Rebels Yell

WITH the South Carolina primary looming, our presidential candidates have been pressed to pass judgment on the Confederate flag, which flaps above the South Carolina statehouse whenever the wind bothers to blow through sleepy Columbia. In a time when national politics infuses every aspect of life, including the amount of water used to flush our toilets, this is no great surprise. Nor have the candidates’ answers been.

The larger question is this: What do people who have a real interest in the issue think? Most South Carolinians, according to polls, say the flag should come down. Armstrong Williams reported recently that even his fellow South Carolinian Strom Thurmond believes the colors should be struck, though Thurmond has not made the statement publicly, perhaps fearing the controversy might put an early end to his political career.

DS

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Dave Shiflett

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WITH the South Carolina primary looming, our presidential candidates have been pressed to pass judgment on the Confederate flag, which flaps above the South Carolina statehouse whenever the wind bothers to blow through sleepy Columbia. In a time when national politics infuses every aspect of life, including the amount of water used to flush our toilets, this is no great surprise. Nor have the candidates’ answers been.

The larger question is this: What do people who have a real interest in the issue think? Most South Carolinians, according to polls, say the flag should come down. Armstrong Williams reported recently that even his fellow South Carolinian Strom Thurmond believes the colors should be struck, though Thurmond has not made the statement publicly, perhaps fearing the controversy might put an early end to his political career.