Confederate Flag: Most Controversial And Divisive Symbol In American History

The Confederate flag has been one the most controversial and divisive symbol in American history. Recently, in the wake of the Charleston church shooting, the country has been in an uproar over the confederate flag. The shooting sparked discussion on whether the flag is hateful or represents the south’s history. Numerous people wanted the removal of the Confederate flag from the South Carolina state house. Many people believe that the confederate flag represents southern pride and southern history but in the mind of many others the flag represents slavery and the years and years of the oppression of African-Americans and other minorities.

One of the reasons the confederate represents represents hate is that many hate-groups use it. Today, more than 500 extremist groups use the Confederate flag as one of their symbols, but the most known hate group that uses this flag is the KKK. The Ku Klux Klan’s predominant goal is to establish white supremacy in the south. Most of the KKK hate crimes target African-Americans, multiracial families, and interracial couples. The KKK also torched black churches and lynched mostly African-American people, or people that went against their beliefs.

The maker of the flag, William T. Thompson, stated, ¨As a people we are fighting to maintain the Heaven-ordained supremacy of the white man over the inferior or colored race; A white flag would thus be emblematical of our cause. Upon a red field would stand forth our southern cross, Gemmed, preserving in beautiful contrast the red white and blue.¨ So the flag was made to maintain white supremacy. The flag was also used in the American Civil War in the fight to sustain