There are some real racists left in this country. Fewer all the time. Racism in this country seems to have a half-life. It may never vanish completely. But it's way less than when I was younger.
That old Rebel Rag belongs in a museum. It especially doesn't belong flying in a state capital protected by a state law. But before you condem the usual suspects, consider this. South Carolina has a South Asian woman governor, an African-American Senator and at least one African-American Congressman. How many 'blue' states can say that?
Every state politician in SC - Democrat or Republican, black or white, man or woman - since 1961 did NOTHING about that flag until a white trash, drugged-up wannabe race terrorist murdered 9 church going innocents. And it was terrorism. The moron had an ideology and acted to promote that ideology with mass violence.
So save the left-wing, democrat, progressive race-baiting clamor for people that don't think. Slavery was awful. But progressive policies have done as much to wreck the poor in this country as did slavery. I don't want to live in a nation that won't take care of the least among us. And I don't know ANYONE that does. But there is a huge difference between taking care of the few that cannot take care of themselves and giving people a hand up when times get tough and a multi-generational welfare empire that keeps people in poverty and penalizes them when they try to get out.
The U.S. is the the most diverse large nation on this planet. It's not perfect. But it is a damn sight better than just about anywhere else you go when it comes to diversity. If you don't know that, it's because you don't want to. You want to rage. So you keep yourself stupid.
God bless the people of Charleston for showing all Americans how a city can behave in the wake of an awful, murderous act. We've had too many examples of Charleston's opposite already that were triggered by far less.