Following the mass shooting in Charleston, a serious debate on the wide availability of guns was run up the national flagpole. It didn’t stick. But running the Confederate Flag down the South Carolina flagpole has gained considerable momentum. Statements by several South Carolina officials (including Governor Nikki Haley) have dramatically changed the political landscape. And moves by retailers — including the nation of Wal-Mart — make it likely the flags will be both down the pole and off the shelves in short order. (Here’s a list of other places where a Confederate Flag ban is on the way.)

+ In this case and others, if you want to see the direction America is headed, then watch Wal-Mart.