I do dislike what the confederate flag stands for, but I do see the need to allow for it to stay. Now as I said before I do not support what the flag means, but I do support the first amendment that guarantees freedom of speech. Banning the confederate flag would be an instance of censorship that would set a dangerous precedence. You set the precedence that anything that is found offensive can be banned. You allow for censorship to ban your freedom of speech because some found it offensive. I always quote the great philosopher known as Voltaire when situations such as these arrive. “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.” Now weather the state chooses to remove the flag from public property
In America the confederate flag is often known as a symbol of slavery and abuse. Daniel Barkley argued a completely different argument in this text. He stated the confederate flag was removed from South Carolina’s State Capitol because African Americans began to make this their “black power flag”.
In the past couple of year, there has been a controversial battle over the flying of the Confederate Flag on government buildings. The controversy has really started to stir up in the southern states such as South Carolina, Mississippi, and Georgia. On January 30, 2001, the state of Georgia changed its flag, removing the large Confederate battle cross from the 1956 design and replacing it with the state seal of Georgia. Now, the state of Mississippi is the only state that fearlessly displays the Southern Cross in its state flag. Though several Southerners see the Confederate Flag as a symbol of southern pride and heritage, many others see the flag as a dishonorable reminder of slavery and segregation in the south. Although this flag is under great controversy in the southern states, there is no reason why this flag should not be flown from government buildings because it isn’t demoralizing African Americans in the symbolization of slavery, segregation and domination although it is used by many hate groups across the united states they too need a history lesson because the confederate flag only started as a battle flag that some blacks fought under and held with pride.
In my paper I will be discussing the Confederate Flag and its controversy in history and in todays views. The Confederate flag has been a negative symbol in American society since the 1800’s. It has been only recently that the Confederate flag has been brought back to life as a contemporary issue. In recent times the flag has been used as a motivation for racial strikes and other rebellious acts bring the issues of the flag and the controversy behind it back to life. The major questions I seek to answer in this essay it why the controversy of the Confederate flag only been brought back up recently and why the confederate flag was created the way it was. And the overall motivation behind its creation. The Confederate flag has only recently been brought back as an issue because of the recent racial attacks and an overall rebellious acts that swear under the confederate flag, back in the early 1860’s the confederate flag was first used to represent the southern states because the south was wanting to secede from the northern states. Because of the major shooting in Charleston controversy behind the confederate flag sparked back up. Major retailers like Walmart and Amazon and stopping the sale of the Confederate flag because of its growing symbol of racism. The Confederate flag has shifted from being viewed as the southern states to viewed as a symbol of racism. what does the future hold for the confederate flag and will it become a rare item?
So why get rid of this flag? Being a nation that prohibits slavery in written law, some Americans who continue to believe the false rumor that the flag represents slavery and racism or are less educated with the history behind the flag and want to get rid of it. Our society has represented the Confederate flag in a disrespectful manner and needs to change that.
The first reason the Confederate flag should be taken down is because it is a symbol of hate. More than 620,000 Americans lost their lives at the hands of other Americans. Nearly equal to the total number of American deaths in all other wars combined. The fight for freedom for enslaved Black Americans, or for the Confederates of the South, the fight against
Yes, the confederate flag shown in the public properties should be banned because they Symbolizes racism and inequality for many of the people basically in the north. To most of the people it symbolizes the time of slavery which was acceptable at the time. And there is no real purpose of showing it on these properties.
The Confederate Battle flag is one of the most recognized symbols in the United States. It is not always a welcome symbol in today’s society. Take for instance the state of South Carolina having to remove it from its statehouse on April 12, 2000. The reason it is not always welcome is because people often misinterpret its true meaning. It is not a symbol of hatred but, a symbol of southern pride and honor. The pride and honor of all the men and women who carried it the flag into battle fighting for what they believed in, Southern independence.
