there was even a movement to make that first flag the oblong battle flag into the national flag. but instead they put it on a field of white. it is the only motive that opted in 1863 and which served until a vertical red bar. by the the middle of 1863, that pattern, the blue cross on the red field was an enormously important symbol for the confederate soldier and also all the things that they stood for. so if the flag had been furled in 1865 as father ryan advised in 1865, the flag would probably be controversial to this day because of the inevitable association between con fed rats and slavery. it was after all the most important effort to change the nature of the union to break up the union and it would be controversial in our history. the symbol, the primary symbol was bound to be controversial. more importantly if it had been furled in 1865 i would be shutting up right about now. instead i'm doing to go on a little bit. as we know the flag was not unfurled in 1865 once and for all. instead it lived on as a symbol, disembodied lived onto be used and abused in other contexts in

>> i'm hearing a lot from people "the flag didn't kill anybody, i flag this flag from my house. this is a symbol he misused, the flag is not the reason, the flag is just a symbol." and i look at the symbol and i have it in my house and i haven't heard anybody -- i understand that, but here's what i would say to those folks. if you care about your state, if you care about the future of our state and those who follow us, the young men and women who grow up in south carolina and want to pursue their dreams, black, white, and everything in between, this is a roadblock to their dreams. you can think what you like about the flag, you can think what you like about me, but i am not going to be part of stopping the progress of my state. again, none of this would have happened without this shooting. now is the time to stand up and be counting and we are. i hope everybody who thinks about voting no, if you're thinking about keeping the flag up now, please understand what that means to us as a state. it means that our kids for years to come are going to have to live with your decision and i

the history of this flag to keep in mind first of all, this is not the confederate flag. it is the battle flag of the army of northern virginia robert e lee's major army, not just for virginia, but for the eastern theater. it was a symbol of rebellion. rebellion in 1860, 1861 against the electoral victory of the republican administration under lincoln. it was a rebellion to secede and overthrow the power of the federal government within what became 11 confederate states -- what then became 11 confederate states. a century later, that flag pin became or had been the symbol of a second rebellion, and that was the rebellion against desegregation and federal efforts to interfere in the states rights to perpetuate segregation. it goes back to at least 1948 in strom thurmond of south carolina, u.s. senator, led the dixie out of the democratic party, protesting the civil rights plan that was included that year the democratic party platform. it continued to be a symbol and now it was politicized and became a symbol of resistance to desegregation in 1961 1962. this was a time when

flag and the state flag are at half staff to honor the victims of the massacre but the confederate flag cannot be changed. its position cannot be changed without the general assembly approving it. there is a lot to debate here in south carolina this morning. cnn is covering it from every angle. we want to bring in anna cabrera that's been here for days about the shifting political sand you have watched. >> it's a cultural switch. that really is what this whole flag controversy is all about to so many people who believe the flag symbolizes a racist mentality that is rooted in history. of course the flag still stands here in front of the state capitol today. this fight isn't over yesterday. . >> it shouldn't fly anywhere. >> presidential hopeful, hillary clinton, applauding the growing momentum for the removal of the confederate flag in south carolina. >> recognizing it as a symbol of our nation's racist past that has no place in our present. >> take it down! >> reporter: on tuesday, hundreds of protesters demanded the flag be removed in the wake of the vicious murders at the emanuel ame

flag and south carolina flag is at half mast but that flag at full mast. if the stars and stripes are bowed why shouldn't the confederate flag be bowed or removed when clement lament is laying in state at the state house. >> do you think there would be a backlash if it was brought down for a few hours during that ceremony. >> those people that told you and others they support the flag because of the heritage, even those people recognize if it is heritage and not hate it should be removed during the course of a funeral. i don't know why we haven't heard overwhelming support that it should be taken down during the funeral. where are you? why are you not saying it needs to be removed? if the governor was to take the flag down because it looked like it needed to be replaced by the time anyone said anything they could replace it. he was killed by a man under the colors of that flag. justice has to be served and that flag has to be removed. >> todd rutherford thank you for your time tonight. >>> more news still to come tonight. please stay with us. ♪ kraft bar

