Such swift social pressure and action to remove the confederate flag in the wake of the Charleston hate murders. Thanks to the clear motives of the killer, the word “hate” became almost instantly synonymous with that battle flag, which has flown too long after the battle was lost and the issue was settled, at least legally, if not socially.

But where is the frustration and negative symbolism about the 45 calibre handgun the 21-year-pld idiot hate-monger wielded that day? Where is the outrage over the great carnage that concealed handgun could do in minutes? The confederate flag may now be more clearly understood as a lingering symbol of hate, but where is the negative social symbolism about the needless proliferation of non-hunting guns among our civilian population?

The social frustration coming out of the Charleston massacre seems to have been channeled away from the tangible gun issue to the largely intangible flag issue. In a way, it’s too bad there had not been an image of a gun superimposed on that flag, and the guns thus symbolically associated with the hate attributed to the flag.

Take down the hateful flag! Take down the hateful guns!