Old Glory, the
Stars and Stripes, the flag of the United States of America. We all grew up
pledging allegiance to this symbol. It is carried all over the world as a
symbol of unity, of freedom and justice for all of our citizens. It has been
changed and adapted over the years as more states joined the Union. We try to
teach our children proper respect, and the proper ways to display our banner.
On this topic, the majority of us easily agree.
Another flag has recently been in the
news, and although we don’t enjoy controversy and disagreement, this flag is
bound to be discussed in many places in our country, especially in the South.
I’m referring to the Confederate Battle
Flag, the banner that is remembered for representing the Confederate States of America during the
Civil War.
I believe that the Confederate flag
has a proper place in American culture. It is a part of our history, and should
be used to commemorate a great struggle that defined our country. The
definition of Commemorate is to use a symbol or a ceremony to remind people of
an important event or person from the past. Children today will not remember
the Civil War, nor will their parents or grandparents. A commemoration is
proper, to be sure that they know about this pivotal point in their country’s
history.
Some form of the Confederate flag is
often used by people who have no intention of teaching hatred. They are simply
showing how proud they are to live in the south. It was famously displayed on
the top of a great car in a 1980s TV series that still plays in reruns. However, for someone whose family and friends
have endured abuse and dishonor for generations, this symbol causes only fear
and pain.
I suppose the closest my family can
come to understanding the negative feelings generated by this flag is to recall
a painful chapter in our own family tree. My husband’s mother was a descendant
of one of the survivors of the Mountain Meadows massacre. The infamous attack
on the wagon train from Arkansas occurred before the Civil War. It took a long
time for the surviving children to come home and tell their story. For years,
the murderers covered up and denied what had really happened. Justice was a
long time coming, and the families here at home never quite got over that
event, even as the original survivors died off. As the attack finally became a part of the past, the family
continued to teach their children the truth of that terrible day.
Imagine if, over a hundred years
later, there was still someone coming to Arkansas, disturbing our peaceful
lives to remind us of the hateful things that happened so long ago, and even
suggesting that the murders were somehow justified. How would we feel? Of course, the people who
were responsible are long dead, but the emotions would be easily stirred again.
The atrocities committed against our
black friends and neighbors did not stop at the end of the war. Shamefully,
they continued into the twentieth century. Many people who are still alive
witnessed terrible things that were done to their families simply because of
the way they looked, or where they lived. If the Confederate flag revives those
memories, it is totally understandable that they would be upset.
After the terrible murders in South
Carolina, we must place ourselves in the shoes of those who have been so
recently harmed. Those people were targeted for no other reason than the color
of their skin. This is a hard truth, but one that we must face squarely. Those
who were killed had welcomed this young man with open arms. If we could speak
to them now, they would most likely tell us that they have forgiven him. That
is the kind of people they were. But those of us who remain owe them something.
It is time to make a change. Time to put the past firmly behind us and move on
to the future.
This week, I have seen many people
displaying the Confederate flag “Just because I can.” I agree wholeheartedly
that they have the right to do so. People have died defending their right to do
and say whatever they want. However, when we have a chance to make a positive
statement, rather than a negative one, we should think twice about doing
something just because we can. If our expression becomes a stumbling block for
someone else, is it really worth it? We are also allowed to reach out in love
to all of our brothers and sisters. Isn’t this a much better way to spend our
time?
On a battlefield important to the Civil
War, President Lincoln dedicated his Gettysburg Address to “a new birth of
freedom.” We have a perfectly good banner to rally around. One that promotes
freedom for all, and unity of purpose. Let’s keep the Confederate flag for
special commemorations and to honor the graves of its soldiers. Let’s put
things of the past in the past. Going forward, let’s all display the American
flag with pride. One nation under God, indivisible. With liberty and justice for ALL.
