It is obvious from this blog and my Facebook timeline that I am on the liberal end of the political spectrum. However, I DO read and carefully consider the writings of thoughtful conservatives, such as Charles Krauthammer. There is much I disagree with in his editorial today….but I was very moved by this passage:
“… there’s a deeper reason for this rush to banish Confederate symbols, to move them from the public square to the museum. The trigger was not just the massacre itself, but even more tellingly the breathtaking display of nobility and spiritual generosity by the victims’ relatives. Within 48 hours of the murder of their loved ones, they spoke of redemption and reconciliation and even forgiveness of the killer himself. It was an astonishingly moving expression of Christian charity.
Such grace demands a response. In a fascinating dynamic, it created a feeling of moral obligation to reciprocate in some way. The flag was not material to the crime itself, but its connection to the underlying race history behind the crime suggested that its removal from the statehouse grounds — whatever the endlessly debated merits of the case — could serve as a reciprocal gesture of reconciliation.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…/d1194310-1b6f-11e5-93b7-5ed…