An dispute erupted in Harrisburg yesterday over the Confederate flag.
Apparently, according to Wallace McKelvey, this all began over a historical display. The Hanover Area Historical Society presented a series of past flags in the Capitol building the past few weeks in commemoration of Flag Day.
Then on Tuesday evening, State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown noticed the flag and took it down. She gave it to Speaker Turzai’s office.
“That Confederate flag is a symbol of hate, murder and oppression,” Rep. Brown stated.
The Historical Society was not pleased by this, particularly board member Debra Markle.
“It’s part of American history,” Markle asserted. “We can’t sugarcoat everything and it’s just a shame that one person’s opinion has to ruin [the display] for so many. But it seems that’s the way it’s going in this country.”
As is usually the case history is a bit more complex than is assumed, as the Confederate army had several different battle flags and the most well-known did not become prominent until after the Civil War ended.
Regardless, Governor Wolf ended the episode by ordering that the flag be taken down.
Video of confederate flag being removed from Pennsylvania Capitol @PennLive pic.twitter.com/guGMoW2SZq
— Wallace McKelvey (@wjmckelvey) June 15, 2016
“The governor believes the Confederate flag is a symbol of racism and hatred that has no place in this building or any state building,” the Governor’s Spokesman Jeffrey Sheridan said. “Pennsylvania wasn’t part of the Confederacy, so I’m not sure why that would be a symbol of a historical display in our building here in the Capitol. It should never have been in here in the first place.”
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11 Responses
I don’t have a problem with the flag being displayed. injust want it know that what the flag truly means. Losing
Why are more people not outraged by this attempt to gloss over uncomfortable historical facts to make people feel better?
The flag was flown was treason against this Great Country
Here is the bigger picture. That flag was used by an army that LOST. They gave up. They surrendered. That flag represents losers. It is the ultimate participation award. So please fly the flag, but just remember that the soldiers and that “cause” lost.
Forget the Confederate flag Senators, when is the Erie school district and other poor districts in the state going to get some serious state funding? Oh I forgot, Corbett gave all those tax breaks to the corporations and the super rich and you signed off on it! No wonder the state is broke and mired in debt you clueless twits!
I am a bit confused as to why that flag was in Harrisburg to begin with…since PA wasn’t part of the Confederacy. But I also don’t know what other flags were part of the display or what the overall theme was.
Good for Gov. Wolf. The Confederacy lost the Civil War and all traces of its vile racist regime should be erased from U.S. history.
I suggest the Historical Society just place a big sign where the flags were hanging stating “Images Censored by order of Gov. Wolf and State Rep. Vanessa Brown.”
Were they on Pennsylvanian ground? Were they Pennsylvanians who died for and against the flag? Don’t make crappy comparisons just to defend this stupid action of the Governor and the Representative.
We had a battle or two with the Nazis too. Is there a Swastika in the display? Why not, if its just history?
Seriously?