Biden Calls for the Removal of Confederate Flag

Guzzo

Sen. Biden seems to be carpetbagging on Archaics territoryhttp://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/15/democrats.king.ap/index.htmlCOLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) -- Sen. Joseph Biden, a Democratic presidential hopeful joining fellow Sen. Christopher Dodd at Martin Luther King Jr. holiday events, said Monday he thinks the Confederate flag should be kept off South Carolina's Statehouse grounds."If I were a state legislator, I'd vote for it to move off the grounds -- out of the state," the Delaware senator said before the civil rights group held a march and rally at the Statehouse here to support its boycott of the state.[/b]In Chicago, Sen. Barack Obama, also prominently mentioned in speculation about the White House sweepstakes in 2008, was a hit at a Rainbow/PUSH Coalition breakfast honoring King, even if he didn't deliver what much of the crowd clearly wanted: a declaration that he will run for president.Obama received a standing ovation at the annual King scholarship breakfast when the Rev. Jesse Jackson introduced him with an approving reference to the Illinois Democrat's presidential aspirations."It's a long, nonstop line between the march in Selma in 1965 and the inauguration in Washington in 2009," said Jackson, the coalition's founder and a one-time presidential candidate himself.Later, in an address at a King remembrance service at St. Mark's Church in suburban Harvey, Obama said: "I'm not making news today. I'm not here to make news. There will be a time for that."More than six years after the Confederate flag was taken down from the South Carolina Capitol dome, its location in front of the Statehouse remains an issue at the heart of events celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy.Jim Hanks stood across from the Statehouse with about 35 Confederate flag supporters."We love this flag. We love our heritage," said Hanks, of Lexington.Some carried signs saying: "South Carolina does not want Chris Dodd," referring to the Connecticut senator who, along with Biden, attended the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People rally at the Statehouse. [/b]Hanks said that Dodd, Biden and other Democrats running for president "would probably say most anything if it would get them votes."In 2000, as the NAACP began its South Carolina tourism boycott, the flag was flying on the Capitol dome and in House and Senate chambers. Legislators agreed to take the flag down that year, but raised the banner outside the Statehouse beside a Confederate soldiers monument.In November, Biden joked about South Carolina's Confederate past at a Rotary Club meeting in Columbia after organizers said their Christmas party at the Department of Archives and History would include a chance to see the state's original copy of the Articles of Secession.Biden noted Delaware was "a slave state that fought beside the North. That's only because we couldn't figure out how to get to the South -- there were a couple of other states in the way."Biden expects legislators here will eventually move the flag. Pointing to his heart, he said, "as people become more and more aware of what it means to African-Americans here, this is only a matter of time."On Sunday, Dodd told The Associated Press at a King remembrance service in Greenville that the Confederate flag belongs in a museum."I don't think it belongs on the Capitol grounds," Dodd said.Obama: I 'stand on the shoulders of others'Obama said thinking of the slain civil rights leader's life was humbling, and added: "I've gotten a little attention lately, but the fact of the matter is all I do is stand on the shoulders of others."He noted that King was six years younger than he is now when he was assassinated in 1968 at age 39."Whatever challenges we face are nothing like the challenges our parents and grandparents faced," Obama said. "The torch has been passed to this generation, but we haven't always taken it up. ... We have much more work to do."The crowd enthusiastically applauded and cheered his remarks.The first-term senator has gained national attention since 2005 when he was sworn into office. He recently has made appearances in key primary states and according to several Democrats, he also has hired policy, research and press staff for a campaign to be run from Chicago.On CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday, Obama said he'll announce a decision about whether to launch a presidential bid "fairly soon."

don_gigante

I respect the symbolic gesture but really...folks forget that people in the northern states during the civil war, particularly maryland---recall that Lincoln passed through Baltimore in the middle of the night in disguise to avoid assasination attempts....wasnot John Brown from a southern state??--harbored equally racist sentiments---will this change anything?? this thinking along this dichotomy of southern state=slave state; northern state= free state is inherently flawed...so whatever yo...

Guzzo

I respect the symbolic gesture but really...folks forget that people in the northern states during the civil war, particularly maryland---recall that Lincoln passed through Baltimore in the middle of the night in disguise to avoid assasination attempts....wasnot John Brown from a southern state??--harbored equally racist sentiments---will this change anything?? this thinking along this dichotomy of southern state=slave state; northern state= free state is inherently flawed...so whatever yo...

yeah its a pretty empty gesture in terms of what it accomplishes, but people swallow this kind of symbolic stuff up and celebrate it like crazy.

New Orleans ain't no better today than was a year ago, but who cares? We took an antiquated flag down off a pole.

but as far as symbolic gestures go this is one of the better ones, at least in my opinion

still I'm interested to see how soulstruts southern flagbearer, Harveycanal will react to this

spelunk

I just really don't want a gesture like this to turn into a "we took down the flag look how open and accepting we are" tool for racist Southerners to use. This is important, but there are more important things to focus on today.

Guzzo

I just really don't want a gesture like this to turn into a "we took down the flag look how open and accepting we are" tool for racist Southerners to use. This is important, but there are more important things to focus on today.

true.

there was a post a while back in which work was about to begin on the Martin Luther King Memorial a nearly 100 million dollar symbol to show how much racial/ civil rights have advanced. during the same news day there were several reports of murde, police corruption, and racist activity in New Orleans.

immediately I thought the millions of dollars would serve civil rights much better being used in the communities where its needed rather than on a structure erected so we can be self-congratulatory.

but like I said before symbolism seems to mean more than action in America

spelunk

but like I said before symbolism seems to mean more than action in America

It's a warm and fuzzy blanket that we throw on top of ourselves until sociologists, historians, and people with a conscience reveal it's made of shit.

HAZ

Does each state have its own flag? My province has a flag. I wouldn't fuck with the fleur de lis & I certainly wouldn't fuck with the confederate flag. Good way to stir up shit over nothing.

spelunk

I wouldn't fuck with the fleur de lis