For decades, there have been disputes over the presence of the Confederate flag over the South Carolina State House. Some felt that the flag represented the tradition and culture of their state, as South Carolina was the first to secede from the Union. However, many others thought it was a symbol of the inhumane treatment of millions of people before the abolishment of slavery. Since slavery was such a struggle for so many people, many others feel that it is strongly offensive. Joe Davidson, author for the Washington Post and the Federal Diary, described the flag as treasonous. The United States Constitution states, “Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them” which is what happened during the Civil War.
On January 1992 the NAACP put in affect a boycott on South Carolina to pressure the state to remove the Confederate flag off of its Statehouse in Columbia. The boycott is what initially brought life to this issue. The NAACP’s removal request is based on the fact that they, the anti-flag groups, claim that the meaning of the Confederate flag is one of hate and discrimination. On the other hand, there are other groups that believe differently whom are called the pro-flag groups. They claim that the Confederate flag is a sign of heritage and should stay on South Carolina’s Statehouse. Anti-flag articles are more likely to be found published in well-known Liberal magazines, when credible pro-flag articles were hard
The Confederate flag has now become a hot issue for South Carolina, which is the last state to have the original Confederate flag still flying on its Statehouse. What got the State’s attention was the economic boycott of South Carolina that was announced on January 1992 by the NAACP to pressure the State to remove the Confederate flag off of its Statehouse in Columbia. The NAACP’s removal request is based on the fact that they, the anti-flag groups, claim that the meaning of the Confederate flag is one of hate and discrimination. On the other hand, there are other groups that believe differently whom are called the pro-flag groups. They claim that the Confederate flag is a sign of heritage
The start of the Confederate flag controversy was due to the request of the NAACP to remove the flag off of South Carolina’s Statehouse. This request is based on the fact that they, the anti-flag groups, claim that the meaning of the Confederate flag is one of hate and discrimination. On the other hand, there are other groups that believe differently whom are called the pro-flag groups. They claim that the flag is a sign of heritage and should stay on the Statehouse. Liberals tend to be in the favor of the anti-flag groups, and conservatives are more likely to be supporting pro-flag groups. Both sides use evidential logos to prove their arguments, and pathos to show how wrong the other side is.
This flag has already caused a lot of trouble, a woman went up the flagpole in front of the South Carolina Statehouse, even before it was removed. And it is thought that the shooting in Charleston Emanuel Church,was provoked by the controversy over the flag that has been living in our community for years. Nevertheless President Obama congratulated Haley and South Carolina on twitter stating “South Carolina takes down the Confederate flag - a signal of good will and healing, and a meaningful step towards a better future.” This may seem irrelevant, but after all President Obama is African American, and this flag had a significant touch of their past. This removal was a another step towards the end of racism in the United
Jim Clyburn, I have a problem I would like to address with you, the Confederate Flag Controversy which has caused a lot of conflict in the southern states. Why do people have such different and, conflicting perceptions of what the flag actually means. How did those different meanings, evolve over time?
To help narrow this divide, the confederate flag and any other symbols with possible racist connotations should be removed from the public world as much as possible. The main argument that confederate flag supporters tend to have is the fact that the flag is a “symbol of heritage” for southerners. However, if one were to look at the history of the United States, one would realize that the Confederacy was formed in opposition to the abolition of the institution of slavery. The Confederates believed in a cause that they were willing to fight and possibly die for, and that cause was one of enslaving fellow humans. One has to look no farther than the declaration of secession by the confederate states, Mississippi’s declaration states
The power that comes from an object or symbol is not inherent. At one point in human history a cross was simply just two sticks laying on top of each other. Humans gave it power by using it and acknowledging it as a symbol. The case is the same with the confederate flag. It is a powerful symbol because of the connotations that humans have given it. The problem is not everyone has the same idea on what the confederate flag stands for. Gene Demby, author of When The ‘Heritage’ In ‘Heritage Not Hate’ Is More Skynyrd Than Stonewall Jackson spoke to multiple people who all have different reasons for liking the flag. Rather than see it as a sign of slavery they connect the flag to their childhood or a memory they have that has literally nothing to do with slavery. Gene’s point is that the flag is significant based on personal heritage and experiences not that of the past. Hugh Howard author of, How the North distorts Civil War history has yet another approach. He doesn’t necessarily debate the meaning of the flag, but does illuminate that most people only have one side of the story when it comes to the reasons for the Civil War. The north was in favor of slavery just as much as the south, yet nobody seems to have a problem with the Union flag. This leads to the conclusion that it isn’t the flag itself that is the problem rather the people who endorse it. Lastly Byron Thomas, author of I am a black South Carolinian Here’s why I support the Confederate flag uses the fact that he is
The first action by the winner of a battle is to remove the flag of the loser, a sign of victory. A war against racism has been raging in America for nearly two hundred years. Many battles were fought in the courts and on the streets of southern cities in the 1950s and 60s. Although a new America emerged out of the birth pangs of the Civil Rights Movement, the victors did not remove the battle flags. This oversight must be remedied, The Confederate flag must never fly over any official building in the United States of America.
