Why the Confederate flag at South Carolina’s capitol didn’t dip for the Charleston dead

For many 'southern leaders', its secession remains...can't claim unification when these things continue.

In the hours after the massacre at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, American and South Carolina flags across that state dipped to half-staff in honor of the nine killed.

But the Confederate battle flag that sits on the grounds of the capitol in Columbia was left untouched.

The Charleston Post and Courier explained:

Officials said the reason why the flag has not been touched is that its status is outlined, by law, as being under the protected purview of the full S.C. Legislature, which controls if and when it comes down.

State law reads, in part, the state “shall ensure that the flags authorized above shall be placed at all times as directed in this section and shall replace the flags at appropriate intervals as may be necessary due to wear.”