Confederate Flag Essay, Research Paper

Living in this diversified country, the one thing that everyone has in common is the fact that we all live under the American Flag. It symbolizes that this is the land of the free and represents a part of this country s history just as the Confederate Flag does. In 1962, the Confederate Flag was raised at the Statehouse in South Carolina to commemorate the Civil War s centennial. Since then, it has been flying above its Capitol causing controversy along the way. Some people see this flag as a symbol of racism and slavery and others say it honors South Carolina s Confederate past. What does the Confederate Flag really stand for? It represents courage, freedom, and determination to name a few ideals. The Confederate flag should be able to remain where it is because it is a symbol of history, not hatred, and it is flown in honor of those who fought in the war and risked their lives for a cause.

The Confederate flag is not a symbol of hatred. The Civil War was not only about slavery. The war was about the Southern Struggle for independence, in defiance of an increasingly powerful Federal Government. Contrary to popular belief, the Confederate army was made up mostly of simple, black and white, non-slave owning farmers. Why would these common men leave their families and risk their lives to a cause that did not relate to them? These men just wanted to claim their lawful right to secede and gain the freedom to create a country of their own. They fought, bled, and died for their beliefs under the Confederate Battle Flag and now they are to be forgotten about? The flag is flown in their honor, not to offend people.

The reality is that the Confederate Flag is seen as a derogatory sign because of what it has been associated with. When people think of or see a Confederate flag some of them will automatically think of the KKK, skinheads, or rednecks. The misuse of the flag in these situations has added to its unfavorable reputation. However, a number of KKK members use a Confederate flag as well as the American flag and the Christian cross in their rituals. So why is it that the U.S. flag and the Christian cross are not considered racist? Slavery thrived under the U.S. flag from 1776 to 1865 and out of all of those years that slavery was a legal institution, the Confederate flag flew four out of those years. It is clear that those who attack the Confederate flag are overlooking one of the guiltiest reminders of American Slavery, the U.S. flag.

The overall point of the matter is that by honoring the Confederate flag and allowing it to fly over South Carolina s Capitol, it is not a racist act. All races should be able to look at the Confederate flag and mourn the evils of racism, or regret the legacy of slavery, but also be able to look back in common admiration at a nation willing to die for the principles of the Constitution. Slavery is not justifiable, but it is a part of our history that cannot be changed. America s history is written in textbooks or is flown as a symbol just as a reminder that it should not be forgotten.