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Current Status Bill Number:View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.5156 Type of Legislation:Concurrent Resolution CR Introducing Body:House Introduced Date:20000531 Primary Sponsor:Trotter All Sponsors:Trotter Drafted Document Number:l:\council\bills\ggs\22693cm00.doc Residing Body:House Current Committee:Invitations and Memorial Resolutions Committee 24 HIMR Subject:NAACP, condemning continuation of boycott against tourism industry; Resolutions, Requests, Parks, Recreation and Tourism History Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ ______________________________________ _______ ____________ House 20000531 Introduced, referred to Committee 24 HIMR Versions of This Bill
CONDEMNING THE NAACP'S CONTINUATION OF ITS BOYCOTT AGAINST SOUTH CAROLINA AND CALLING UPON THE NAACP TO END THE BOYCOTT IMMEDIATELY.
Whereas, in July of 1999, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People organized a secondary boycott against the tourism industry of the State of South Carolina in order to coerce the General Assembly of South Carolina to remove the Confederate Flag from the State House dome; that the NAACP's secondary boycott has been supported by churches, ministerial alliances, and other groups; and
Whereas, from July of 1999, until the present, the NAACP has been actively engaged in a campaign to do harm to the South Carolina tourism industry, as well as other industries in South Carolina, by urging persons who wish to hold conventions or meetings in the State to "consider locations other than the State of South Carolina as convention or meeting sites, until such time as the Confederate Battle Flag is removed from positions of sovereignty in the State of South Carolina"; and
Whereas, the tourism industry of South Carolina, including convention sites, auditoriums, convention centers, hotels, motels, restaurants, and other similar establishments and businesses are innocent bystanders in the flag debate and had nothing whatsoever to do with the flag controversy; and
Whereas, the NAACP's relentless continuing boycott against the South Carolina tourism industry has resulted in at least 117 cancellations of events or meetings in South Carolina; that such boycott has resulted in the breach of numerous existing contracts and the breaking of numerous existing agreements entered into in good faith by South Carolina merchants and businesses, costing these merchants and businesses millions of dollars in anticipated revenue therefrom; and
Whereas, the NAACP's boycott against the South Carolina tourism industry has seriously exacerbated racial tensions in South Carolina and has caused significant ill will and racial polarization; and
Whereas, in May of 2000, the General Assembly enacted legislation signed by the Governor which will on July 1 remove the Confederate Naval Jack from the State House dome and from the chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives and will permanently erect the flag of the Army of Northern Virginia at the Confederate Soldier's Monument on the State House grounds; and
Whereas, the South Carolina President of the NAACP has indicated in response to the enactment of this legislation that he is "disappointed and insulted that the General Assembly of our State reached a shallow political decision" and has announced that the NAACP's boycott against the tourism industry would remain in effect and that the NAACP will now impose a similar boycott against South Carolina's film and movie industry; that persons in South Carolina's film and movie industry are also innocent bystanders in the flag controversy; that individuals involved in that industry have stated publicly that the NAACP's boycott will result in breaches of existing contracts entered into in good faith and will thereby cost them significant loss of revenue; and
Whereas, the NAACP's secondary boycott against innocent bystanders in the tourism and movie industry may violate anti-trust laws, the Unfair Trade Practices Act, other statutory laws, or the common law of South Carolina, or may be actionable under South Carolina law, or both, and the Attorney General of South Carolina is currently investigating the legality of the boycott and whether legal action is available; and
Whereas, the NAACP appears to be willing to accept no compromise, but continues to demand total removal of the Confederate Flag from the State House grounds and placement of the Flag in a glass case in a museum; that such removal from the State House grounds is unacceptable to the General Assembly of South Carolina; and
Whereas, the General Assembly, by placing the Confederate Flag on the State House grounds at the Soldier's Monument, is violating no one's civil rights or any constitutionally protected right; thus, the purpose of the NAACP's continuing boycott, to remove the Confederate Flag from the State House grounds, will vindicate no constitutionally protected right; and
Whereas, the NAACP's continued agitation in the face of South Carolina's removal of the Confederate Flag from the dome of the State House is harmful not only to innocent victims, but also to race relations in this State and is detrimental to the public interest of South Carolina; and
Whereas, in a diverse society such as South Carolina, we must be about the business of uniting together, not dividing against one another, that all symbols, including the Confederate Flag, must be respected by one another. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
That the General Assembly hereby condemns the NAACP's continued boycott against the State of South Carolina and calls upon the NAACP to bring this boycott to an immediate and complete end so the State of South Carolina can move on to more important issues.
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