out of the state flag. also tonight walmart has announced that it stores will no longer carry merchandise that includes the confederate symbol. quote, we never want to offend anyone with the products that we offer. we've taken steps to remove all items promoting the confederate flag from our assortment, whether in our stores or on our website. we have a process in place to lead us to the right decisions. still at times items make their way into our assortment improperly. this is one of those instances. so ground breaking news tonight from mississippi and from walmart of all places. more to come for sure. stay with us. >>> our long national nightmare of raising tyranny is over. it's true. this morning the supreme court struck down federal raisin regulations that had been in place since the new deal. also there was a patent case involving this spider-man web blaster toy where you shoot webs out of your wrists like spidy does. the patent holder lost in this case but supreme court justice elena kagan, a comics

there was even a movement to make a first flag the oblong battle flag into the national flag of the confederacy. instead what they did was emblazoned it on a field of white. the only motif on the national flag of the confederacy that opted in 1863 which served into a vertical red bar on the police end in the last months of the war. by the end of the war 1863 that pattern blue cross on the redfields was enormously important symbol for the confederate soldier but also for the confederate nation and all the things the nation stood for. if flag had been for a once and for all the 1865 as father ryan publicly advised the flag would probably be controversial to this day because of the inevitable association between the confederacy and slavery and because the confederacy was after all the most important effort to change the nature of the union, to break up the union and would be controversial in our history and a symbol the primary nationalist symbol of the confederacy bound to be controversial. more importantly if it had been furl the 1865 i would be shutting up about now. but instead i am going to t

al: the flag doesn't go away. it is still the flag in mississippi. there are still places in southern forms where the flag is raised. even dixie is still sung. i don't think that reflects most southerners for sure. maybe it doesn't even reflect most republicans. it is an issue that won't go away. this is a relic of the past. hate is nothing to be proud about. this isn't celebrating general johnston. it went up in 1962. john: we have seen bandwagon in the past couple of hours. interestingly, not a word from hillary clinton. what about the politics of this seems to be a slamdunk for tearing this flag down? al: i agree. i can't imagine she would have any other position. i would be shocked if there was a reason. mark: it's been days. she's been referring to previous statements. rather than putting out a full throated statement, she gave a speech at the mayor's conference, didn't talk about it. al: whatever problems in 2007 and 2008 was how slow she was. she should have been much tougher much sooner. john: do you think that because of the way this looked

battle flag. there will be some head counts done. there will be some whip counts done. will have a better idea. i'm optimistic. i think governor haley put forth a very strong and cogent argument. i think she properly recognized that for most south carolinians who support the confederate battle flag flying it is is a symbol of heritage, it is a symbol of ancestry and pride and that is not race and that is not racism. but she also noted for many people it has been misappropriated for that purpose and we've got to recognize that fact. we've got to take something down that is causing so much pain so south carolinians. i think she made a good case. i will have a better idea tomorrow when we convene in the senate just how good that case was made. >>> things moving quickly on the confederate flag front. walmart announcing within the last hour and a half that they will be removing confederate flag merchandise from what they offer. we never want to offend anyone with the products we offer. they will be tak

about this flag. what is the message that south carolina sends to the rest of the nation and the world by putting it up on the state capital grounds? >> well, it says to the rest of the world that something is secure as a state that we would rather celebrate a myth than the to face what the actual facts are. i believe the time has come to stop living out this myth and stand up and be south carolinaens and americans, stand up and be one as we ought to be. we know with the painful past that that battle flag reminds us of. >> congressman clyburn, it's been a pleasure having you on the program. hawai'i so much for joining us. >> thank you. >> now minutes ago a statement was released by the citadel, and it said that it's border has voted to move the confederate flag from its championship chapel. the state legislature will make the final call on moving the citadel's flag as well. to other news now we got a look at the very moment police arrested the suspect in the charleston church massacre. the police in s

