Nine people were murdered in a church last week. They were murdered because of their skin color.
This was obvious from minutes after the terrorist attack. Most Americans were horrified. But some reacted differently.
The river D'Nial was on the rise.
Cable news outlets fell over themselves to pin the motive anywhere but racism. Drugs, insanity, an attack on religion were all blamed. A week later, oblivious politicians and paid provocateurs were still identifying everything but the elephant that just dropped through our roof.
Down in east Tennessee they lynched an elephant once. Appears many would love to lynch this one, too.
Unfortunately, D'Nial is a deep, crashing river that'll flood good people of rhyme and reason. Because for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, many of those choking on that dirty D'Nial water started clinging to the surroundings.
Charleston is a beautiful old city. In most respects it's a progressive place with a diverse population and thriving economy. But the place where the first shots of the War Between the States were fired can not escape the past. Everywhere you look, there is a Confederate memorial, or a Confederate museum, or a Confederate street name. It's great place for historians. And folks who wish they could change the ending. The surroundings glorify the good ole days of slavery.
In a few days someone noticed when Old Glory and the South Carolina state flag were flying at half mast over the state capitol, the Stars and Bars flying on the grounds weren't. Even though a sitting state senator was among the dead.
You'd think decency insists a flag the shooter proudly littered his selfies with would be dropped within sight of the church. Turns out there's a law in South Carolina that that particular flag can never be lowered. In other words, there is more weight given to a battle flag of a failed secession than to our national banner.
It's not hard to figure where a lot of angst would fall next. A week later, America is locked in a war between the hates. Those who hate the present versus those who hate the past. Most of us are neither, but we get to be collateral damage.
The flag isn't the problem, it's a symbol of the problem. The problem is racism. It's a part of our past and our present. But if you do not get that that the Stars and Bars were flown in an act of treason against our constitution in an effort to preserve the institution of slavery, then you are drowning in D'Nial. Noah couldn't even rescue you.
It has no business flying over our government institutions or grounds. Period.
Otherwise, I don't really care. Do what you want with it. Wave it, sell it, fly it over your bunker. Free speech is a tricky thing, but it is your right. Even if you're wrong.
Seems like there's been quite a brisk business in the Stars and Bars since the Kenyan-Muslim-Socialist dictator with no real birth certificate was elected president. I've sure noticed a lot more of them.
Maybe that's just a coincidence. It couldn't be that after all that talk of a post-racial society some of us really just weren't ready for a black man in the white house.