Monday letters: Turn Confederate flag debate into overdue conversation

It would have been easier for our state’s leaders to batten down the hatches, tuck their heads in the sand and rally around the party line with regard to the Confederate flag, but they didn’t. And they should be commended for siding with the angels. The real question becomes: What do we do next?

The flag was merely a symptom of our refusal to have the conversation around hate, prejudice and race relations in our state. We should not only celebrate what has been done, but engage in a healthy dialogue about what has allowed hate to take root in our homes. We need to explore and educate our populace about unearned privilege, about silence in the face of hate being complicity and about not settling for small victories when larger ills are ready to be cured.

South Carolina has shown her readiness to be a better version of herself, and growth is painful. Like most kinds of recovery, it begins with us saying our name, admitting we have a problem and building those 12 steps to get right. There needs to be room to disagree, cry, learn and work on better.

Lexington