SPRINGFIELD - The Confederate flag represents a time in America's history of turmoil and division, a House resolution State Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington) introduced Monday says. He and his fellow resolution co-sponsors call on South Carolina to replace its controversial Civil War flag with a United States flag.
“I think coming from the land of Lincoln that we should respectfully send a message to our fellow legislators that their Confederate flag is a symbol of hate and should come down,” McSweeney told the Sun-Times. His resolution, is co-sponsored by three Democrats and Illinois' only black Republican state lawmaker - State Rep. John D. Anthony (D-Morris).
The Confederate flag belongs in a museum, not on the grounds of the state capitol, McSweeney said.
"It’s an offensive image. People can still analyze and look at their heritage, but in a museum, not on state grounds,” McSweeney said. “I’d like to see it come down anywhere it flies on state grounds, not just in South Carolina.”
The long-simmering consternation over the flag was revived when a 21 year old white supremacist killed nine people at a prayer meeting in Charleston, South Carolina last Wednesday. Monday, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley called for the flag to no longer fly on state grounds.
McSweeney quoted President Abraham Lincoln's words in the resolution:
"At times like this we are reminded of the words of Abraham Lincoln, who said that it is the work of all of us "with malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmnes in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds..."
The full text is viewable here. Those House members who've signed onto the resolution include:
Mary E. Flowers - John D. Anthony - Arthur Turner - William Davis, Christian L. Mitchell, La Shawn K. Ford, Monique D. Davis, Marcus C. Evans, Jr., Jack D. Franks, Lou Lang, Jay Hoffman, Fred Crespo, Stephanie A. Kifowit, Lawrence M. Walsh, Jr., Elaine Nekritz, Mark Batinick, Tim Butler, Ed Sullivan, Grant Wehrli, Jehan A. Gordon-Booth, Steven Andersson, Barbara Flynn Currie and Greg Harris
