Southern Pride: The Confederate Flag

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The Confederate Battle Flag has always been flown primarily in the South as a symbol of their pride in their efforts in the Civil War. However, today it is viewed as a symbol used to breed hatred and support division among the people of the South. Therefore, the Confederate flag historically has been viewed as a symbol of pride, and it is; however, it has been used as a banner of hatred as well. First of all, the Confederate flag is and always will be a visible symbol of our nation’s history, used to educate people about our heritage. The Confederate flag is a symbol of “Southern Pride”. The flag was not the original Confederate flag, not even the second and third drafts of the flag. The flag seen today is the Battle flag of General …show more content…

The Confederate Battle Flag is used by various people and groups as a banner to show their hatred. The Ku Klux Klan, also known as the KKK, is one of the most famous groups to have used the Confederate flag as their symbol. The States Right Democratic Party, also known as the Dixiecrat party, adopted the flag to show resistance against the federal government during the 1940’s. This was the first major explosion of the flag coming back. The Dixiecrat party’s main point, “We stand for segregation of races” (Brumfield, Ben). The Confederate flag is used as a banner to justify mass shootings like the recent massacre by Dylann Roof in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015. He is suspected of killing 9 African Americans who were praying in the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. In April of 2012, Jake England and Alvin Watts killed 3 African Americans and wounded 2 others in Tulsa Oklahoma. These are just a few of the many racist acts committed under the Confederate flag. The Confederate flag has been flown in the South for decades as a symbol of their bravery and valor in the Civil War. Nonetheless, it is now viewed as a symbol of hatred and racism. I believe the Confederate Battle flag is a symbol of our; however, it is also a banner for people to commit their racist acts under. Nationally, less than 1 and 10 Americans find the flag to be a sign of their racism towards African