she grew up around that flag. as she said to me on one occasion, she was too dark in some quarters to be white and too white to be black. she understood what this flag was doing to a lot of people. she decided it was time for her to take a stand. i hope they will codify the sentiments that she expressed today. i didn't talk to her how she worked her way through all of this. i watched her last thursday afternoon. i'm going to tell you these murderers had tremendous act on her -- tremendous impact on her. she whispered to me out of earshot of the media, leading me to the conclusion that this is a genuine growth pattern that she has undertaken with regards to this flag. she told me how sorry she was about this, and she hoped that she could have my support going forward on trying to get the appropriate response to this. i will be here tomorrow. a republican will stay with us today. although the other guys may be going back to washington, i think it is important enough for me to stay around and see it to the end. we wi

and raise the flag. don't you forget that. >> reporter: when president truman supported anti-lynching bills, southen democrats expressed their opposition by waving the confederate flag. at the democratic convention that year nine south urn states backed georgia senator. his supports waved the confederate flag. when they nominated strom thurmond for president, sales of confederate flags exploded and it become the symbol of segregation. the confederate flag received new prominence in 1962 when it was raised over the capitol as an act of defiance in south carolina. >> not everyone is still living in the 18th century. >> reporter: four decades later after a heated debate, protests and boycotts south carolina legislatures reached a compromise, the flag was moved to the south side of the complex next to a monument for confederate soldiers. georgia's state flag once incorporated the confederate cross, but vocal protest lead to its redesign. so what happens next? now it is time to see if the governor's words can

flag. that's quite the reversal. >> how are candidates dealing with this? >> it's been difficult for them. in fact you've been seeing them -- having some troubles as they have tried to navigate this. at issue here is some of them are aid frayed they will lose support from their base from white conservative republicans and that they're not going to make up that support from african-americans who may support their opinion, but aren't going to swing around and vote for them. for instance from jeb bush he says he doesn't support the flag obviously in general. when he was the governor of florida, he worked to have the flag pulled from the statehouse grounds there, but at the same time he didn't explicitly say that south carolina should make this move. rubio, he did not support bush's move when he was governor. he said this was an issue for the states to decide. we heard that from rick santorum. we heard from mike huckabee. he said this isn't even an issue -- you also saw ted cruz rand paul they

flag. >> i asked the congressman, when does your pride supersede other people's pain and -- >> it doesn't. there's no "when" in there, it doesn't. it doesn't. you can be proud of a number of things. if someone wants to walk around and say "i'm proud to be a descendent of a nazi," fine, be proud of it. it doesn't mean you can display a swastika wherever you want. it doesn't mean you can exhibit that type of behavior, so be proud. >> and you shouldn't probably wear the swastika to the holocaust museum. >> or hang it over a state capital. >> question for you. and the difference between being state-sponsored, et cetera. he -- i didn't get to this because the segment was going on long and it got contentious. but he made a good point in the pre-interviews that we did with him and that is this. jefferson owned slaves. thomas jefferson owned slaves. third president of the united states. and there is a monument to anymore the capital of the united states. no one asks for that to come down. is it equ

flag. as she climbed down, she said, "in the name of god, this flag comes down today." >> [indiscernible] amy: we were at the jail where bree newsome was taken in columbia. we will speak with the supporters who gathered there before her release. all of that and more coming up. welcome to democracy now! democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. same-sex weddings took place across the country this weekend after the supreme court ruled that all 50 states must now permit lgbtq couples "the fundamental right to marry." the historic decision puts an end to marriage equality bans that remained in 14 states impacting tens of thousands of couples. the plaintiff in the case, jim obergefell, celebrated the victory. >> today's ruling from the supreme court affirms what millions across this country already know to be true in our hearts, our love is equal. the four words etched onto the steps of the supreme court eagle protection under the law apply to us, too. it is my hope the term g

