“We must always remember our past, but that does not mean we must let it define us” said Philip Gunn, a House speaker for the state of Mississippi. This was in reference to the latest debate in our nation: the Confederate flag and the representation behind it. Some say it is simply a symbol of heritage while others preach that it is a symbol synonymous with racism. Which so much “he said, she said” going on, it is hard to see eye-to-eye.
History of the flag
South Carolina seceded from the Union in December 1860 and was the first to do so. The next year in April, the Civil War began at Fort Sumter is South Carolina. After South Carolina’s move, ten other states below the Mason Dixon followed suit. They became the Confederate States of America. What’s funny is that the actual Confederate flags (all 3 of them) aren’t even the ones that are facing scrutiny. General Robert E. Lee’s Army of North Virginia had a battle flag and that is the one that is currently under fire.
Once the war was over, the flag became a symbol of Southern heritage and pride. It also served as a memorial of sorts for fallen Confederate soldiers. Years later, however, it also became the face of racism. Along with the American flag, the Confederate battle flag became an emblem for the KKK, as well as other hate groups. In 1948, a new Democratic party penning themselves as the Dixiecrats adopted the flag. This group was against civil rights and actually had a presidential candidate that won over 30 electoral votes.
Since then, it has been sold at Wal-Marts, flea markets, and other stores as a sign of “Southern heritage.” It has been plastered on the back of trucks and tattooed on people’s bodies. Many point fingers and say that it is because white people want to establish dominance with this flag while others say they want to demonstrate Southern pride.
Why does America all of the sudden care?
The debate on the Confederate flag is as common in the south as sweet tea and using the word "yall." It is a debate that has been argued for decades. The most recent thorn in the debate's side happened last week. Meet Dylann Roof. He is a 21-year-old from South Carolina. He is reported as being one to make racist jokes and even his “friends” call him weird. He had the Confederate flag on his car and was photographed with it on multiple occasions. More importantly, he carried it around in his heart. Roof walked into the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. last week. He sat for around an hour and was welcomed by nine people doing a bible study. Imagine your own church. It's a Sunday morning and you're in the Sunday school room with eight of your fellow Christians. Someone new walks in and you welcome them, because that's what Christians do. This was the same for Emanuel AME Church. Roof was reported to have said, “I have to do it. You rape our women and you're taking over our country. And you have to go,” he said as he stood up and fired a .45-caliber Glock pistol into the room. This is the same man who wrote an entire manifesto dedicated to starting a “race war.” He took the Confederate flag for more than just a Southern heritage piece. To him, this flag represents hatred.
A matter of opinion
Not every southerner who believes the flag should be flown is a racist. They see the flag as a symbol of southern pride or as a way to remember ancestors who fought in the Civil War. They look at it as more of a memorial to their family than a shrine for racism. However, look at what the African-American community is going through in terms of racial pride. A white man came into a church and killed nine people in a Holy place. If the flags stay up, it looks like we are still favoring the white majority. Governor Bentley of Alabama quietly had all Confederate flags removed from the Capitol building in Montgomery this morning. Is this the worst thing we have to worry about in my home state? No. His reasoning was to avoid the struggle that would come if he left it up. Meanwhile, in South Carolina, legislation is being debated in order for the flag to be removed. Nowhere did anyone say that the Confederate flag was illegal. Nowhere did anybody ban it from being flown at a house or worn on a shirt. Maybe it's time for those who are opposing its removal to step up and compromise.
Rather than look at it as a terrible thing, they could hold onto the flag as a family heirloom of sorts. Is it wrong for someone to ask that it to be removed in a state where not only relatives of long gone Confederate soldiers are but a state where relatives of those lost in the Charleston shooting are as well? The Confederate flag has been allowed to fly high for many years to honor fallen Confederate soldiers, so why is it such a big deal for it to be taken down in respects to fallen African American citizens that were slain in a place of Holy refuge? People died in both instances. Who is to say that one life is more valuable than another?
Crucial timing for state leaders
It is impossible to please everyone. Is it enough to allow the flag to remain legal but take it town from state capitols? Is it enough to leave it flying and let it develop even more into a symbol of a gaping racial wound that America continues to ignore? This is one of the most crucial times for state leaders in the Southern United States. By remaining stagnant, the racial wound that has been left for many years will fester even more. By providing action, white supremacists may be sparked to do even more rash behaviors. Honestly, our law makers are pinned to a wall with no room to move right now. Is this the beginning of that race war Dylann Roof wanted all along?
Heritage vs. Hate
My biggest issue with this story as it develops is the lack of compassion for others. Everyone is getting so caught up in the debate over whose ancestry is more important when the real issue at hand is caring for the community that suffered a loss of nine innocent people who were just trying to do the Lord's work. Why do we care what a flag stands for when we can't even stand up against something as tragic as ourselves? I could care less whether that flag stands for someone's heritage right now just like I could care less that it stood for racism back in a time where I was not around. I cannot go back and fix those things now but I can move forward and help break down racial barriers of the future. I think of my own church and how I would feel if someone came in and began shooting at my study group. It is about taking down an emblem of death and breaking down a barrier of hate. This issue runs deeper than any flag and taking it down might not solve all of our problems but it is a definite start.
I’ve included some links for you to read in order to educate yourself on the issue at hand. You decide.
