You can generally count, in my trade, on hearing more from people who are mad at you than from those who agree. People who are ticked off pick up the phone or send a e-mail; those who agree just tell you if they happen to run into you personally.
Things are running the other way on the confederate flag issue.
I came back from being out of the office late this afternoon, and my voicemail was full. There were only six message, and only the last three were about the flag. But here’s what’s weird about that: All three were from people who agree that we should remove the flag (although one prefers Mayor Riley’s approach). They were all nice, which is just plain odd on this issue.
But catching up on e-mail, I got a greater shock: Of those on this subject, 30 people want to take the flag down, and only nine disagree — including this one. And that’s giving the pro-flag position the benefit of the doubt — three of the nine didn’t actually say keep it up, but you could catch their drift. An example:
The flag should have never been removed from its place atop of the capital to start with.I believe if these people that dont want it on the grounds would pack there bags and leave the state we would be better off, its all hertiage and not hate or a race issue and as long as we bow down to these people our state will suffer, so if you dont like it here theres two options go back to your yankee state or too the bannana boat you came over here on.
By contrast, the 30 were clear and emphatic. An example:
I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate you for trying to help with this. I love this state so much but am so embarrassed about the flag being where it is. It is so hurtful to so many.
I have just retired from 30 plus years in Human Resources so let me know what I can do to be helpful with this cause.
My grandmother was a member of the Daughters of the Confederacy but she would be so sad to see that we are causing hurt to others. Let’s get it down!
It will probably swing back the other way. Usually, when we write about the flag, we start getting angry mail from the neo-Confederates several days after the piece appears. Apparently, few of them read newspapers, and I’m guessing they communicate with each other via couriers on horseback. At least, that’s how long it tends to take.
But for now, I’m encouraged by the trend.
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Oh, and I see I’ve got three sticky notes on the keyboard of my OTHER computer with messages from people frustrated by my full voice mail.
All three are POSITIVE.
Two of them, including my Bishop, like Mayor Riley’s approach. That’s not the way I would go, but I appreciate the positive vibes.
I am new to South Carolina. I was hesitant about accepting the job that brought me here because of the news we sometimes hear out west about the deep south. However, I decided to take the job and move my family to South Carolina. The people have been wonderful and I’ve enjoyed exploring the state. I’ve been trying to understand this affection for the confederate battle flag. It is a powerful symbol that seems to mean different things to different people. Outsiders to this state look at that flag and say, “Why is that flag flying on the statehouse grounds?” People out of state don’t believe me when I tell them that it is still there.
Dear Brad: Sign me up for your South Carolinians for the Advancement of All South Carolinians! Am so glad someone has suggested this as only by a huge membership can anything be accomplished. Let me know what I can do to further the “just” cause of taking down that flag.
You know, the flag wouldn’t be an issue if you news “reporters” wouldn’t keep trying to be newsmakers. In my experience, as a life long South Carolinian, the only people offended by the flag are non-South Carolinians or the people The State or the NAACP have told that they should be offended.
Let’s settle this issue the way it should have been settled to begin with, on the ballot. Guess we can’t do that though because that vote would go the same way as your poll I saw earlier today. It was 70ish% for leave it where it is when I voted. Interestingly I can’t find the poll results now. Guess it was disproving all your editorials about how all of SC wants the flag down.
I usually just read your propoganda and fume quietly but your insulting comments about folks who want the flag up not reading the papers much and basically being ignorant was just more than I could take. Maybe flag supporters don’t comment for several days because they have jobs and have better things to do with their time instead of sitting around all day trying to decide what to be offended by next. Funny, the only place I have been where folks were offended by the flag was Syracuse, NY when I was getting my masters there. Oh by the way, where is your degree from that qualifies you to tell us all how offended we should be.
I’m not a reporter. I haven’t been since 1980.
When we have a booth at a rodeo or fair the Confederate flag is the hottest selling item, It does not matter if its Bikinis or rings, hats or shirts Now matter How it is printed It sells like mad, i figure its like this the average Joe fights for their beliefs and against corruption in their free time, the agistator, leftist, self important government pimp and other crimminal types fight for their lives every waking moment, Prove them wrong or let them trash a school system or neighborhod and they move on like locusts to the next feeding spot.Fact is is that you social enginerring types let every biped yopu can find in this nation and now we can all clearly see the result. you dont like this flag because its a rallying point.and thats a political statement not covering the news.
Let me try again, since it apparently didn’t register the first time:
I’m not a reporter. I haven’t been since 1980.