way of the flag coming down? and i just, i patted him on the shoulder and smiled a little bit. they're not standing in the way. where they're standing is on the side of the train tracks. and the train of progress is going to be pulling out of the station here shortly and they're either going to get on and ride along with us or they're going to miss it. and up until the vote, even after the vote, should they want to jump on the train, i will reach down and pull them up as a brother or sister and we can move the state together. >> what i'm hearing is you are not sweating this vote. >> no, sir. at this time i'm not concerned about the vote. i think most people recognize that given the fact that this flag, while it does not represent hate for everyone. there are people who take pride in it and it is a family and heritage thing. people understand this flag has become a symbol of hate for a lot of people. for a lot of people's ancestors, this flag was used to terrorize and used with murders. it needs to come down. it i

they have a state flag. they have an american flag. this is just this rebel battle flack that we want up as you said 100 years after the end of the civil war, which also went up right at the beginning of what was the civil rights movement and many people in this state and elsewhere believe it went up sort of in 1961 as a sign to protest the civil rights movement. it has always been a symbol to especially the black community of south carolina that that was an unwelcomed flag in their state. >> drew griffin, thank you so much. >> ana cabrera was in the room as nikki haley stood with the bipartisan delegation. ana, tell us about it. >> reporter: well there was a lot of applause when she announced she believe that flag must come down and be moved to a more appropriate place, perhaps in a museum as some have suggested, as she browed a lot of that bipartisan group, several republicans, which have been a traditional group of people that have been for the flag staying where it is because they believe it represents heritage southern pride, righ

if they take the flag down. it will be a reminder that in many ways it's said that his life, the cost of his life led to the removal of the flag after his death. i would hope that would be a part of his legacy. >> we mentioned earlier in the show certain retailers saying they're getting out of in front of this. walmart, saers, the like saying they won't sell products like this anymore. what do you make of the state legislators and francis highlighted about eight of them earlier that stand firm and don't support removing the flag? what is your message to them? >> my message to them would be that they need to act not out of self interest but the interest of all south carolinians. i'd appreciate it if they put it on the businesses so i know where not to shop. >> that would be interesting. yes, sir. and the reverend joe darby of beaufort district ame. >> that's it. that's it. >> look at me. i'm getting better reverend. >> doing good thomas. >> thank you, sir. >> thank you. >> i'll check in with francis with the very

it's a long time for the flag to go. you know in europe they can't use the nazi flag. instead, they use the confederate flag. can you imagine having a debate about a nazi flag in the united states? it shows how little weight black life and love and black life has in america. >> i can't imagine having a debate over the nazi flag and that's why i ask you, why has it taken so long? >> because the issue of white supremacy is deep into our culture and republicans and also democrats run away from taking that legacy as seriously as they ought to hit the issue of racism head on. our dear brother president is now weighing in. how long has it taken him to talk honestly about how deep racism cuts? he said the other day, it's not indemocrat mc in indemic. of course it is. they only do it when they have to out of political calculation rather than deep moral conviction. that's what is sad. >> it's interesting. you bring up the democrats as well and there's been a lot of talk about how a lot of these gop members of the party running for president are responding. what do you want to s

it's not just the flag. when the flag comes down that will be a great day in south carolina because it represents so much hate to so many but there are discussions we need to have. we need to talk about the fact with children going to school where their infrastructure is coming apart. the heating doesn't work. we need to have access to health care not just in south carolina but in a larger global community. and there are many issues that if clementa was standing here today, i would say, what do you want your life to be remembered for? and it would be more than the flag but that's a part of it. >> reporter: lastly does your political gut tell you that around july 4th this flag and this state will come down? >> well, i know from being in the house of representatives here in this body that they will move quickly. that will not be the issue. they will move quickly. they have have people vote against it as they have had. in the senate it will be a little more deliberate. our senate is a very deliberate body as th

