The confederate flag shouldn’t be glorified
Patriotism is something we as Americans often take pride in. Fourth of July is a hugely celebrated holiday and many houses are decorated with an American flag. There may be a point, however, when patriotism turns more into racism.
Some citizens adorn their belongings with the confederate flag, which wasn’t even the official flag of the Confederate States of America. In our school, you can see this flag on peoples’ shirts, book bags and cars, but the ones parading around with it probably never stop to think what it even means. Kansas was never a confederate state.
This flag is a symbol and shameful reminder of slavery and segregation. The flag has also been used by the KKK and Neo-Nazi rallies, but apparently that fact doesn’t affect peoples’ stance on the controversy. Those who say that it is a symbol of country pride are unfortunately wrong. The only kind of pride it is, is racism pride.
It is not the KKK’s official flag but the group highly supports this emblem and it is still often seen even today being waved at their rallies. Not only are the people waving it around uneducated about its history, but also uneducated for what it is used for today.
The confederate flag was also often used as a way to rebel against desegregation in the 1950s and 60s. It was revived around the time of Jim Crow, and before that it wasn’t very popular at all. A tagline that sometimes goes along with the flag is “White Power.” That is completely unacceptable in today’s society. This flag is as much every American’s heritage as the Nazi flag is every German’s heritage.
Many argue to say that it isn’t racist at all but if you look at what it has been used for in the past and in the present you can see that the agreement is somewhat invalid. When the Charleston Church Massacre happened, the killer, who had just slain nine black citizens, had two things with him; a pistol and the confederate flag.
The flag has always stood for slavery and white supremacy ever since its birth. It shouldn’t be banned, we need to know its history, but it should not be glorified. It’s not tradition, it’s racism. It’s not a symbol of peace, it’s a symbol of hatred. People need to educate themselves before they go around claiming that a flag is their way of showing their rural roots. If someone wants to display their patriotism, then wave the actual flag of our country.
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This is Amiyah Gonzalez. She is a senior and this is her third year on the newspaper staff. She is involved in orchestra, leadership team, musical, spring...
Tressidy Barenberg • Apr 6, 2016 at 11:15 am
1. the KKK isn’t a racist group it is a vigilante group. that would be why roughly half of the member are colored. 2. the rebel flag isn’t racist. take the whole history into account not just bits and pieces. believe what you want but don’t state false facts.
Logan • Jan 27, 2016 at 2:10 pm
Keep in mind that was one man. And even so, why should the colored race of this generation be concerned? This was long ago. Anyone colored in this generation was not affected by slavery. We take pride in the south and southern beliefs. Which does not include slavery for your information.
Alex Feyerherm • Jan 12, 2016 at 10:35 am
Confederate flag creator William T. Thompson, on the design of the flag:
“As a people we are fighting to maintain the Heaven-ordained supremacy of the white man over the inferior or colored race; a white flag would thus be emblematic of our cause. Upon a red field would stand forth our southern cross. Gemmed, preserving in beautiful contrast the red white and blue.”
Think about that the next time you ‘take pride’ in the confederate flag.
Logan • Jan 10, 2016 at 7:02 pm
First off while Kansas wasn’t a confederate state officially it was one of the states that was divided then finally the government made it a part of the union, so in fact the people living in Kansas can carry southern pride. Second, The war was started on the division of the north and the south because the government was over-stepping it’s boundaries, sound familiar? Then Abraham Lincoln later decided to turn slavery against the south. Mind you I’m not condoning slavery by any means, but at the time slaves were considered private property which goes against the constitution. Again, sound familiar? The american flag was the flag flown to pick up the slaves. With this being said I support both flags fully. Learn the history of the war before you bash those of us who take pride in the South.
Alexa Moreno • Jan 10, 2016 at 6:15 pm
Maybe some people aint proud of what our country has come to now so that’s why they don’t wave the american flag but you also always see the Confederate flag and the American flag flying together so.. should we just stop waving both? Or maybe it’s because they are symbolizing their ancestors. A lot of people also aint afraid to represent southern culture. It’s nothing the school should get all pissy about.