THE SEAN HANNITY SHOW

Confederate Flag Debate The dialogue in America has shifted away from the tragedy in Charleston and to a debate over the Confederate flag.  Perhaps the greatest untold story to unfold in the wake of the shooting in Charleston are the incredible family members of the victims.  In many cases, their willingness to forgive the person who killed their loved ones in cold blood represents an awe-inspiring amount of faith.  They are incredible human beings and we keep them in our thoughts and prayers. But the discussion seems to have shifted to the Confederate flag.  More specifically, the flying of the Confederate flag on the grounds of the South Carolina Statehouse. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley called this week for the flag to be removed from the grounds of the state Capitol.  She is joined by a whole host of politicians on the right and left who have since called for its removal. Businesses like NASCAR also support Haley's call. The actual removal of the flag could be easier said than done , because it requires the South Carolina state legislature to agree.  Just as there are in America, it's likely that in the state legislature, there are people on both sides of the debate.   And the issue is now spreading beyond just the Confederate flag.  Mitch McConnell, for example, called for the removal of a statue of Confederate president Jefferson Davis from the Kentucky Capitol building. Harry Reid is also lamenting the state statues in the U.S. Capitol. Where does all of this end? When it comes to history, it should be noted that the GOP is the party of Abe Lincoln.  When the Confederate flag was initially hoisted above the South Carolina Capitol dome, it was a Democratic governor who oversaw the effort in 1962. Republicans are the party of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act.  For all of the lambasting of the South and Republicans and the Confederate flag, the history here should not be forgotten. But at the end of the day, this sick young man did not kill those good Christian souls because of a flag.  Nor did he kill them because of South Carolina's gun laws.  He killed them because he was of a depraved mind.  There were many signs that this was a troubled young man, and yet nothing was done. Nonetheless, tragedies such as this will be used for political gain.  Whether its removing the Confederate flag or passing new gun laws, American politics has become a pattern of jumping on crisis moments in order to pass pet legislation.  Even if the two events are not directly linked or related. Politics has become therapy for political activists who want to be seen as doing something; it's more of a feel-good exercise than a coherent political agenda.