i don't think the flag is all that important in the grand scheme of things that flag. i think that -- i think it's important in it's own right, there are much more important issues that the presidential candidates ought to discuss. and i'm glad hillary clinton's doing it i'm sorry republican candidates aren't going to be forced to do it. >> we have had many of these conversations about race on this show in the last few years, but also on sunday and yesterday, but speaking in the pure politics of this all, yes, bill points out, before nikki haley made her announcement that the flag was going to come down there were only two presidential candidates that i can tell who made it clear they didn't approve of the flag flying in south carolina one was jeb bush who as governor of florida took steps to take that flag down in 2001. and george pataki, former governor of new york. do you think that the presidential candidates in your party behaved the way you would have wanted them to? >> well i think it should not be controversial issue for republicans or anyone to say whether the

his flag was the american flag. the rebel flag was a nag of treason against maybe the greatest republican president either. so this gets so convoluted and so contorted. we have not a frenzy of hatred. we have a frenzy of bipartisanship with republicans and conservatives, roger wicker and liberals and democrats and african american leaders all coming together, saying, after this tragedy we have, it's not a solution, it's not gun control, but we have a communal response, we can work on one part of this together. so it's not a frenzy of hate or anything else. it's a frenzy of coming together. yet bill crystal can't get on that train, ann coulter can't get on that train, because they see it as a win for liberals and for people who don't like racism. >> the piece that i struggle with, he can't get on board with it, but he says he wants it to happen. he wants the flag to come down, but still has a problem with it. >> it's complicated. >> more interesting reactions here too. from former virginia senator jim webb, one of th

flag. a group called sons of confederate veterans argue the plate was protected. in a 5-4 decision the court says that licence plate designs constitution government speech and they are allowed to restrict what the plates show. south carolina lawmakers are under fire for keeping a confederate flag flying at the sit house. critics say the presence is insulting to nine black people shot dead at the emanuel a.m.e. church. the government says it does not have the authority to do anything about it. opponents say the flag represents oppression and support for slavery. advocates call it a symbol of southern heritage. we are joined by a professor of african-american history. good to have you with us. >> thank you for having me. >> the debate over the priority - it's a debate going on for a long time but it exploded because of the fact that the confederate battle flag is flying at full staff, while the u.s. and south carolina flags are attached. >> this is interesting for me. i'm a native of south ca

the flag is not only a flag of racism and lynching and slavery it is a flag of treason. these are people that challenged the government of the united states and try to overthrow a blink and's government. amy: what do you say to those who say, not hate? >> it is a heritage of slavery and lynching and a heritage of we are less than human. they want to be proud of that heritage? fine, but you don't put it up on the public square with taxpayers funded and subsidize it. any code you think it is possible that dylann shot the roof off the confederacy? >> i think it is possible dylann shot the roof off the confederacy. what i don't want to see is the confederates get away with just changing the curtains in the window, rather than the structure of the building. amy: reverend sharpton, you're standing in front of mother emanuel, the emanuel ame church, but you are standing on calhoun street. and just down the road is a statue of the former u.s. vice president john calhoun known for his proslavery stance, saying slavery is good. >> these are signs of the celebratory way that those

the american flag, yes. it did some of that but it actually fought the confederate flag because the+oflag wasn't for slavery. >> that's the most interesting thing about the phrase history is decided by the winners. unless you're talking about the confederacy. because they changed history to make it convenient. when something's convenient for you don't want to do it. i'm in the music business it's more convenient for people to get music for free. on our it's the artists adapt to that system. how dare we tell a consumer something that's left to me. if somebody benefits from the same white supremacy that's for or against the civil rights act that even has the flag moot back up, do you know what i'm seeing. you're like benefits. why would -- >> -->> larry: you're saying we need taylor swift on the confederate flag. >> yes, we do. [applause] >> we're trying to talk about this intelligently, right instead of bashing somebody's head with kettle balls. >> larry: why can't people make the distinction with american fl

