Photo: whnt.com
Governor Robert Bentley of Alabama has followed in South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley’s footsteps of change. Just days after Haley called for the Confederate flag to be removed from the state capitol grounds in Columbia, Bentley did the same.
The conversation of the controversial Confederate flag began after nine people were shot by 21 year-old Dylann Roof at an historic African-American church in Charleston, SC. For many, the Confederate flag is a symbolism of racism in our country’s history.
Upon calling for the flag to be taken down, Bentley said, “This is the right thing to do. We are facing some major issues in this state regarding the budget and other matters that we need to deal with.” He added, “This had the potential to become a major distraction as we go forward. I have taxes to raise, we have work to do. And it was my decision that the flag needed to come down.”
When it comes down to selling the flag, Walmart made a statement on Monday that they will remove all items with the Confederate symbol from their shelves. The National Park Service (NPS) announced on Thursday that the historic emblem will no longer be available as a memento for visitors to the parks system.
“We strive to tell the complete story of America,” said NPS Director Jonathan B. Jarvis in a statement. “Any standalone depictions of Confederate flags have no place in park stores,” Jarvis added.
