Bethe Dufresne's Last Words: Two Confederate Flags

In “ Last Words: Two Confederate Flags ”, there are two different kinds of display of the confederate flags. One is in a form of a headstone with words and a picture of Big Ed extending his middle finger, the other is a simple flag hanging on a wooden stick waiting to be destroyed by a strong wind. Bethe Dufresne argues that the confederate flags are history factors, and we should embrace their historical value. Furthermore, the flags should be displayed as " a muted artifact of unspeakable tragedy”. As the author’s statement, the confederate flags should remain as tokens of the historic event. Other than that, the flags should not be used for it produces three potential meanings: agreement of slavery, disrespect to some of the people, offensive meaning toward others beliefs. To begin with, the first and most obvious …show more content…
The implied meaning of the confederate flag, which is the slavery, develops unequal status in human society that is a conflict concept toward today's belief. As it is in “ Last Words: Two Confederate flags “ , the author mentions that she feels offensive whenever she sees the confederate flag even though she can understand the represented honor in the second unmodified displayed confederate flag ( Dufresne). After the civil war, the concept of equality is deeply planted in our moral consciousness today. Whenever we see the confederate flags we consider the slavery. When we consider the slavery, we consider its unequal in human relationships. Since the statement in “ France: Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen” that “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights.”, we have been used to the concept of equal after more than two hundred years of cultivation ("Refworld | France: Declaration of the Right of Man and the Citizen."). As a result, whether we have gone through slavery or not, we consider it unmoral and feel offended by