Living in rural upstate New York means that you likely live in a town where everyone knows everyone, and where the same families have lived in the area for generations. This means that your math teacher was taught by your grandfather in middle school, and your dad knows the neighbors down the street because he grew up with them. Fields of corn line the streets, and it smells like cow manure every spring.
And at your (likely) predominantly white high school, at least a handful of your classmates will fly the Confederate flag on the back of their trucks, yelling “’Murica!” over the country music that blasts from their speakers as they squeal out of the parking lot at 3 p.m. every day.
But guess what? New York was never a part of the Confederacy.
In upstate New York, the Confederate flag is a sight you see in most conservative towns, usually accompanied by white men in Vineyard Vines or white women in Simply Southern apparel. They think that enjoying country music makes them “southern,” and that there’s nothing wrong with calling their best (white) friends the n-word. These people ignore the history of the Confederate flag and everything it stood for. They fly it with no heritage attached and no other reasoning besides “it’s trendy.”
To everyone in New York who thinks this is acceptable: It’s not. Please stop. The Confederate flag doesn’t make you more American, and it doesn’t make you appear proud of your country.
At the alt-right rally in Charlottesville, Confederate flags were flown next to chants of “White lives matter,” “Jews will not replace us,” and “Blood and soil.” The people of that rally organized to speak for white people and against immigrants, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and Jews. By flying the Confederate flag, you’re supporting the racism, hatred, and bigotry that those who flew it at Charlottesville expressed.
The Confederate flag currently symbolizes nothing but hatred. Numerous companies have stopped selling any products printed with the flag, and statues of Confederate soldiers are being removed all over the country. Standing by the symbols of the Confederacy is moving our country backward instead of forward.
You can love your country music, and drive your big pickup trucks, and be proud of your county. The Confederate flag is not, and never has been, a symbol of unity. It has meant division among our country since its origin. Now, it’s a symbol of racism in our country, and shouldn’t be flown — especially in an area that has never fought for the Confederacy. It’s not a part of your roots, so take it off your pickup truck.
