:: The South and its Flag :: |
:: The South and its Flag :: |
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A grave misinterpretation has arisen in
the United States, and it has to do with a symbol of the South, and a
war. This symbol is the flag of the Confederacy, or the South in
general. Tarnished by racists, the kkk, neo-nazis, and white
supremacists, the Southern flag has been labeled as a symbol of
slavery and oppression. The truth is, the people that believe the
Southern flag stands for racism have been educated poorly or mislead.
When some people reflect to the times of the Civil War, a fight to end
slavery comes to mind. In fact, this was not the case.
The sad truth is that, during the Civil War era, neither the majority of Northerners or Southerners really cared about the freedom of the African American slaves. The Emancipation Proclamation freed only the slaves in the Southern states that were waging war on the Union. Lincoln made this proclamation because of his fear of a separated Union. Lincoln even stated that he would be fine with a union with slaves, no slaves, or some slaves and some blacks freed, as long as it was a unified union. Even though Lincoln was anti-slavery, he didn’t make it a moral issue about it in the war. The Civil War was not fought because of slavery; the war was fought between two factions with different beliefs on how a country should be run. Slavery has been seen as the cause, but it was merely brought into play to ensure the unity of the Union. If one argues that the Confederate flag stands for slavery, then the Union flag stood for slavery for 80 odd years more. And if this is true, the African tribes that sold their own people into slavery stand for slavery and its injustice. The fact is that, at this time, slavery was common; few considered blacks to be more than animals. Growing up in Maryland, I quickly found out how evil the Rebel flag was portrayed, and soon after, I learned that these assumptions were incorrect. The Rebel flag stands for the Southern United States, not racism against anyone! Ask any educated person; black, white or any other race; what the Rebel flag stands for. If this person is not prejudice, one main idea will be spoken: It is the flag of the South, the Southern people, and a fight for State’s rights (no matter how little the Confederate Constitution differed from the Union’s). An outrageous act occurred fairly recently in South Carolina. The State Capitol Building had a Rebel flag on its flagpole. The NAACP fought to have the flag removed from the Capitol Building, because it is a “symbol of slavery and racism.” Of course, they won their fight, and a true icon of Southern heritage was compromised. An amazing fact is that only 59% of South Carolina African Americans supported the flag compromise! This leaves 41% who didn’t care, and these people probably don’t see it as a symbol of slavery or racism. This compromise truly angers me, and I am especially angered at the NAACP! The truth is the Rebel, Confederate, or Southern flag does not stand for slavery or racism or hate (unless one argues out of the context of the 1860’s)! The flag coming down from atop the capitol is not a sign of good change, but one of weakness and corruption. The NAACP (who should be fighting for equality) is attacking a flag that stands for the South, and they won because of a shallow society. This removal is an injustice and a prejudice. The flying of the Confederate flag is not! Some information for this tidbit was brought to you by CNN. I am not a racist, not a member of the kkk, not a neo-nazi. These groups (kkk, neo-nazis, racists, and the prejudice) give a bad name to the Rebel flag, and to the South. I was raised in the South, have visited the Deep South many times, enjoy Southern hospitality, believe in equality, and know my history; because of this I will humbly display the Rebel flag for the rest of my life! Oh yeah, don’t mess with Texas (That’s for you Rhett) |
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