SHAWNEE, Kan. — Giant retail stores are pulling Confederate flag merchandise off the shelves. Some local stores are doing the same.
Red, white and blue stands for freedom on the American flag, but on another, those same colors mean something completely different.
“What it originally stood for was states that were supporting slavery,” said Mike Vaille, owner of Flagsource Unlimited.
Vaille’s store has been open for 28 years in Shawnee.
Those stars and stripes on the Confederate flag are the center of a brewing controversy over race.
Walmart, Amazon, Ebay and Sears announced bans on Confederate flag merchandise, and Vaille is doing the same in his shop.
He’s got one Confederate flag on the shelf. It’s been collecting dust for nearly three years.
Vaille says that flag is the least popular at Flagsource Unlimited. He can’t even remember the last time it was sold.
“It’s usually a young person who wants to express his independence,” he said. “Not really buying it as a statement that he’s supporting the cause.”
This flag is a symbol of the slave-holding south and has been back in the spotlight since the shooting in Charleston. Vaille says he prefers to keep history in the past.
“Let’s move on to today and support the U.S as a united country,” said Vaille.
He says he’s probably going to pull his one Confederate flag off the shelf and no longer restock.
