The Hanging of the Confederate flag in South Carolina

By: Dominick Ward-Pistone

Introduction: Unless you've been living on Mars for the past few weeks, you have heard of a little controversy transpiring in South Carolina State. Many southerners feel that it is their right to hang the flag of the Confederacy. This is causing an uprising in many people's rights groups. They say that it is discriminatory and offensive to African American people. It has also been an issue heavily avoided by Presidential Candidates such as Republican candidates, Bush and McCaine (Cowards!).

Confederacy Background: Here's a little information about the would-be-nation which South Carolina feels they must honor. The Confederacy was established in 1861, and was a successive republic. It lasted from 1861-1865. The states involved in the Confederacy were South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. On February 4, 1861 leaders from the preceding states met in Montgomery, Alabama to form the Confederacy. Jefferson Davis was the President of the Confederacy. To get things started they needed a loan from France for 15,000,000 dollars. However due to European trade difficulties 6,000,000 dollars was lost. This put the Confederacy into a major dept. On April 24, 1863, the Confederacy passed the highest tax law ever established in the South. This is regarded as proof of Southern

Despotism during the time of the Confederacy. The Confederacy was finally crushed by General Grant of the Union, who started a campaign set on destroying the Southern military. After they were dessimated, the South's population and economy were at an all an all time low.

Views in Defense of the Flag: Some citizens in South Carolina will argue that their families fought and died for the flag of the Confederacy. They will also say that not all southerners were slave owners. They also say that it is a symbol of southern pride.

Views in Opposition of the Flag: It seems that all of these citizens in South Carolina in favor of the flag show tribalism towards the Confederacy. The only problem there is that if any tribalism is to be shown at all it should be towards humanity. They should take into consideration the views of their fellow citizens who take offense towards the hanging of the Confederate flag. These people must stop and consider where it is that their priorities lie. In regards to what people may say about their ancestors fighting for the Confederacy, the response is again a question as to where their priorities lie. The civil war was fought over the ideals of slavery. Whether those ancestors owned slaves or not, they were wrong to have supported a country that was built upon the foundation of despotism and slave ownership.

Organizations Against the Flag: The following is a list of organizations that have opposed the hanging of the Confederate flag by boycotting South Carolina: The African Methodist Episcopal Churches, The SCLC, The National Assosiation for the Advancement of Colored People, and 2,500 other delegates and their families from other various civil rights groups. The Governer Jim Hodges himself has even opposed the hanging of the flag. However, whenever he moves to take it down, rallys prevent him from doing so.

My Views: The way I feel on this issue is that southern pride should not lie within an idol. People pay their respects to a piece of cloth that they say represents honor. If they want to give the flag symbolism, then pride is not exactly the symbol which fits it best. Try failure, dessication, and prejudice. The

Confederacy was a pathetic attempt by the South to declare its independence. Not only couldn't they pay off their debts, but they weren't even succesful in fully separating from the Union. They treated their citizens like dirt, telling them it was their duty to pay the highest tax law ever issued in the south. That isn't pride! It sounds to me more like exploitation and manipulation. All in all, the flag of the Confederacy is an insult, not only to the African American people, but to the supporters of the flag as well.

By, Dominick Ward-Pistone