Rebel flags fly at Palm Springs bar

State lawmakers in South Carolina have set the stage for a debate on whether to remove the Confederate flag from the statehouse grounds.

The senate joined today in extending the current session which had been set aside for budget votes. One proposal would move the flag from the statehouse grounds to a museum.

The Confederate flag, a symbol of the South during the Civil War, has reentered the national spotlight after the shooting last week at a historic African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina where 9 people were killed.

At least one business in Palm Springs still has Confederate flags on display and some people do find it offensive.

“It’s a symbol of a lot of negative things to a lot of people that we don’t need especially now,” said Warren Schreier who just bought a home in Palm Springs.

Palm Canyon Roadhouse has been open for more than 8 years. Patrons have donated all the items used for decor along the walls, which includes many Confederate flags of all shapes and sizes. The owner says he has never heard any complaints from customers about the flags. The restaurant is a southern rock bar where bands play songs by Lynyrd Skynyrd among other southern rock bands.

“We are a southern rock roadhouse, it’s mostly because we play a lot of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet, it’s that reason and nothing else,” said Greg LaRiviere, owner of Palm Canyon Roadhouse. “People want to politicize this because it’s topical and turn it into something that it’s not down here, that’s not what it’s about it’s about music,” said LaRiviere.

“I guess the question is how important was this for Lynyrd Skynyrd, when they did it it’s about the music and I think a lot of the ideas in the south is this is about those that gave their lives in the Civil War,” said Jimi Heil, a musician who has been playing at Palm Canyon Roadhouse for four years.

The owner may soon decide to take the stars and bars down, but not for reasons you might expect.

“Seeing the unity between the Democrats and the Republicans on this, if they come together in South Carolina and and they agree to take it down there, we would do the same over here just to show support because seeing those two groups get together is tremendous,” said LaRiviere.

Still some people say a place like this might be the only acceptable place for the Confederate flag.

“I suppose in a bar is one thing on a public building is another,” said Schreier.

Do you think the bar should keep up the Confederate flags? Leave a comment below or send it to Joe Galli on Facebook or Twitter.

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