, we join our nation’s embrace of those impacted. NASCAR supports the position that South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley took on the Confederate Flag on Monday. As our industry works collectively to ensure that all fans are welcome at our races, NASCAR will continue our long-standing policy to disallow the use of the Confederate Flag symbol in any official NASCAR capacity. While NASCAR recognizes that freedom of expression is an inherent right of all citizens, we will continue to strive for an inclusive environment at our events.”
NASCAR was joined by its sister company International Speedway Corp, which owns a majority of the tracks, in supporting Haley’s call for the removal of the flag:
“We join NASCAR in support of South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley’s position on the Confederate Flag. ISC strives to ensure all fans are welcome to enjoy our events and maintains an inclusive environment at our facilities nationwide. ISC will continue our long-standing practice to prohibit the sale of Confederate Flag material on our property.”
Naturally, conservatives are furious. The nation’s closet racists, illiterates, imbeciles, and perfectly designed idiots rushed to Fox News’ Facebook page to denounce their once-favorite “sport”:
“There’s only so much that you can do with an issue like this if you’re NASCAR,” Brad Daugherty, a former NBA star and current co-owner of JTG Daugherty Racing, told explained on Sirius XM.
“But I will tell you, being an African-American man going to the racetrack and seeing the Confederate flag – and I’m a different egg or a different bird because I’m a Southern kid, I’m a mountain kid, I hunt and fish, I love racing,” he said. “But to walk into the racetrack and there’s only few that you walk into and see that Confederate flag – it does make my skin crawl. And even though I do my best to not acknowledge it or to pay any attention to it, it’s there and it bothers me because of what it represents.”
NASCAR’s support for the flag’s removal in defiance of its base is a brave move — one that will surely lose them money. However, it is a sign that the Civil War is finally over. When NASCAR officially denounces the Confederate flag, it’s time to pack up your white hoods and robes…and go home.
