On June 24th, the Governor of Alabama, Robert Bentley, ordered that the Confederate battle flags be taken down from the Confederate Memorial at the Capitol. Workers did so quickly and quietly. In the midst of all the debate, Bentley was questioned about his decision, and he stated, "This is the right thing to do. We are facing some major issues in this state regarding the budget and other matters that we need to deal with. This had the potential to become a major distraction as we go forward. I have taxes to raise, we have work to do. And it was my decision that the flag needed to come down." Bentley also answered that his decision did have in some part to do with the deaths of nine African Americans in a church in Charleston, South Carolina last week. The accused shooter was a proud displayer of the Confederate flag.
Whether or not you agree with the decision to remove the flag, the Governor made a smart decision. The news lately has been about ISIS, Middle East crises, war, the Charleston massacre, the gay marriage ruling (whether you are pro or con), and even the ever so talked about Caitlyn Jenner. All of these things are super important and need to be discussed, worried about, and acted on. These things involve the altering of peoples lives, and even the ending of some. The Confederate flag has been flying for years. I might pass by a sign that offends me, but I cannot do anything about someone's free speech. To many, like myself, that flag has never really meant anything except that it was flying during the Civil War. Now I am an Alabamian and an American, and it means nothing to me. For me, it is history. For others, it may be a sign of oppression.
We cannot banish the KKK because of freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Taking away someone's flag is taking away their freedom of expression. As long as they are not harming anyone, they should be protected. A lot of things people do, say, wear, or flaunt are going to offend me, but I cannot make them stop unless they are physically or deeply emotionally harming me.
So why was the Governor's decision good? He recognized that in the midst of so many other life-affecting things going on, we should remove the things from our lives that hinder us from moving on. In the midst of crises that are ending lives, flying a flag or not is not a priority. Two weeks ago when Caitlyn Jenner was taking over our news feed, people were dying all over the world in wars. It is the harsh truth. We love talking about and sharing fun stuff, and we need to worry and act on the bad stuff, but all in all, we need to get our priorities straight as a people, as a state, and as a country.
So what do I want you to get out of me writing all of this? "I don't know, that I am an awful person for caring about the Confederate flag or caring about Caitlyn Jenner." No. News, no matter how small, matters. Was Gov. Bentley's decision the right one indefinitely? I don't know. Will it change lives? Maybe not.
Overall encouragement: Don't let negative news that don't matter in the scope of your life and others' lives disrupt your life.
