FITS Confederate Flag Poll: The Results Are In
By fitsnews
November 22, 2009
A plurality of FITS readers say the Confederate battle flag should not be moved from its current location – on the north lawn of the S.C. State House grounds behind a Confederate soldiers’ monument.
With a whopping 1,500 responses received over just three days, 40% of FITS readers said that the flag should stay where it is. Meanwhile, 31% believe that the flag should actually be returned to is former location atop the State House dome (as pictured above).
Only 28% said the flag should be removed from the grounds altogether and placed in a museum, as has been proposed by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mullins McLeod.
Oh, and before some of the liberals in the house accuse FITS of being followed exclusively by right-wing knuckle-draggers, we’d like to point out that over 80% of respondents in a recent FITS poll said U.S. Rep. Addison Graves “Joe” Wilson embarrassed South Carolina when he yelled “You Lie” at President Barack Obama during a nationally-televised Congressional address.
Just some food for thought…
Anyway, who would have thought that the flag debate – which had been reduced to “whimper status” in the past three election cycles – would rear its head again in 2010?
Certainly not us …
In 2000 – after a long and bitter debate – a bipartisan, multiracial coalition of state lawmakers agreed to remove the flag from the State House dome and place it behind the soldiers’ monument on the State House grounds. The flag was also removed from the S.C. House and State Senate chambers as a part of that compromise, which included the creation of two new state holidays – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Confederate Memorial Day.
Since the 2000 compromise, the rancor over the issue has simmered mostly under the surface.
The NAACP continues to boycott the state, however, while the NCAA refuses to schedule “predetermined” postseason events – like basketball tournaments – at South Carolina sites.
The issue’s antagonists can’t even agree on how to describe the flag’s current location.
Supporters say the flag is “tucked away” behind the Confederate monument (which itself is currently tucked away behind a Christmas tree), while the flag’s opponents describe it as being located in a “prominent location” on the State House grounds.
As for the political fallout from McLeod’s announcement, thus far it has been limited – although we recently received a statement from the Democratic gubernatorial front-runner, State Sen. Vincent Sheheen.
What’s his position? Stay tuned …
On The Web: www.fitsnews.com/2009/11/22/fits-confederate-flag-poll-the-results-are-in/