>>> flag battle. south carolina's governor joins both the state's senators in calling for the confederate battle flag to be removed from the state capitol. will there be enough support in the state legislature to lower it once and for all? >>> manifesto. the hate-filled writings the charleston shooter reveal his path to radicalization and ultimately murder. what sparked his racist awakening? we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >>> we're following two major breaking stories including dramatic new developments in the search for two killers who escaped from a new york state prison more than two weeks ago. we've learned a corrections officer who knew the men who is han suspended and is under investigation. sources now telling cnn the escapees' dna has been found in a cabin only 20 miles from the prison. the other breaking story we're following, south carolina governor nikki haley, senator lindsey graham senator tim sco

flag the confederate flag. that's old video. just so you know. there is a new position for the confederate flag. it is down on the side. but still there at the state capitol. and now in baby step fashion it seems to be as if it's going to be removed permanently. msnbc's kasie hunt thank you so much. jonathan capehart is an opinion writer for the "washington post" and msnbc contributor. jonathan, real fast as kasie was talking about the gop politics about all of this is it a dodge for those that are running for the white house to say this is a state's right issue for people that want to be the president of all americans. shouldn't they address this as the president of all americans? >> yes, they should. absolutely. and that's why i think governor romney's tweet was so extraordinary. it was clear. it was unequivocal. he said it should come down. he's had this position as kasie said, since 2007. when it happened i was at a dinner party and i said to folk governor romney doing this makes it impossible for the other

removed. >> a flag, the confederate flag is a symbol of hate. it's a symbol of racism of white supremacy, and frankly a symbol of terror. so for african-americans, people of cover, and people who believe in racial equality and human rights, it's - it's a shame that we are still flying this flag. this is a flag that was used by white supremicist groups and symbolizes a path that the united states should move away from. it symbolizes slavery in the united states and continues to be used by hate groups extremist racist groups to put forth an idea of white superrem si. >> the pentagon says a u.s. air strike in iraq killed a person linked to the 2012 attack. he was an i.s.i.l. fighter. the u.s. says he was killed in an air strike on mosul in iraq last week. the u.s. ambassador to libya and three other americans were killed in the 2012 attack. >> british police arrested a rwandan intelligence chief after a request by spain, where he is wanted in connection with war crimes he's the director general of rwanda's services. he's wanted along with others ov

i equate the united nations flag the flag of the national socialist democratic party with the nazi flag of germany. the confederate flag was nothing more than the flag symbolizing a seceded hopefully to be nation which thank god never occurred. that's all that it recognizes. i just wish that people particularly the young speakers, the young people who appear on these tv programs, would do their fact checking before they buy into the hypocrisy of the left or the right. >> okay, arnold. all right. david? >> i think there is a real shift going on in the politics. i mean arkansas when bill clinton was governor and now, has -- the flag is designed to pay tribute to the confederate flag. and you had as recently as 2003 howard dean saying i want to be the candidate who appeals to the guy with the confederate flag on his pickup truck. it's hard to imagine many candidates, and particularly democrats saying that today. the politics have really shifted a lot in the last decade. i do think that an interesting thing about the flag that we need to reconsider is while this flag is a symbol of the conf

as of today, that flag is no longer flying. the governor bentley had all four confederate flags on the grounds removed this morning. in south carolina today, thousands of people came to pay their respects to state senator clementa pinckney whose body is lying in state in the capital rotunda. according to the charleston post and courier, he is the first african-american given the honor since reconstruction. black curtain was placed over a window of the rotunda to block the view of the confederate flag which continues to fly on state house grounds. while the legislature debates its removal. the national wake for the victims of the massacre at mother emanuel church in charleston came to washington today where south carolina's junior senator tim scott told the senate about his conversations with victims' families and how they hope this tragedy has changed this country. >> it is with great sadness and amazing hope that our future as a nation has been changed. it has been changed because one person decided to murder nine. it's been c

