This is more of a drive-by diary, but this couldn't wait. If you missed the first viewing of TRMS, please catch the repeat in a couple of hours (regular time on the West Coast) or record it or DVR it. It.Was.Epic. Great show. Rachel mainly focused on the news of the 'Come-To-Jesus' moment conservative politicians and major retailers are having regarding the Confederate flag and all of its paraphernalia.
What a difference a week makes.
168 little hours.
http://on.msnbc.com/...
Less than a day after the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church was violated in the worst way imaginable, I wrote this diary because in short measure, I was feeling like I was being rushed into a 'hurry up and grieve black woman so we can hold hands and sing 'We Shall Overcome' mode and quite frankly, I had had it.
So Ms. Evers tonight validated my anger in an eloquent, but forceful way and I bow down to her. She of all people understand how I feel.
It's been 52 years since her husband and presiding Mississippi field secretary for the NAACP was assassinated outside of his home in the city of Jackson in front of her and her 3 small children by White Citizen's Council and KKK member Byron De La Beckwith. It took 3 trials before this man was held accountable for Evers' death.
When asked by Rachel Maddow what advice she would give to the surviving families and friends of the Emanuel Nine, Mrs. Evers said that she greatly admired those families for being able to pray and forgive the perpetrator because after all of this time, she honestly didn't know if she could do the same. She said that she had to admit this because she was still angry and that is why she puts so much into her work to help her mitigate that anger. She admitted to being angry and sometimes bitter because of her husband being gunned down (like a dog -- my words) in front of her babies and they had to watch him die.
So she admires the Emanuel Nine families for being so prayerful and forgiving and gracious. She said that this event served to rekindle her anger and she had very strong words for The Wall Street Journal.
Many may not understand this, but folk of Myrlie Evers' time will get this immediately: Mrs. Evers had a serious problem with the WSJ's reporting on the shooter, referring him as 'Mr'. She said it was a subtle thing but for those who understand the significance back during Jim Crow days and even during slavery of white people being respected with the salutation of 'Mr.' and 'Miss' and 'Mrs'. -- even if they were very young, vs. elderly black men and women being disrespected by being called by their first names -- a reducing and unsolicited informality that reinforces the perceived 'inferiority' of black folk, then you got her epic and righteous anger.
Evers went in on the WSJ and I shouted her on with every timber of her rich voice.
Bravo soul sister. Bravo.
And Bravo to Rachel, for the next segment dealt with that damn flag.
In South Carolina.
The flag that by state legislation makes it nearly impossible to remove and requires 2/3 of its state legislature to take down.
That flag -- as only Rachel can set it up.
That flag -- that flag that is at full mast, with the United States flag and the state flag of South Carolina is at half-mast over the state capitol --
That flag.
That flag that the remains of the Reverend Clementa Pinckney, also State Senator Clementa Pinckney must past in a horse drawn wagon so that starting at 1 pm ESDT Wednesday, he can lie in state.
Anyone going to Columbia to pay their respects MUST.PASS.THAT.DAMN.FLAG.FLYING.AT.FULL.MAST.
Now simmer on that for a moment.
BUT!
Leave it to Rachel with her smart self to point out a solution.
The South Carolina state law does allow for that flag to be removed temporarily under 'wear and tear', so she posed that remedy to the Senior Ranking Democrat in the SC Senate.
I can't recall his name, but I will update this diary when I get it UPDATE - (SC Democrat Todd Rutherford -- he has suggested that the flag come down to Gov. Haley for that reason).
He said that it looked to him that the flag 'looked a bit worn' and he went on to drag all of these politicians who have called for the Confederate flag to come down, yet not see the utter immorality and gross disrespect of having it up tomorrow when a black man who served nearly 20 years in that legislature is brought before the Capitol for final respects.
And you wonder why corporate America is moving with lightning speed to separate themselves from the 'Confederacy'????
You don't think they don't already know how BAD THIS WILL LOOK TO THE WORLD when pictures go out showing that damn flag up with a black man lying in state and another African American, who just so happens to be the President of the United States shows up Friday in Charleston to eulogize him?
I have message for all of the folk thinking that what has happened in the past 24 hours is so great.
Get back to me in 1 year and let's see if any REAL changes have taken hold.
9:08 AM PT: Just so you know, Gov. Haley was approached by Democrats in the State Legislature about taking the flag down temporarily under the 'wear and tear' provision. She said that she would not break the law by doing so. So there.