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Charleston: A Beacon of Civility

When the awful news of the church massacre in Charleston was televised, I immeidately contacted my nephew, a fellow New Yorker, who has a winter home in the heart of Charleston.
Having visited Charleston, the "holy city", for the first time last year, I was extremely impressed by the charm and placidity of the city and the grace, amiability and propriety of the Charlestonians themselves. Frankly, I lamented my return to New York State following that most pleasant of visits. Charleston is a very special place, indeed. 
When the awful news of the Charleston massacre was televised, I immediately sent the following text to my nephew who was at his summer home in upstate New York:
"When I visit you again in Charleston this winter, let's be sure to check out the church where the massacre occurred. By the way, because Charleston folks have class and dignity I am not worried about Ferguson or Baltimore-like insanity and turmoil in the wake of this monstrous shooting no matter how much inciting by the likes of racist dividers Sharpton and Obama. For the first time in a very long time, the country will vividly see how a civilized American city behaves in a disaster. Charleston will prove to be a beacon of civility and Christianity." My nephew promptly agreed.
And so it has been. 
And, by the way, this dopey caterwauling about taking down the Confederate Flag in Charleston is obscenely stupid, insulting and short-sighted. If we are to rid ourselves of flags which remind us of the evils of slavery, then EVERY flag flown in the United States since 1776 must be eliminated as well. Under those banners, and under the protection of union law, slavery flourished.

Let's hope Charlestonians do not succumb to this insipid and mindless demand to take down their state flag. For me, the Confederate Flag is an honorable reminder of the pre-eminence of federalism and the inherent right of a State to break from any union which would abridge its constitutional sovereignty. It is also a tribute to those hundreds of thousands of Southern patriots--which include blacks as well--who selflessly and heroically gave their lives in defense of their nation. These patriots' sacrifices should never be forgotten or impugned. They are no less heroic than those thousands of Union soldiers who gave their lives to maintain an "indivisible union" and to end slavery in the Confederate States of America.
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4063791430?profile=original             Jesse Lewis and his mom Scarlett Lewis - Photo Credit - Fox News

As the morning chill of December crept across the Newtown, Conn. landscape 26 families had their lives and their town torn apart by gun fire targeted at innocent elementary school children and staff.  The Anniversary of that horrific day when Adam Lanza stalked and murdered 26,  six and seven year old children and adult staff at Sandy Hook Elementary school has left an indelible imprint upon the survivor parents, and family members.

Now a year later the murderous mark of the psychologically deranged young man can still be felt on a town that is still working to heal.  America itself is making that same attempt to again come to grips with how precious little children can have their lives literally torn from them and why this madman did this.

The words are hard to come by as some of the parents gathered on Monday to talk about what the town and the nation could do to help honor the memory of their lost.  The creation of a website called http://mysandyhookfamily.org/  which depicts the photographs as well as some of the memories is but one way they are honoring the victims.  They are also requesting that the focus of the Anniversary should be on acts of kindness is the better legacy that Americans should share, according to Reuters.

One of the parents described her tragic loss to Fox News of her six-year-old son Jesse Lewis.  Looking at a literal shrine of paintings and photographs, Scarlett Lewis said, “He’s missed every day.”

( Click to Read More )

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