On the recordJuly 9, 2015
The Southern strategy was and is a Republican strategy of gaining political support for its political candidates by appealing to regional and racial tensions in this country based on the history of slavery, the history of the Civil War, racism, and segregation. That is a history that is indefensible, and so is the Confederate battle flag which represents those attitudes. I call upon my fellow colleagues in the Republican Party to denounce this Southern strategy once and for all and to do what it takes to affirm the tide of this country, which is to do away with that symbol of oppression and racial animist, the Confederate battle flag. Let's remove that flag from our national cemeteries, from our Park Service, places of purchasing memorabilia. {time} 1500
