Obama Addresses Confederate Flag During Charleston Funeral Service

 

obamaPresident Obama took a moment during the funeral service for one of the Charleston shooting victims this afternoon to address the Confederate flag. The president acknowledged that while a flag didn’t kill nine people in the Emanuel AME Church, it’s still a significant step to take down a “reminder of systemic oppression and racial subjugation.”

“Removing the flag from this state’s capitol would not be an act of political correctness,” Obama said, “it would not be an insult to the valor of Confederate soldiers. It would simply be an acknowledgement for the cause for which they fought, for slavery, is wrong.”

He spoke of the resistance put up over the years to racial equality and civil rights and added, “By taking down that flag, we express God’s grace.

Watch the video below, via CNN:

[image via screengrab]

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Josh Feldman is a Senior Editor at Mediaite. Email him here: josh@mediaite.com Follow him on Twitter: @feldmaniac