After the tragic events in Charleston, South Carolina, questions have been raised about what to do with the Confederate flag that flies above the capitol building in Columbia.

According to the The New York Times, Republican presidential candidates have been hesitant to call for its removal in fear that it would dissuade conservative southern voters from checking the box next to their names in November. It's truly amazing that these questions are only being raised after an event that is not only a tragedy for the black community, but a tragedy for America.

Without question the Confederate flag is a very important piece of our country's history that should not be forgotten, as is the case with any other part of history. Forgetting the past is the surest way that it will repeat itself. But this flag in particular is more than a piece of history.

It's a symbol of a time when men, women and children were enslaved and persecuted because of their race.

The act of flying a flag says, "I support these colors and what they represent." I have a Purdue flag hanging above my bed because I bleed black and gold and I support my school. I have the Sigma Chi flag hanging on the adjacent wall because it reminds me of the values instilled in me by my brothers: friendship, justice and learning.

A flag can be a very powerful symbol, and the flag you fly says more about you than you might think it does. Flying the Confederate flag doesn't just say that you were born south of the Mason-Dixon line and you're proud of it. It's a widely recognized symbol of racial intolerance and there's no way around that fact.

Many who fly this flag do so with the best of intentions.

It reminds them of barefoot summers, campfires by the lake, sweet tea and country music. And that's all just fine. I firmly support bare feet, campfires, tasty beverages and all kinds of music (although, country is not my favorite).

But the symbols you associate with yourself come with the meanings that others associate with it too. The word "swastika" is derived from the Sanskrit svastikameaning "good fortune" or "well-being," and was interpreted as such by the Nazis.

Sounds quaint, right? In fact, the infamous hooked cross is still a sacred symbol of Hinduism and Buddhism, both rather peaceful and generally non-violent religions. But what do you think of when you see a swastika? You think of the senseless slaughter of six million Jews during the Holocaust; hardly anything "good" or "well."

Some of you might be history buffs and want to drop some Civil War knowledge at this point. You might say that what you see below isn't actually the Confederate flag, and you're right.

That is actually the Battle Flag of Northern Virginia, and it gained popularity in the Confederate Army during the Civil War because of its aesthetics.

When it was first flown during battle in 1861, its true meaning was simple; that the south no longer wished to be a part of the Union. This was made apparent by the placing the 13 stars within blue saltire (a "saltire" is the term for an X when you're talking about flags, I guess).

But it's been 150 years since the Civil War ended, and society has ascribed new meaning to this flag and what it represents.

Today, this flag is a symbol that perpetuates hate and does little more than reopen the centuries-old wounds of slavery in this country.

So before you try to defend flying the Stars and Bars because you have "Southern pride," how about you just have some good-hearted pride in your heritage and denounce those that would mock your accent by offering them some of that famed southern hospitality? You don't need a flag to tell people you enjoyed growing up in the south.

And sure, I don't need a flag to tell everyone I went to Purdue or that I'm a Sigma Chi. But those flags aren't associated with the brutal enslavement of an entire race of people for hundreds of years.