Getting Rid of the Battle Flag

They're removing all of the Battle Flag of the Confederacy from Walmart. Wonderful! Governor Nilli Haley is calling for the flag in question to be removed from the capital grounds of South Carolina. Great! Personally I applaud the actions as the Confederate Battle Flag to me represents an attitude of defiance and war against the United States of America. Those who enjoy the freedom to display it often try to tell us that this flag is a statement of pride in southern heritage. We know that to be no more than a bucket of hogwash. The purpose of that flag was then to lead Rebel soldiers into battle against Union soldiers. One of the favorite sayings throughout the south has been, “the south shall rise again.” You see, to many in the south, the war between the states has never ended.

There's something else about that heritage thing that bothers me. There are an awful lot of “good ole boys” in the north who seem to want to claim that southern heritage thing who have never set foot south of the celebrated Mason/Dixon line. They and their ancestors not having any ties at all to the south but still think it's “cool” to wave what they want to call the Stars and Bars. Right there, their lack of knowledge of what that flag truly represents. The Battle Flag and the Stars and Bars are two totally different flags. The Stars and Bars was the nickname for The First National Flag of The Confederacy which had a field of blue with seven stars placed in a circle and three bars, two red and one white. Later they added more stars as other states joined the confederacy. If these people wish to claim the heritage argument, they should at least fly or display the proper flag.

The battle flag represents a war. It was the standard the south fought under to in order to preserve there customs which included the enslavement of Africans who were brought here against their will. Sold to slavers on the African side of the Atlantic and resold for profit when they reached the American side. Everything about that flag to me stinks of the endorsement of slavery and the belief that those black people are inferior to us white ones. Another bucket of hogwash!

So I ask, what good will it do when we hide this picture the represents racism? Will it change how bigots think? I don't think so. Will it change how bigots act? To me, that is a possibility. Most probably, the actions of those who would act upon their racism will feel justified to do so because their precious symbol is being taken away from them. Like little kids, when you tell them NO, that's exactly what they want to do. The good ole boys who don't really know no better are not a problem. It's those that have truly poisoned minds that are dangerous.

Again, I applaud Walmart and Governor Haley for their move to change things but it is not going to cure the deep seated racism that is still quite alive in our country.