Heritage or Hatred:
The Confederate Battle Flag
There is a lot of attention and opinion surrounding what we know now as the Confederate flag. Until recently the outcry of support and opposition to the flag has always been there with events bringing it back to the forefront. After the horrific events at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17th, 2015 the support and opposition surrounding the flag reemerged. The argument again became main stream on whether the confederate flag represents racism or heritage. During a recent survey conducted by CNN showed that of the people polled, fifty seven percent agreed that the flag represented pride and heritage while thirty three percent agreed that it represented racism. The disagreement over what the flag stands for is part of the issue. The flag does represent southern heritage and pride, but part of that rooted in racism and hatred towards African Americans and other non-whites. The flag is a great part of our American history and therefore should not be written off and forgotten. It should be taught, discussed and shown to all in classrooms and museums, but should not be
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Racism may be a part of the flag, but other ideology can be as well. As stated earlier, a survey supported that the American public view the flag not only as something that supports hatred but also pride. Pride in being a southerner, pride in being an American and also pride in one’s heritage. During the early 1950’s there was a confederate flag fad and during this time they outsold U.S. flags all over the country. Flags were being waved at school sporting events, parades, used for political purposes and this was not restricted to the southern states. The confederate flag and the United States are undoubtedly connected making it the “second American flag” and for some that may be hard to
Opponents of the flag, on the other hand, recognize this racist connotation. They see the flag as a lingering emblem of a war that divided the nation and was fought in the name of slavery and
In Atlanta Ga, Charlottesville Nc, and in every other formerly Confederate State in the U.S. there has been controversial debates on whether or not the current standing Confederate statues should be removed from public areas. Many people claim that a modern society should not honor the racist soldiers who fought for slavery. Others believe that preserving historical accuracy is essential to learning from the mistakes of the past. The opinions of thousands of citizens clash with one another over the debate between offense and information. I believe that it is most beneficial for the majority of people if the current Confederate monuments remain where they are.
As we know the confederate flag is the most debated topic as, in should we take it down or keep it up to represent the horrible past by it has behind it. The war the blood and the sweat the history of this flag is so bad and wrong and should be taken down why would anyone love a flag like this and know the true meaning behind it. The flag is actually the Battle Flag of Virginia. It was placed to represent white supremacy it was only used as the official flag for two years.
Lately on the news there has been the fiasco that took place when people took offense to the flying of the Confederate flag. Whether someone believe they flew the flag based on their appreciation of their history and culture, or flew it in order to continue to perpetuate old ideals of systemic oppression no one can
People may argue that the Confederate Flag is a racist hate symbol, but ultimately the flag’s roots are benign because it symbolizes history of war, southern pride, and secession of the confederate states. Being entitled to your own opinion is not wrong in itself, but once things are brought out of proportion it can harm others physically or emotionally. Learning the background of the Confederate flag can help some realize its true meaning and prevent more controversy. Throughout many years of our society, the Confederate Flag has been argued as hurtful or
When you see a confederate flag what do you really see? do you see a sign of racism?do you see a sign of hatred? Discrimination? It's different for many people for some people it reminds them of home and family. Some feel it is a sign of racism, hatred, discrimination, whipping, beatings, and blood.
Next, the confederate flag should not be flown on government property, because it has conflicted history. The confederate army changed the flag 4 times during the war, so the flag flown today is not the original flag. That is not very traditional. The second confederate flag had a large white stripe that went halfway down the middle, which represented white supremacy. The rebel flag still represents white supremacy and racism, because it was the final battle flag used in the southern states’ fight to keep slavery.
Polls have been taken over a period of time only to receive similar percentages of answers. The percentage stays the very same over the years. Mainly, the outcome states that the flag represents southern pride mostly by over 50% every time, rather than the banner promoting racism. Originally born as a practical banner of the commanders of the Confederate Army in Virginia, the commanders of the south wanted a symbol to identify their cause and their troops to serve as their battle flag during the Civil War. After going through a few ideas they chose the first Confederacy`s National flag -The Stars and Bars- to serve as their battle symbol during the war.
On Friday morning, July 10, 2015, the Confederate battle flag which was home to South Carolina 's Capitol grounds was cast down after 54 years. The flag was taken to South Carolina 's Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum. To many the flag was a banner of racial subjugation, and withheld a deeply painful meaning. The Confederate battle flag was designed to stick out, but it was never intended to be the political flag of the confederate states, although it was integrated into it over the course of the civil war. Today the battle flag consists of a blue St. Andrew 's cross with white stars on a red flag which was designed by politician William Porcher Miles, however it wasn 't always this way.
The Confederate States of America had three different flags throughout the Civil War. The flag we know as the confederate was only symbolized as their flag after they lost the war. While this flag does symbolized slavery and racism one of ten people still feel positive towards the Confederate flag. Today there is a lot of controversy of the Confederate Flag.
When a flag is presented in a rival that brings hate and discontent to America it should be removed from being displayed. I strongly am offended of the Confederate flag and my opinion is a lot of others are also offended. The constant reminder of the mistreatment and enslavement of the black race is still being suffered by black people today. The confederate flag brings grief to my heart as my ancestors were subjected to slavery.
Our nation has exaggerated the fear of a piece of history for far too long and now it is the time to put forth some truth. The confederate flag has been a part of heritage since 1861 and has been to this day. People today see it as a flag of hatred, which is interesting because this did not start happening until now. There have been people who have shot and killed others because they said their intentions were based from the confederate flag, which is a material item that cannot make anyone do anything that they do not want to do unless they had their own cause. This flag is not built on a racist appeal it was to show that the southern side will take up for their selves when the northern side wanted an industrialized world.
In the news today, a continual debate can be found about the significance of Confederate monuments and if they should remain or be removed. Confederate monuments that have been erected throughout the U.S. should be kept because of the preservation of America’s history. For instance, in the article, The Unbearable Lightness of Confederate-Statue Removal, the author lists how slaveholder monuments aren’t the only statues being vandalized, but the Lincoln Memorial and Mount Rushmore are other symbols of U.S. history that some believe need to “blow up” (Murdock). Every historical symbol can have both people who appreciate it and who oppose it. That doesn’t mean that we should tear down all symbols, but
Why are these not a symbol of racism now? When will people learn you cannot pick and choose from both sides of the fence? I am sure that the flag that represent the LGBT has just as many people who look at it with disgust, perhaps even more. This too is just a symbol of pride, a battle flag if you will. Double standards are where this whole mess got started in the first place.
This loyalty was a significant characteristic of Southern Nationalism. The flag of the Confederacy was also another symbol of Southern Nationalism. “The Confederate government quickly became for the South, the successor to the federal government at Washington. A flag, the “ Stars and Bars,” was adopted for the new republic after a study by a committee that concluded that keeping the United States “Stars and Stripes” would be impractical and unpatriotic.” Southerners feared that white supremacy was in danger and feared slave rebellions.