Tuesday, August 30, 2016

WaTimes: Obama Quietly Bans Confederate Flag at Cemeteries - Thank you Confederacy for making liberal hair catch fire. --tma


FILE - In this July 19, 2011 file photo, Confederate battle flags fly in Mountain Creek, Ala. The House has voted to ban the display of the Confederate flag on flagpoles at Veterans Administration cemeteries. The 265-159 vote would block descendants and others seeking to commemorate veterans of the Confederate States of America from flying the Confederate Battle Flag over mass graves, even on days that flag displays are permitted. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)


The Veterans Affairs Department quietly moved this month to ban flying of Confederate flags from fixed flagpoles at the cemeteries it runs, striking yet another blow against the controversial emblem.
Congress had debated and rejected that change, but the Obama administration decided to move forward anyway, saying it was unilaterally imposing the restrictions.
“In particular, we will amend our policy to make clear that Confederat flags will not be displayed from any permanently fixed flagpole in a national cemetery at any time,” wrote Ronald E. Walters, under secretary for memorial affairs at the VA.
Rep. Jared Huffman, a California Democrat who had pushed for the changes, declared victory after the move, and said it was a rejection of some of the sentiments seen at rallies for GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump. ...