Is the best deal. This is Aljazeera America. Good morning. Live from new york city, im randall pinkston. The first shot of the civil war was fired in South Carolina. For decades the Confederate Flag has been a fixture ocean of the State Capitol but that changes in a few hours the battle flag will come down and moved to the relic room. The governor signed a bill to remove the flag yesterday. At her side, family members of victims from last months Church Massacre in charleston. Diane, tell us how the program will go this morning for the removal of the flag. Randall weve gotten very few details from the state on how things are going to proceed this morning. We know theres going to be a ceremony at 10 00. The flag will be lowered carried away in an Armored Vehicle. Its going to be taken to the South Carolina confederate relic room and Military Museum here in columbia, about a mile away. Were going to have to waist and see how things proceed as the day progresses. With all the controversy,
15 years. The flag had flown over the capitol dome for decades before that. Our Diane Eastabrook is live in columbia this morning. Diane, tell us what is happening there right now, and what the mood is. Reporter well stephanie there are several thousand people here right now, we estimate maybe between 5 and 7,000 people. Everyone is waiting for the honor guard and the governor to come out of the state house and begin the ceremony. We were supposed to start at 10 00, these things sometimes run a little bit behind. We dont know a whole lot about the ceremony. We know the flag is going to be taken down. There will be no music, and then the flag will be transported by an Armored Vehicle to the South Carolina confederate relics room and military museum. Many different people here in the crowd. There are people from out of state, people we ran into from north carolina, people from atlanta. This is an historic event, so everyone here to witness that today. We know how contentious the debate w
We know that this flag is very divisive. We know that. We know that this flag needs to be removed. We know that. We know all of these things. We know that. But what are we doing as a body . What are we doing as individuals to Work Together to heal our nation, to heal our state from such tragedy . Certainly its been a tragedy here in the state of South Carolina. While the world watches whats going on here, while the world watch South Carolina to see if South Carolina is ready to move forward. Well were at a stand still. Were about like stale water. We sit all night and all day as the mosquitoes gather. As the mosquitoes gather around to drink of the water and to be born and to be embarrassed, thats what we do. We need fresh water here in South Carolina. We need a running screen. We need a fresh flow of water that can run through South Carolina. To give South Carolina a newness that it needs. Certainly the business in the world want that, too. Certainly bmw want that. Certainly sunoco pr
This, as with other aspects of this nightmarish problem the u. S. Needs to lead its partners in the region and internationally in stepping up the effort so its closer to the level of the problem. We have again, we have declaratory policies about humanitarian issues but theres no followthrough. People make pledges they never deliver. Ive looked at camps in kurdistan. I remember seeing the sea of tents last year in northern jordan where syrians have come. Ive seen the camps in turkey. And, you know, if you really want to think about the nightmare, think about all those young men in those camps. Very little jobs, money, but radical preachers. People talking to them about settling scores and its a formula for not just another four, eight years of trouble but a generation of nightmarish problems. We saw what happened when the palestinians were dispersed and went into camp and had radicals banging them every day about the struggle. And i think its i fear its already too late to have caught t
And let me tell you what dishonors our soldiers. Let me tell you what is a dishonor to their memory and their service. It is to fly that flag i want everybody to remember this, im talking to all of my colleagues who think we must keep it up there because of heritage. Oh how i wish how i wish robert e. Lee general lees portrait is in the senate, i wish he was here right now at this podium he would tell you all, it is an abomination for his flag to fly as a matter of fact his very flag was furled it was furled when they surrendered at appomattox and it has never been unfurled and to do so dishonors those who fought and died and it violates the terms of surrender. General lee, when it came time, and the cause was lost, he called everybody to come back work, be good citizens and build a country together. Many times he was called to start start a gorilla war. The flag is furled. Maintain your soldierly honor, go back and serve your country. Never, never, never let the flags fly again. And y