Thompson 1
Flag Desecration
Matthew Thompson
Ponce de Leon High School
College Prep English
Terri Carroll
December 18, 2016
Thompson 1
Outline: Flag Desecration
Thesis: The controversy of the showing of the confederate flag is something huge. I. Flag Background A. Desecration Labeled Misdemeanor B. Illegal Specifics C. Permit Burning II. State Codes A. Individual State Laws B. Elements of the Flag C. Supreme Court Validation III. Bylaw for Flags A. Broke Down Specifications B. Detailed Rules
Thompson 2
The controversy of the showing of the confederate flag is something huge. You have the bunch that does not like the flag, and then there is the group of individuals the support and fly the flag with pride. There are five states that have laws, in their own state, that state it is illegal to burn or deface the confederate flag. On surface, these state laws would seem to conflict the 5-4 decision made by the Supreme Court in Texas v. Johnson. The controversial case in 1989 that held up the burning the flag as an act of protected free speech. (As it is stated under the First Amendment.)
?If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable,? said Justice William Brennen in his majority opinion. ?We have not recognized an exception to this
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
Imagine walking through a town plaza and suddenly spotting a bust depicting Adolf Hitler, or a statue of a Nazi Swastika. A passerby may stare in horror upon its recognition, and wonder why a symbol of such hatred and violence is displayed prominently in a town. These statues would incite an uproar and immediate demands to remove such offensive monuments. Thankfully, such a situation would never arise in modern America; however, a similar plight is unfolding across the country concerning the removal of Confederate statues. Confederate statues should not be displayed in public areas because they are reminders of a time when racial violence went unpunished, they are honoring people who wanted to keep other
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.
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.
A recent hot-button subject in the media has been what to do with Confederate monuments in the South. After the removal of a statue honoring Robert E. Lee, a general in the Confederate Army considered by many to be a hero for the part he played in the American Civil War, a clear divide has formed over whether it was the right thing to do. Some agree with this choice, calling the statues remnants from a time of racial oppression in the United States. Others are outraged, considering it desecration of their proud history. Still others don't understand either side of the issue, and see it as a pointless feud. It is imperative to understand that to many people, these are more than just statues. Whether their impression is positive or negative, this issue goes beyond physical monuments.
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
Politicians throughout the United States are debating whether or not the Confederate flag should be allowed to be on the Mississippi state flag. The flag is the center of much controversy. People argue that the Confederate flag is a symbol of racism and hate and that it should not be allowed to be used in public places let alone on a state flag. While others will argue that it is a piece of history and that it honors the soldiers that died in the civil war; it is a symbol of southern pride. The confederate flag has been argued over for many years, dating all the way back to the 1800’s, but the heat of the debate sparked up in 1962. (PBS, Web. Costa-Roberts)
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
When a self-proclaimed white supremist gunned down 9 members of a Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, last week, more than just racial violence once again entered the national spotlight. Among those slain was the church's beloved pastor, Clementa Pinckney. Pinckney was also a Democratic state senator who served as such since 2000.
Do you think that schools should ban the Confederate Flag in the class rooms? Don’t we have the right to say what we want? Isn’t is a part of our history? Banning the Confederate Flag is absurd. If they are going to ban the Confederate Flag, then they need to ban all flags that are considered offensive.
There are two main arguments between the debate about the Confederate flag. Many say it symbolizes slavery and ill-treatment, when others claim it is Southern history and pride. While controversy has transpired over the the last decade, the relationship between whites and blacks has grown into a strong companionship. After the shooting in Charleston, the statehouse there put a Confederate flag to fully over it. Byron Thomas told The Washington Post he, “felt that lowering the flag would give power to to the racist terrorist who killed them” (Thomas, B. 2015). During June of 2015, Governor Nikki Haley spoke in her speech about the flag and said she acknowledges the importance for South Carolinians; but, she also, “we are not going to allow this symbol to divide us any longer” (Thomas, B. 2015). Both of these arguments by Thomas and Haley were said to somewhat make the Confederate flag seem like a
One of the biggest controversies of the summer that I saw on the news and heard about was the taking down of the confederate flag. Many called for the removal of the confederate flag on many of the state buildings that were public, even top retail stores such as Wal-Mart and Amazon pulled images of the confederate flag from their stores and websites. However, in my opinion yes the confederate flag should be taken down from public state buildings but the flag should not be taken down from Civil War related museums or other things such as that. The flag has a very strong history behind it, and in this world today I feel like people would rather be politically correct on issues rather than teaching the actual history behind things such as the
Confederate States of America, the name adopted by the federation of 11 slave holding Southern states of the United States that seceded from the Union and were arrayed against the national government during the American Civil War.
Well it’s an end of an era. My time here is slowly wounding down. I’ve enjoyed everything, but it’s time for this little chick-a-dee to spread her wings and find a new farm. This week I finished all the stories that I had on my assignment board, so for most the day, I took phone calls, made phone calls, spoke with the solicitor’s office, input community and church news, as well as news briefs. However, as I was taking phone calls, a reader saw a story I wrote about the Confederate flag and called me about it.