they have a strong reference to the confederate flag in their state flag. there's pressure from lawmakers there to change the state flag. is this going to happen? should it happen? we understand what went into this flash point with the south carolina flag. mississippi next up. what is the argument for the extension of this progress let's call it in changing the flag away from the confederate symbol. >> i think one of the things we are actually seeing are the economics of the flag. there's a visceral emotion and reaction to the flag being there. there's so much death associated with it. right now, we have nine more lives associated with it. in south carolina you have michelin boeing sunoco the south carolina association of manufacturers coming out against the flag being there. you are seeing the economics. the debate is shifting. this is now a mainstream debate. this is the beginning of a debate that surprisingly enough people want to have about race. i think this is a debate that will be lasting more than just today. more than just in mississippi. this is a

the state flag, the american flag and underneath the confederate flag. unfortunately, they put it on the state house grounds in front of the capitol away from the dome. but it's it shouldn't be there. this is a symbol that for many was appropriated to be used as their statement against racial progress. against integration, the statement in support of racial bigotry. as we saw that awful man who went into this church less than a week ago and killed these precious people. to have something that is used by many and is a symbol against all american values on public property is just wrong. it should be in a museum that's an appropriate place for it. it is no longer the symbol of hatred and bigotry. it is a part of history. and i commend governor haley for her leadership and stepping forward. i'm confident the votes will be in the general assembly. a bipartisan support for this. a majority of south carolinians want on public property the united states flag and the state flag. they don't want the confederate battle flag. >> realistically, when do you think that

that pertains to the flag the area that the flag flies in now. i feel like this senate needs to amend the senate resolution to the last to get to this most important issue and it's extremely important issue for our state. the world is watching us. i think -- and i say this. i believe that south carolina the state of south carolina has handled this situation as well as it could ever be handled. as i know you are, i'm extremely proud of the way our people handled this, in particular, the love and forgiveness shown to down in charleston by those families. i was no there, but i sat there and watch replays of it. it brought tears to my eyes, i can tell you that. i think we need to move forward with this, and this allows the speaker and i to call it back when we need to. i will tell you this -- i want to do this as expeditiously as we can. i want to make sure we do it right, that we don't make mistakes. i assume that a bill or bills will be introduced on the senate floor today. i assume that they very well could be introduced on the house floor. don't

and no one was talking about the flag. is it possible we are too focused and lawmakers are too focused on that one symbol and not the underlying roots of what went wrong here? >> well, the lawmakers who are adamant about giving it up is basically constituent based that wants them to do that. my constituent base is mixed, but again, i realize it and think for the good of this state and for the people that it's time that we put it in the museum. >> reporter: thank you so much for being on "new day." >> my pleasure to be here with you. >> reporter: mine as well. we'll see what happens. >> have a great day. god bless you. >> reporter: you, too. thank you so much. please tweet us. use the #newdaycnn or post your comment on facebook.com. i would love to read your comments on the flag and everybody else. >> great conversation there. >>> well, tonight cnn is taking a trip back to the '70s. do you remember this iconic and powerful image from vietnam? the young girl burned screaming from the attack. where is she now? why weigh yours

the protest lead to a compromise that moved the flag from the dome to its current location. but the deal requires a two-thirds majority in both houses to make any changes. political leaders say there are a growing number of lawmakers in favor of removing the flag but the sons of confederate veterans say it will fight to keep it. the group issued a statement saying in part: but some political leaders say removing the flag is only the start, and that there is more work to be done. >> reporter: it will not solve the racial divide in south carolina. we need a positive discourse on the problems that continue to playing our state. >> reporter: del walters, al jazeera, charleston south carolina. >>> the debate over the confederate flag is also brewing in mississippi. the republican speaker of the state legislature says it is time to consider making the emblem off of the state flag. it is the first time a republican-elected official in the state has publicly called for its removal. but the governor says the flag should stay because mississippi voters approved it four years ago. >>>

for taking down the flag are spreading across the south. alabama's republican governor today, ordered the confederate flag to be removed from its state capital grounds. joining governors in virginia north carolina tennessee, and georgia, who have also sought to diminish the presence of the controversial symbol. even in boise, idaho, mississippi state flag which prominently features the confederate symbol was removed from a display of state flags at city hall. >> it stays there until the people of south carolina say it should come down. >> reporter: in south carolina taking down the flag is kidded considered an uphill battle. >> these people waited their turn to be shot that's sad, somebody in there with a means of self-defense could have stopped this and would have had less funerals. >> you're turning this into a gun debate. if the nine families asked you to take down the flag would you do it. >> you said guns why didn't somebody just do something? you have one skinny person, shooting a gun, you got to do what you can. >> reporter: a local

