Confederate Flag Controversy
On July 9, 2015 a bill was presented to the House of Representatives asking that the use of the confederate battle flag be discontinued due to the fact that it represents only pain, torture, humiliation, and racial oppression (Congressional Bills and Votes 2013). This bill was presented in the wake of the Emmanuel 9 shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. Our elected officials along with some American citizens are calling for knee-jerk legislation instead of taking time to get to the root of the real issue at hand. This type of legislation will only cause more tension and divide amongst the American people, when we need to be coming together as a nation. Seeking to destroy our history by removing it from sight …show more content…
These negative views stem from a history of groups using the flag during controversial and inhumane times. The “Dixiecrat” party used the flag to protest against the civil rights movement (Coski 2015). In the 1940’s the UDC (United Daughters of the Confederacy) tried to get involved and protect the flag against desecration and misuse, but ultimately lost the battle and the flag became the symbol of rebellion along with racism (Coski 2015). The KKK didn’t use the flag as its racist symbol until its second rebirth in the 1930’s and 40’s, causing the most damage to the flags reputation (Coski 2015). What Americans should look at is that the KKK and those who tried to stop the Civil Rights movement lost. Was the flag used by these hate groups? Yes. Did these hate groups win? No? So why allow them to continue to desecrate and damage the reputation of a battle flag that was a part of a history where African-American’s won their equality. Take a negative situation and turn it into a positive. Teach the next generations the truth about what happened, and how American’s can learn, grown, and become better human beings. Let the Confederate flag stand for battles waged every day, win or lose, where American’s unite together to learn and grow, becoming better, stronger, more independent
On July 9, 2015 a bill was presented to the House of Representatives asking that the use of the confederate battle flag be discontinued due to the fact that it represents only pain, torture, humiliation, and racial oppression (Congressional Bills and Votes 2013). This bill was presented in the wake of the Emmanuel 9 shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. Our elected officials along with some American citizens are calling for knee-jerk legislation instead of taking time to get to the root of the real issue at hand. This type of legislation will only cause more tension and divide amongst the American people, when we need to be coming together as a nation. Seeking to destroy our history by removing it from sight …show more content…
These negative views stem from a history of groups using the flag during controversial and inhumane times. The “Dixiecrat” party used the flag to protest against the civil rights movement (Coski 2015). In the 1940’s the UDC (United Daughters of the Confederacy) tried to get involved and protect the flag against desecration and misuse, but ultimately lost the battle and the flag became the symbol of rebellion along with racism (Coski 2015). The KKK didn’t use the flag as its racist symbol until its second rebirth in the 1930’s and 40’s, causing the most damage to the flags reputation (Coski 2015). What Americans should look at is that the KKK and those who tried to stop the Civil Rights movement lost. Was the flag used by these hate groups? Yes. Did these hate groups win? No? So why allow them to continue to desecrate and damage the reputation of a battle flag that was a part of a history where African-American’s won their equality. Take a negative situation and turn it into a positive. Teach the next generations the truth about what happened, and how American’s can learn, grown, and become better human beings. Let the Confederate flag stand for battles waged every day, win or lose, where American’s unite together to learn and grow, becoming better, stronger, more independent