Letters to the editor for July 1
Hard work lies ahead
Born and raised in South Carolina, in a home where guns abounded (all of which I was taught to shoot with accuracy), and with a family history that lists many who were Confederate soldiers and proud United Daughters of the Confederacy, I continue to be shaken every day by the supreme act of terrorism in Charleston and the aftermath of that event.
While I applaud the governor and the legislators of South Carolina who are now calling on the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the Statehouse grounds, we all know that this is a symbolic act that should have been taken many years ago. In the face of unspeakable horror, it is a thoughtful gesture, but it is still a gesture of appeasement. The other parts that each of us in South Carolina knows are the tough ones:
▪ taking strong steps to erase hatred;
▪ working diligently for equal education for every one of our state’s students;
▪ talking honestly together about ways that we can learn from each other, and most of all;
▪ strengthening background checks.
These are the ways that we can show ourselves and our neighbors that we are truly serious about making our state a beacon of light in a troubled world. And these are the actions that will be truly courageous.
Frances “Weenie” Daniel
Rock Hill
God’s grace is abounding
After hearing of the murders at “Mother Emanuel,” I watch the news and cry, and look out the window and see the American and Confederate flags flying on the back of trucks. My stomach clinches tightly.
At 72, the pain is long and deep. Until the last months, I had begun to feel the American flag was flying for me, a black. After Mother Emanuel, I realize they will continue killing worshipers and others as long as guns are prevalent and the Confederate flag flies. I watch politicians dance around the issues.
Although we are still frozen in shock and sadness, God’s love and grace are abounding. I felt such peace when I saw hundreds of whites walking to Mother Emanuel. The people are saying, “We are not the evil.”
Bessie Crawford
York
This story was originally published June 30, 2015 at 7:21 PM with the headline "Letters to the editor for July 1."