McCrory, Berger now in pissing match over Stars & Bars Plates

It’s typical of politicians, especially in their own party, in North Carolina to get into a pissing match over policy and who has authority to do what, especially in an election year when one believes doing something will cause problems at the polls and another who is far less conservative and believes taking the high road is best for the State of North Carolina as a whole. It’s time Governor Pat McCrory and President Pro Tempore of the Senate Phil Berger quit aiming at each other with their pants down and get together on the issue of displaying the Confederate flag on NC license plates.

Both men are Republicans, and it seems while both might (not sure Berger does) want the same thing, each desires the other to handle it, to take credit for it so when the crazy fools who display the flag on the backs of cars, backs of jean jackets, and personal property throughout the state go to the polls to vote next year, they can vote against the other person, the one who handled the issue and eliminated the symbol of hate and slavery on the license plates. Children will be children, but these two men are adults and should be forward thinkers, though many will doubt that of Berger more so than they will McCrory.

• McCrory said: It’s my understanding that there is a clear statute that does not give me that authority. I was actually wanting to have that executive authority, but we understand clearly that the statute was written which would need to be clarified by the legislature. You know me, if I could do it, I would do it.
• Berger responded: There is some level of executive administrative discretion involved in the issuance of those plates and what goes on those plates.

The right thing to do is this: McCrory should issue an executive order excluding the Confederate flag from North Carolina license plates while at the same time, Berger needs to introduce legislation to change whatever statute needs to be changed to do the same. And, Berger needs to press the legislation through the Senate and House and give it to McCrory to sign. Voting in the General Assembly should be electronic and not by voice vote. The pissing match would be over when the two shake hands at the bill’s signing and an ax is taken to one such license plate, destroying it in public while issuing hope this will help calm the hatred of the died-in-the-wool Rebels who remain isolated from general society with their ancient feelings toward a race other than their own.

As far as allowing current plate owners to retain the symbol, and though The News & Observer columnist Barry Saunders wants the plates to remain on the vehicles so he know where his enemies are, McCrory and Berger should also do something about that, devising a plan that disallows renewal of the plate once it expires. It’s time for the symbol of the South, once something that was displayed to honor natives of this state and other Confederate states for their efforts in the Civil War, be removed all together simply because it has morphed into a symbol of hatred, one that frightens Africa-Americans more so than one that rallies Southerners wanting to keep a hand on history.

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