Noticeably, not mentioned as of yet on our board is the issue of South Carolina and it's Confederate Battle Flag that flies on State grounds. Although I'm a proud member of the SCV I'm going to voice my opinion on the subject.

The CBF has been used by hate groups throughout our history and not used for remembering those men who died for their cause. Indeed there were many soldiers within the Confederate ranks who did not believe in slavery let alone own slaves. As we know the United States Flag used slavery to their advantage during the war insofar as forced slave labor in some of the border states like Kentucky. Under the American Flag slavery had been authorized in some border states shortly after the war and for historical purposes I'm using the date of the war ending on April 9, 1865.

While several blacks died at the Camp Chase prison in the spring of 1862 at least one was a personal servant of a Union Officer and none of the blacks have tombstones to remember their lives.

The State of South Carolina put up the CBF at the State capitol in Columbia in opposing Federal segregation in 1962. For that reasoning I believe the CBF should be taken down from the South Carolina State grounds. Again the CBF had been used, this time for incorrect political purposes.