THE CONFEDERATE FLAG

I tread hallowed ground and tip toe through a “politically correct” minefield…but here we go. The Rebel Battle Flag or Confederate Flag is causing quite a flap and that is not “flapping on the flag pole!”   46,000 thought it was important to demonstrate and demand it’s removal at the statehouse in Columbia, South Carolina where the flag flies along with Old Glory. 

The Republican presidential candidates are squirming when asked about it, the Democrat candidates stumble over themselves to be the first and loudest to denounce the Republicans for their “hatefulness” for not demanding it be taken down and put in the attic, never to be heard from or seen again!  Better to just erase this from our history and memory.

This is more of the politics of “offensiveness”.  In our culture it is “hip” to be “offended” by this or by that.  Not only is it “hip”, it raises crowds, it also raises money.  If we can tell a group how they should be offended and how a certain politician can help overcome this perceived offensiveness it stirs the juices and opens the wallet. 

You can make a case that for some people the “Southern Cross” does represent slavery.  But for others it has other connotations.  I heard another viewpoint the other day.  Bob Farwell is into Civil War battle recreations, preserving history.  He put on a program at Rotary and pointed out that this flag is an American Flag.  American’s died for this flag.  In fact more Americans died for this flag than in any other war fought by Americans.  Not everyone gave his life to save slavery.  Some, and some even today, resent the federal government telling states how to act, what to do and how they should do it.  If indeed the war between the states was only about slavery, how can we allow the Robert E. Lee burial site to occupy a prominent place at Arlington National Cemetery?  That too must offend someone!

Let’s assume that the flag on the Statehouse in South Carolina comes down and I imagine that it will.  How will it the change the lives of any of those 46,000 people?  That particular “offense” will be eased.  But what is next?  A more pervasive offense, if indeed it is an offense, is the bumper stickers that frequent many pick-up trucks.  Must we ban the bumper stickers? Will that be next?  If we bring down the flag and ban the bumper stickers, again I ask, how would it change lives?

If you think it is important to eradicating symbols that represent offensive actions, why not Old Glory?  That flag waved over slavery.  That flag waved over some pretty gruesome things in wartime including the a massacre of civilians  in Vietnam and other things that we are not very proud of.  

The easy way out is to take the flag down, but have we changed lives? Changed hearts?  That takes more than a symbolic gesture.   But if indeed it is a symbol of slavery, it is a symbol of defeat.  Slavery died 150 years ago.

Over the centuries, there have been many examples of man’s inhumanity to man and slavery is certainly a prime example.  There seems a better way to change hearts.  This hated symbol, and to civil rights leaders, it is certainly that, should be preserved.  Germany should never have what Nazism stood for be forgotten.  We should never forget that we as a nation condoned slavery.  In today’s world some would say, I among them, that abortion is another vivid example of mans inhumanity to man. 

We as a country would be better served if we took this flag and made it a symbol of progress.  At one time in our history we did this gruesome thing, but we have seen the error of our ways and have become a better nation.  We took an issue and decided it on the battlefield.  The only internal issue we settled that way.  Rather than be offended, look at it as a sign of hope, a sign of progress.  A flag does not offend. A word does not offend.  It offends only when we allow it.

If 46,000 demonstrated at the school board to demand better education for their children, THAT would change lives.  If that demonstration brings the flag comes down, the symbol will be gone but the heart will be the same and perhaps even hardened a bit.