The war was the North against the South. They were fighting over state’s rights and whether or not the South should have them. The South preferred a non-federal government. Being run by the government means that they have no say in legislation, nor any privacy. The Confederate Flag was used to represent the South in this war and is a piece of vital history. Many places are banning the flag because it is considered to be racist by many people. I encountered an experience at the Sutherlin Mansion Museum in 2015 where I wanted to buy a Confederate Flag, but they couldn’t provide any because it was against the law. The cashier said that even if they did sell them, he would have to take me to the back where they were located because if on display, it may offend others. If I am at a Museum on the Civil War, this shouldn’t be offensive, or illegal. The flag is a piece of history. In the book “The Confederate Battle Flag: America's Most Embattled Emblem”, John M. Coski writes, “If we must eliminate all “reminders of slavery”, wrote another retired officer, “why not raze the James River plantations, delete all references to slavery in the history books, or ban Uncle Tom’s Cabin?”(277). People believe that the flag only symbolizes slavery and want the flag removed because they find it offensive. The flag is a big part of our country’s history and ancestry background. We have the right to believe what we want to believe, but shouldn’t
The confederate flag caused a lot of trouble in the past and it might bring trouble now, It can start a small civil war. The confederate flag was always considered as a racist, hate, and offensive to blacks. After the civil war the south got back with the north but they still treated the black people like slaves in a different way and it is against the Emancipation Proclamation. These are the reasons why the confederate flag should not be flown in the
The confederate flag, a topic that has been the center of controversy for many years now, is an emblem of southern pride and heritage to some, while to some it is purely a symbol of hate and racism. After the shootings in South Carolina, it is clear that the flag should be taken down. Since it represents white supremacy and inequality and not Southern pride.
All the conflict the Confederate battle flag has raised in the past month elevates the question “should the flag stay up or be taken down.” Many states have already taken it down from official buildings. Other questions appear asking if the flag symbolizes racism or heritage. As said by Coulter “Think of all the actual people you know, Southern or Yankee. Have any of them ever expressed support for slavery? Ever, ever, ever? No they haven 't” (Battle Over Flag).No one wants to see slavery come back. The Civil War and slavery is definitely a big scar on the United States. The flag does not represent any of this; the Confederate flag stands as a symbol of heritage in the eyes of many people, but as a racist disgrace in the
Therefore, the flag is a something that symbolizes racism and support for segregation. I do not think that something like that should be supported within society. Flying the flag is a set-back for the fight against racism. There are many problems with supporting the flag as a symbol to many different culturally diverse groups. The flag represents segregation and that is something that needs to be left in the past. The main moral reason why someone should not fly the confederate flag rests is the fact that it is extremely racist to individuals who battled through the consequences of segregation and racism. It should not be morally acceptable for anyone to support an object that represents so much pain and hurt to individuals of different races. I understand that under the first amendment people have the right to freedom of speech, however, I do believe this flag infringes on the rights of others and has been used a symbol of
The American South. An area full of rich history and the home to some of the nation’s largest conflicts throughout history, such as the civil war and the civil rights movement. Southerners have always been proud of their heritage despite its rocky parts and display it for all to see with a 150 year old flag. This is proving to be problematic, though, as the Confederate flag they are all so proud of, is really only 50 years old and has been associated with ideals of white supremacy and racism. Some Southerners and other Americans choose to not believe the truth about the flag, others were never taught the truth. However, it is incredibly important in forming an opinion on the flag, and to whether or not the flag must be removed from state buildings. And the truth is, due to its historical affiliation to racist whites in the South, white supremacy groups, and recent events such as the Charleston Shooting, the Confederate rebel flag should not be flown on state buildings as it is not culturally sensitive to African American people who have been targeted by these people.
The true history behind this flag varies quite a bit from the collective memory of the flag that is used to support arguments in the debate. One of the most important characteristics of the flag that has bee lost in its long history is the fact that the flag that many say represents the Confederacy and its ties in southern history is not really a symbol of the Confederate States of America at all. The Confederate States of American went through three different flags during the time of their existence. None of which were the flag that we know so well today, this flag instead was flown by General Robert E. Lee as a battle flag of his Northern Virginian army unit. This was the only means in which this flag had any ties with the Confederacy, other than being seen in the upper left hand corner of their second and third flag. Also, General Lee himself left the flag behind him after his side lost the war saying “I think it wiser moreover not to keep open the sores of war,” in a letter declining an invitation to the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. This begins to invoke the question of whether or not the heritage argument is justified or not as the General of the Confederate Army cut his ties with the flag after losing the war.
In the New York Times article, “Take Down the Confederate Flag, Symbol of Hatred”, Governor Nikki Haley has called to remove the confederate flag from the state capitol grounds. It has become a controversial topic in the past few weeks. Many people are calling for it to be removed since the incident at Charleston African Methodist Episcopal Church.