The Confederate flag symbolizes many different things to different groups of people. If you ask some southerners, they respond that “it’s a part of their history” and it gives them a sense of pride.

African Americans

If you ask African Americans, this flag is a symbol of racism because it is linked to the Civil war and the fight to emancipate slaves. The North wanted to end slavery and the South did not. Some racist and hate groups have adopted the confederate flag as their symbol in addition to the Nazi swastika.

America Divided

There is a great divide in America between small town and large urban centers, because each group tends to judge each others family values, work ethic and moral compass. There are two worlds within the US, the Midwest and the South tend to have small town American values where religion and self reliance is emphasized. The East coast and the West coast are were large urban centers attract jobs and more multi cultural than rural America. The urban centers are fast paced lifestyle where work and retail industry is driving force as opposed to emphasis of quality family time and religion. It does not mean that people that live in these large urban centers, such as NYC do not want to spend quality time with family; it just means they do not have the time because of the high expenses of living in the city where two incomes are mandatory to survive.  The confederate flag will never reach a concensus of total agreement of whether it is symbol of pride or of hate.   The different groups whether  by the region they live in,  or their race, there will never be a general positive debate about the  Confederate flag ibecause of all issues surrounding it and because of vast cultural divide.

Why Confederate flag should be banned

The confederate flag should be banned in government centers because this flag represents the succession of the South from the Union of the United States of America which failed and is a symbol and reminder of the division of America. Some southerners believe that the confederate flag represents their ancestors, who died on the battlefield and should not be removed from local government in the South. The confederate flag is a symbol of division of the United States and as long as it flies half mast on local government offices in the South, it will be a constant reminder of the Civil war and define the South as still embracing the flag as an acceptable symbol of their historical heritage. If the Confederate flag is associated with division of our nation because the South wanted to keep the profitable economic system of slavery and the north wanted to free the slaves as President Lincoln announced with the Emancipation Proclamation, then why continue a debate on a symbol that only succeeds in dividing rather than uniting.   America should look forward and not engage in an old debate about a flag that has become a symbol of hate for some.

History revised in textbooks

There has been some revision in history textbooks sent around the United States because of the state of Texas, the largest purchaser of textbooks. Texas school board that orders the books are allowed to tell book publishers what should be in the textbooks and there was some controversy that Texas was engaging in revisionist history. Some of the board members that are conservatives and wanted to inject political views did not want to mention that President Obama was the present President of the US, instead he was to be referred to as candidate Obama. The text book was not to mention the important role of slavery instead it mentions that the Southern states were against the control and loss of their industry and affect their local economy. There was some controversy as reported by the media about the omission of Slavery leading to the Civil War between the North and the South .  This is an example of how cultural divide again misinforms and distorts the facts to place a positive spin on negative aspect in history.  Thousands of Americans died and killed each other in battle, atrocities were committed in Andersonville, a prisoner camp where union soldiers were mistreated in horrible conditions by the South.   Is that the pride that the confederate flag conjures images of, instead of the death , destruction and division that it really symbolizes.

One Nation United under one flag

America has one great flag and the union of the United States of America is united under that one magnificent symbol of freedom. The confederate flag should not be recognized as a symbol for the South because it divides Americans today as it did in the 1860’s. Our nation is too great to continue these issues that continue to divide Americans; instead the only flag that should fly high and with pride is the beautiful American flag lets go forward and not backwards.