Brad,
Your own poll, posted at
http://www.thestate.com/169/story/39032.htmlshows that 81% of your readers do not favor moving the Confederate flag off the state house grounds. The State, and you, are out of touch with South Carolinians. There is a reason that Knight-Ridder sold the State Newspaper. There is a reason that the State’s circulation has decreased. You are out of touch with the majority of South Carolinians, and we have stopped buying your newspaper.
That poll isn’t scientific, and it has less than 1000 responses. A single pro-flag website linking the poll could have skewed the results like that.
1.http://charlotte.com/456/story/89257.html
Should the Confederate flag be removed?
Yes 396 votes (22%)
No 1395 votes (78%)
Total 1791
2.http://www.thestate.com/426/story/39032.html
Should the confederate flag be moved off the State House grounds?
Yes 187 14%
No 1169 86%
Total 1356
YOU ARE JUST FULL OF BS
Wally’s statement is accurate about both polls.
“Stuffing the ballot box” is pretty common on polls like this that affect dedicated, organized interest groups.
Mr. Warthen: you sort of remind me of Joseph Goebbels, and I suspect while you know who that is, most of your posse won’t have a clue.
My opinion is the Flag should never have been removed from the Capitol. This was supposed to be a huge compromise, and one of South Carolina’s greatest Statemen, John C. Calhoun had this to say about compromises.
“I hold concession or compromise to be fatal. If we concede an inch, concession would follow concession — compromise would follow compromise, until our ranks would be so broken that effectual resistance would be impossible. We must meet the enemy on the frontier, with a fixed determination of maintaining our position at every hazard.”
We see the wisdom of Mr. Calhoun, in that while the Southern/South Carolina Heritage Supporters including the politicans, made the huge gesture of removing the Flag from the Capitol to a Confederate Soldiers Monument, it didn’t even create a break in the whinning and knashing of teeth by Scalawags, Carpet Baggers and the NAACP. This group of people will never be satisfied until every vestige of the Confederacy is hidden away behind locked doors where it will hopefully be forgotten by future generations.
It appears that the sentiments of Edmund Ruffin were also pretty much dead on:
“I here declare my unmitigated hatred to Yankee rule — to all political, social and business connection with the Yankees and to the Yankee race. Would that I could impress these sentiments, in their full force, on every living Southerner and bequeath them to every one yet to be born! May such sentiments be held universally in the outraged and down-trodden South, though in silence and stillness, until the now far-distant day shall arrive for just retribution for Yankee usurpation, oppression and atrocious outrages, and for deliverance and vengeance for the now ruined, subjugated and enslaved Southern States!
…And now with my latest writing and utterance, and with what will be near my latest breath, I here repeat and would willingly proclaim my unmitigated hatred to yankee rule–to all political, social and business connections with Yankees, and the perfidious, malignant and vile Yankee race.
Would that the current Southern People could indeed adopt Mr. Ruffin’s thoughts and attitude, but we have become too civil. That explains why the only group of people it’s okay to make fun of are Southerners, and the folks preaching inclusiveness mean everyone except those who love our Southern Heritage.
ever since the Mississippi flag vote letting the people decide has become too risky for scalawags. for proof look no further than Georgia. Every poll I have ever seen has been a majority in FAVOR of the flag but drive by hacks just keep giving it a bad rap and pull the results in some instances if they dont fit the papers agenda.
The “compromise” in SC was bulls***. The left got what they wanted and didnt miss a beat to continue their boycott. That flag is exactly where it belongs and couldnt be in a better context (except back where it was)at the solders monument because the men who died under it fought for SC.
It’s bad enough that the people who are offended by my flag feel they have no self worth so they want to be offended to blame it on someone else. But the ones that are telling these puppets to be offended have a much more sinister plan. Southerners who dont tow the Yankee line are just in the way of globalists.
I hope folks from outside don’t look at “Sech’s” post and think all South Carolinians talk and write like that.
Wow Sech. In one atrociously written post you’ve ratified to the world just how backwards and ignorant the people of South Carolina really are. Way to go!
What a bizarre display of backwards-looking ignorance and scrambled mixture of 21st Century reactionary thinking with 19th Century bigotry.
Two notes: there is no such thing as the “Yankee race” and the so-called flag compromise only made the symbol of slavery more prominent to passersby. Putting the flag in context would mean including narrative material explaining that it represented the attempt of slave-holding states to preserve human bondage counter to the basic philosophy of the United States.