IT IS NOT ABOUT THE CONFEDERATE FLAG

IT IS NOT ABOUT THE CONFEDERATE FLAG

The error in a government attack on the Confederate flag.
(Pay close attention. This argument goes beyond the Confederate flag. If you are not going to read the entire post, just stop now and save yourself some grief.)

#1... If there is a symbol, which intrinsically represents racism, terrorism, violence and a present active danger to our country, such as the aggrandizement of a noose tied around a black person's neck, or a depiction of Jewish clothes piled outside of a Nazi gas chamber, with the words, "Bring It To America," then there may be reason for the government to attack that symbol. If there is no question as to the meaning of such imagery, especially if there is no other usage of that imagery by any other group, then it should be considered as a possible tool of instigation against the USA. On the other hand remember, an image of Nazi gas chamber may be used by those who denounce Antisemitism, therefore it is not necessarily an open and shut case. Still, it is within the realm of possibility to condemn such a symbol.

#2... If there is a symbol, which does not intrinsically represent racism, terrorism, violence and present active danger to our country, such as the Confederate flag, then there is no reason for government to attack that symbol. Even if there are people who associate that flag with those negative concepts, even if there is majority of people who associate that flag with those negative concepts, there is no reason for the government to take action against that symbol. Especially if that symbol is honored for other qualities rather than the negative ones mentioned. The fact is, not everyone who honors the Confederate flag is a racist, terrorist, violent agitator and instigator of anti-government intentions. In fact, there are people who are not racists, people who are American patriots who honor that flag. There were people who fought under that flag who did not fight for racism or slavery. There were people in the North who did not understand that flag to necessarily represent racism or anarchy. There were, and are black people who did (do) not see this flag as a threat to their well being or symbol of racism. Therefore, the flag itself does not intrinsically promote racism, violence or anarchy.

#3... I realize that those who disagree with point #2 see themselves as much better informed and much more advanced than those who adhere to point #2.

#4... If the same principles used to remove and/or ban the Confederate flag are applied to other symbols, then the same result could take place. It would be possible that enough people become haters of the Stars and Stripes, because they do not see anything good aligned with Old Glory. They could say that the American flag is associated with racism, colonialism, oppression, unjust wars, genocide, religious persecution of Muslims, economic tyranny, or any number of other accusations. Please note, there are great numbers of people today who say these things. In fact, it is probably true that more people around the world and in our own country trample down and burn the American flag than the Confederate flag today. It is possible that the American flag could be denounced by a political action group, in favor of adopting another flag, such as the United Nations.

#5... Okay, maybe you don't believe that is true. Still, if the Confederate flag can be banned, removed because of the strong, but unproved biases of some people (in spite of the honest disagreement raised by other good people), then the same thing can happen to other symbols. It could happen to the Holy Bible, because there are people who call it hate literature, false history, racial bigotry, and that it promotes religious intolerance, gender bias and persecution, through anti-feminism, and anti-homosexuality and Islamaphobia. It would not matter what the facts are or how many good people favor the Holy Bible. Hysteria overrides facts.

Whether you honor or hate the Confederate flag, you should not favor government action against it, because the same principles can and probably will be applied to other areas of concern.

You can disagree with me and call my reasoning "faulty" if you choose, but you are a liar if you call me a racist, a terrorist, an anarchist. Freedom that is denied to one, can be denied to another, for the same faulty reasons. Be careful to not undermine your freedoms by denying another person's freedoms.
I have a number of thoughts that apply to this post.

By the way, I find it interesting that the very people who cry the loudest about the Confederate flag being a symbol of hatred and division are more hateful toward those who embrace or at least honor the Confederate flag, than the ones they are criticizing.

It is much easier to fight against a symbol than do something of substance; something that really costs something. To get rid of the Confederate flag does not actually weaken racism, because that flag is not racism. It only represents racism to those who want it to represent racism.