I have to be frank: I think this whole Confederate Flag kerfuffle is one giant distraction. Granted, there are those that argue the flag represents America’s racist past. And I get it; I do. I understand their argument and I’m supportive of South Carolina’s right to choose whether or not it remains. But there are also those—like myself, who view the flag from an historical perspective—who see this flag as representative of the hard-fought battle for states’ rights. You know what they say about opinions…Nevertheless, the loudest voices are very likely the same people who screech, “Don’t paint the entire population with a broad brush!” when an Islamic jihadist attacks us, then do the very thing they advocate against. So now, it looks like Walmart, who’s previously removed specific firearms for sale from its shelves in appeasement of the haters of our Second Amendment, is jumping on the “It’s Racist!” bandwagon. Why do I say “bandwagon?” Because up until now, Walmart had no issue with selling Confederate Flag merchandise.

#BREAKING Walmart: No more items with Confederate flags http://t.co/IJmKcQr6Rr

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) June 23, 2015

Of course, the responses to Walmart’s decision are eclectic, ranging from this:

https://twitter.com/ThaBigRube/status/613145205869404160

…to this excellent question:

What if I find this flag offensive? Should it be taken down everywhere?#ConfederateFlag #SouthCarolina pic.twitter.com/JZqDVe9KL2

— oleg zeltser (@OlegZeltser) June 23, 2015

…and to the typical demands for even more bans:

Thanks Walmart!!! Now how about no guns sales? “@USATODAY: #BREAKING Walmart: No more items with Confederate flags http://t.co/dNb7hgO6Dc”

— Gina Wojtysiak (@ginawojo) June 23, 2015

Yes, let’s trample the Second Amendment while we’re at it. Because, y’know, self defense is so overrated. But wait, there’s more:

@USATODAY @48hippo Yeah maybe they'd be a lot better off if then stop selling video games that are all about killing that might do some good

— Gary (@garyramsey48) June 23, 2015

Great idea. Because censorship—a.k.a. trashing the First Amendment—is so very…Tipper Gore. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no fan of those games, either. But the blame for the horrific deaths in Charleston lies not on a video game, or a flag, or a gun, but squarely on the shoulders of the shooter. And once we start dictating what a store can and cannot sell, where does it stop?

And speaking of shameless hypocrites, here’s a quick trip down Arkansas’ Wayback Railroad, courtesy of the Clintons:

You cool with Arkansas flag that flew at Bill and Hillary's house for 12 years and his library today? @chrislhayes pic.twitter.com/8yJ5ExLDzA

— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) June 21, 2015

Shh…don’t tell anyone, but it was a Democrat who first hoisted the flag over South Carolina’s State House. Per Rush Limbaugh:

Limbaugh placed blame for the Confederate flag flying over the Statehouse on former Democratic Senator Earnest “Fritz” Hollings, who served in the Senate in 1962.

“When did all this become a Republican problem? Who wrote the lyrics of the song, “Dixie?”…If you go to Arkansas, you know, all these old racial segregationists, they’re all Democrats,” Limbaugh continued. “Bill Clinton’s mentor from Arkansas, J. William Fulbright, was a proud segregationist. And Bill Clinton signed a proclamation authorizing the Confederate flag to fly over the statehouse in Arkansas.”

Nevertheless, as has become her modus operandi, we can expect the FlipFlop Queen to “evolve” that position any day now. Oops! Ruh roh, Raggy, seems Ebay is out of compliance:

Again, the decision to remove the Confederate Flag from the State House grounds should be South Carolina’s and South Carolina’s alone, preferably via a statewide vote. And I’d say the same for Walmart; it’s their decision. But it’s a slippery slope. We can be certain that all other major merchandisers will be relentlessly pressured to remove the flag from their shelves as well. What else will the hoards demand be scrubbed? There are growing numbers who claim our American flag is racist and offensive. There are those who’ve successfully lobbied for the removal of bibles from hotel rooms. The fight over displaying the Ten Commandments and Nativity Scenes is forever ongoing. And let’s not forget the endless push by the politically correct to demand we all wish one another “Happy Holidays.”

Meanwhile, few of us are discussing the foremost issues surrounding the Charleston shootings: Mental illness and drug abuse. Not to mention what appears to be a complete failure of anyone who knew this racist nut job to alert authorities to his threats of murder. Nor are we talking about the gun-running the Obama Administration was engaged in, via Benghazi, to the so-called Syrian “rebels” who were reportedly linked to Al Qaeda, our sworn enemy. Or that pesky massive cyber attack, which this blogger sees as an act of war. How very convenient.

Perhaps, if nothing else, Walmart’s decision, and the removal of the flag, if approved, will finally silence the perpetually offended, and we can move on to more pressing issues. But somehow, I doubt that.