Presidential candidate Gen. Wesley Clark
blasted South Carolina officials on Friday for flying
the Confederate flag on Statehouse grounds, even though
his home state of Arkansas still celebrates
"Confederate Flag Day" - and his most
prominent political patron, Bill Clinton, signed into
law a measure honoring Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in
1985.
"I
don't believe we ought to be honoring flags that divide
us," Clark told reporters during a conference call,
adding, "We need to be honoring flags that unite
us."
"I don't believe we ought to be
... keeping that flag on state grounds or federal
grounds," Clark complained.
But the former NATO commander said
nothing about the celebration of the Confederate flag in
his own backyard, Arkansas, where Clark grew up and
still lives.
As noted two years ago by Landmark
Legal Foundation President Mark Levin, "In April
1985, Governor Bill Clinton signed Act 985 into law,
making the birthdates of Martin Luther King Jr. (the
preeminent leader of the civil-rights movement) and
Robert E. Lee (the general who led the Confederate army)
state holidays on the same day."
Writing
in National Review Online, Levin described Arkansas Code
Section 1-5-107, which stipulates: "The Saturday
immediately preceding Easter Sunday of each year is
designated as 'Confederate Flag Day' in this
state."
The law continues: "No person,
firm, or corporation shall display a Confederate flag or
replica thereof in connection with any advertisement of
any commercial enterprise, or in any manner for any
purpose except to honor the Confederate States of
America."
In 1987, Clark's political patron
signed a bill that designates a star in the Arkansas
flag as symbolic of the Confederacy and issued a
proclamation designating a birthday memorial for
Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy,
according to the Washington Times.
Still, though Clark has touted his
opposition to South Carolina's Confederate flag for
months, he has failed to oppose, in any public way,
tributes to the flag in his home state, let alone
criticize Clinton for using Arkansas state law to
celebrate what many of Clark's supporters regard as a
symbol of slavery.
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