Racism is nothing new—not around the globe and not in America. In 1619, slavery began in America. While the country has come a long way in nearly 4oo years – even electing a black president, some Southerners remain stuck in the past when it comes to issues like the Confederate flag.
When I was little and growing up in northeastern Oklahoma, I remember going to the Saline courthouse with a friend and her parents to take pictures. There’s a tree there that everyone calls the hanging tree. Her dad told us stories about how people used to be hanged there, and that many of them were black.
I asked why and was told something along the lines of, “Why not? They’re black.”
I thought it was horrible and could not understand what made people so different just because they were darker than me.
It wasn’t until I was older that I realized the problem wasn’t skin color. The problem was the idea that white people deserved bigger, better things. The idea that it was OK to judge someone based on appearance.
Some say that the Confederate flag is heritage, not hate.
If it were just about heritage there wouldn’t be so many rallies. There wouldn’t be any argument about whether it should or shouldn’t be banned. The problem isn’t the flag or even the idea behind the flag. The problem how people deal with its meaning.
The Swastika that is associated with the Nazis was only banned once it spun out of control and millions of people were killed. It started out as a symbol loved by the people, not as a sign of hate. Then Hitler and the Nazis used the symbol for wrongdoing and twisted its meaning.
In a way, that’s what’s happened to the Confederate flag. It does have historical significance, but now some people misuse it to justify discrimination against a race of people.
There is no excuse for killing people, putting them down or treating them differently just because of their color. The flag hasn’t specifically done anything wrong. It’s just a piece of cloth. Banning the flag won’t settle this nationwide debate. If it’s not the Confederate flag it’ll be something else. People just need to get over their ‘Southern pride’ and accept people for who they are.
We should all be treated with the same respect and dignity no matter our skin color.