Is the Confederate flag a symbol of Southern Culture or a symbol of racial injustice? Dictionary.com defines symbol as “a material object representing something, often something immaterial.” When the Civil War first started, the flag became a representative of the Confederate side of the war. After the war, it was thought to be rebellion. Now, it is a symbol of the Southern culture.
When talking about hot topics such as race, religion, sex orientation, politics and the dang confederate flag, you find out things you never knew about people. By the end of the conversation, some people might look at you differently. You might look at them differently. I realize that our culture and how we were raised, play a big part on how we feel about these topics. What the confederate flag means to one person, may be different from someone else. We need to keep in mind how sensitive some of these issues are. Before your quick to dismiss how someone feels, put yourself in that person's shoes. Be careful what you say because it could be missed-interpreted as something else. For example: if you believe in the confederate flag that can
Confederate heritage organizations used the flag widely in their rituals memorializing and celebrating the Confederacy and its heroes. According to historynet.com “In the decades after the flag fad, the Confederate flag became, as one Southern editor wrote, “confetti in careless hands.” Instead of being used almost exclusively for memorializing the Confederacy and its soldiers, the flag became fodder for beach towels, t-shirts, bikinis, diapers and baubles of every description.” People are misusing the Confederate Flag and forgetting the true meaning of what it stands for when it was back in war times. As the dam burst on the Confederate flag material culture and heritage groups lost control of the flag, it acquired a new identity of being a symbol of rebellion and lost the historical context of the
We all have heard the romantic story of our flag. How Betsy Ross sat in her living room all night, sewing together the stars and stripes. Today, Betsy’s masterpiece still flies high all around our country, but, in many of the southern states, there is a second flag that flies with it. The Confederate flag. The birth story of this war flag is not romantic in any shape or form. During the Civil War, there was much confusion on the battlefield between the original Confederate flag, “Stars and Bars”, and our “Stars and Stripes”. So the leaders of the Confederates had their Committee on the Flag and Seal create a totally different flag to use for the battlefield, and they would use their original flag for parades. Hence, the birth of the Confederate
Pro-Confederates argue that the flag we have come to know as the Confederate flag is not the same flag as the one flown on Confederate battle fields. While it is true that the flag we see today wasn’t the official flag of the Confederate states, it was flown by several Confederate Army units, including Robert E. Lee’s unit (Brumfield). After the end of the Civil War, the Confederate flag largely disappeared, but made its comeback during the Civil Rights movement. According to Malik Miah, a reporter for Solidarity, the Confederate flag was flown at the South Carolina state capitol beginning in 1962 in defiance of the Civil Rights movement (Miah). The flag had flown at the South Carolina state capitol ever since – until now. Other defenders of the Confederate flag say that the flag is merely a symbol of the heritage of the area and the sacrifice of veterans who died defending it (Lagarde). However, the history of African-American racism and the Southern heritage are intimately intertwined. Looking at the Confederate flag brings feelings of prejudice, discrimination, and
Confederate flag should not be displayed because it is associated with slavery, which represents the 11 states seceded from the union before the war. The Civil War was a time in history where African Americans were held by plantation owners as slaves, which the United States needs to move past. In my opinion, allowing the Confederate flag to be shown in schools is immoral Although, the first amendment grants everyone the right to express themselves in any way they want in public, schools should have the right to set ground rules within their walls. In the bill of rights the first amendment states “ Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech” (Amendment 1, Bill of Rights). Schools all over the world ban students from wearing inappropriate clothing (example; sexually explicit material, curse words) because it offends people, and it is unacceptable in a school environment.
Local governments must make sure all bodies in the community are happy, otherwise, the unhappiness of its citizens will start to affect other areas of concern for the government, like crime and the welfare of the community. If public spaces are for all of the public, then local governments must make sure that no citizen finds the artwork or monuments displayed in public areas offensive or harmful in any way. By doing this, the government ensures happy citizens and a comfortable environment for all.