he wanted to be known for spitting on the american flag and for flying the confederate flag instead. he reportedly told police that he killed all those people. he killed those specific people in that specific place because he want to start a race war. that young man is in custody in south carolina. he has reportedly confessed already. if federal hate crimes charges really are brought in this case, what does that mean in term of this young man's prosecution? does that change any possible sentence that he might receive. south carolina has no hate crime charges in its statutes. they do have the death penalty. they have the ability to bring federal charge in a place the state charges are already being filed and already as serious as you can get. why did, or why would the federal government clues to get involved in a case like this? and why hate crimes charges in particular? if the new york time is right and this will be a federal prosecution in charleston, what happens to this defendant in terms of the way his case is hand? and specifically in terms of the attention and the publicity he

there are many other flags in the south that have a part of the confederate flag. where do you think this is going? >> i think they are on their way to extinction over time. i do think wesley is exactly right in thinking the governor has done everyone a favor in giving cover. she speaks for the state. the two senators who are republicans as well, have spoken for the state. everybody is covered. as a matter of policy, if i were a south carolinian i would do exactly as she did. i would have done it five years ago. it's a good thing it's been done but the other fact this is totally irrelevant. this massacre could have happened in any case. something happened really bad, so there's got to be a problem and there has to be a solution. we must do something, even if the something is entirely irrelevant. gun control being an example of the second here. that's the instinct. don't just stand there and do something. when reagan advised don't just do something, stand there. >> about president obama on that podcast talking about the state of racism in our country, here's what he

flag. president obama tweeting back good point mitt. other republicans running for president skirted the issue. let's talk about the confederate flag and whether it should be on the south carolina's capitol's grounds. greg stewart is a 20-year member of the sons of confederate veterans and jill is a writer for the detroit free press and the new york times. >> good morning. >> greg you spearheaded an effort to keep the confederate battle flag on the mississippi state flag why? >> that was in 2001 and the policy makers then had an effort to get around the public on the vote and the main point of it was to allow the people of mississippi to have a vote and they did. in fact we carried presinks the counties that no one would have known that we would have carried but we carried them by a wide margin. that's the way to do it to give it to the people. >> i will add because i think it's important to let the information out there. there was a huge lobbying effort in the state of mississippi. lobbyis

the flag is not just a symbol. it is a flag. it represents allegiance to something other than this republic. and not only does it rene lie jans to something else it also represents specific thins, such as racial inequality. it seeks to undo the civil war the 13th amendment, the 15th amendment. those are the things that it represents. so it's not just about an andine heritage. it is also about specific historical moments. so for anybody who thinks that it simply represents duty one has to think about duty for what? why is it call add rebel flag? it was in rebellion against the union, and that is an undeniable it fact that i think the supporters of the flag have to come to terms with and that's one of the reasons why. at least for me it is more deeply problematic. it is not just about racism but specifically against the very ideals that this country stands for. >> indeed when it went up first at the state capital, first in 1961 the 100th anniversary of the civil war, and then a law was passed to keep it up keep it there in 1962. i

flag to come under assault, rush is the american flag? 150 years ago that's what the confederates did. they tried to assault the american flag. they tried to destroy this union. the ones that are anti-american are the ones that flag stand for, the confederates. don't get it twisted. we stood for the union. they tried to break and destroy the union. they are the ones that trampled on the american flag and raised a new flag. we're saying let one flag stand and let it stand for all and take the rebels that tried to destroy the american flag take it down all over this country. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. >>> flag day. let's play "hardball." >>> good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. the party that fought for the union in the 1860s and backed civil rights in the 1960s has been caught offsides in the