Received: from mailgw01.vc3.com (64.28.206.27) by COHSC-EXCH-01.hartsville.local (192.168.100.251) with Microsoft SMTP Serve= r (TLS) id 14.3.174.1; Mon, 6 Jul 2015 11:14:47 -0400 X-IronPort-Anti-Spam-Filtered: true X-IronPort-Anti-Spam-Result: A0AQBQAqmppV/+7JeUpcgk9mMWCwKI8cE4VzAoFuEAEBAQ= EBAQGBCoQqCChWBQEFAgUdJDQDBhwBBBuIJgUIpHuldQEBCAEBAQEaBIE1iRSFV4MyHYEUBYxRh= 0SEYp9cJoQXIjEBAQEBgkcBAQE X-IPAS-Result: A0AQBQAqmppV/+7JeUpcgk9mMWCwKI8cE4VzAoFuEAEBAQEBAQGBCoQqCChW= BQEFAgUdJDQDBhwBBBuIJgUIpHuldQEBCAEBAQEaBIE1iRSFV4MyHYEUBYxRh0SEYp9cJoQXIjE= BAQEBgkcBAQE X-IronPort-AV: E=3DSophos;i=3D"5.15,415,1432612800";=20 d=3D"scan'208,217";a=3D"32335941" Received: from sc.lmhostediq.com (HELO IQ12) ([74.121.201.238]) by mailgw01.vc3.com with ESMTP; 06 Jul 2015 11:12:53 -0400 Received: from mail pickup service by IQ12 with Microsoft SMTPSVC; Mon, 6 = Jul 2015 11:14:43 -0400 thread-index: AdC3/nyCVnAM1e7gSQ6aT0c4XmO9Sg=3D=3D Thread-Topic: Thank you for contacting the office of Governor Haley From: <governor.haley@sc.lmhostediq.com> To: <utility.cre@hartsvillesc.gov> Subject: Thank you for contacting the office of Governor Haley Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2015 11:14:43 -0400 Message-ID: <607893848B454703B0D2E38BC152FDD7@IQ12> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=3D"----=3D_NextPart_000_0ABE_01D0B7DC.F570E890" X-Mailer: Microsoft CDO for Windows 2000 Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message Importance: normal Priority: normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.1.7601.17609 X-OriginalArrivalTime: 06 Jul 2015 15:14:43.0428 (UTC) FILETIME=3D[7CA18240= :01D0B7FE] Return-Path: governor.haley@sc.lmhostediq.com

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. These have been very difficult times for South Carolina, but our hearts and minds remain fixed on the nine families and the communities shaken by this tragedy. Their grace and strength set a powerful example for us all.

Even in the midst of our grief, South Carolina set about the process of healing – not by talking about issues that divide us – but by hugging our neighbors, holding vigils, honoring those we lost, and falling to our knees in prayer. We came together as a state, as a unified people, to remember those we lost and to begin this healing process.

We've also come together in acknowledging that certain symbols and events of our past resonate differently among us. For some, the Confederate flag represents a history of their ancestry and heritage. For others, the flag is a deeply painful reminder of a brutally oppressive past.

Inspired by the victims' families and the re-opening of Emanuel A.M.E. church, I felt compelled to make a statement about moving the flag from the Statehouse grounds. This is a moment in which we can say that the flag, while an integral part of our past, does not represent the future of our great state, and that by removing a symbol that divides us, we can move forward as a state in harmony.

The time has come for us to set the flag among the other markers of our history so we can set our eyes on the great promise of a united South Carolina. God bless.