On Monday, Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina called for the removal of a Confederate flag from the state Capitol grounds in Columbia.
Haley said in a speech, “For many people in our state, the flag stands for traditions that are noble. Traditions of history, of heritage, and of ancestry. At the same time, for many others in South Carolina, the flag is a deeply offensive symbol of a brutally oppressive past.”
The controversy over the symbol and meaning of the Confederate flag surfaced after nine people were shot and killed by 21 year-old Dylann Roof in an historical African-American church in Charleston, SC. In Roof’s online manifesto, he included disturbing images of himself with the Confederate flag.
Now the largest retailer in the world is following in Haley’s steps to take down the flag. Walmart spokesman, Brian Nick said in a statement, “We never want to offend anyone with the products that we offer. We have taken steps to remove all items promoting the confederate flag from our assortment – whether in our stores or on our website.”
