The Misunderstood Confederate Flag
Reminiscent of the frantic crowds gathering outside big retailers on Thanksgiving's Black Friday in search of deep discounts, a similar crowd frenzy has surfaced to eliminate any manifestation of the controversial Confederate flag.
Politicians lament the offending cloth while holding back alligator tears. National brands act swiftly to remove the repugnant image, lest the offending products suffer a boycott-induced drop in sales and evaporating quarterly profits. Moved by horrific police brutality, the nation feels impotent to prevent it; instead, it lashes out to forever eliminate the loathsome symbol as a collective apology.
The reaction is understandable. However, if the purpose of removing the image from view is to comfort those who appear to be targeted by what the flag represents, it is the worst possible solution. Black Americans should be the most offended by any effort to remove the image from public view.
Yes, the Confederate flag serves as a metaphor for the slavery that permeated the South in our country’s first century. However, what seems to be overlooked by many is that slavery was ultimately abolished through legislation. The ancestors of today’s Black America, who personally endured the horrors of slavery—not only survived the ordeal—but triumphed over their oppressors. Why would anyone wish to remove the symbol of Black America’s most significant victory from view?
When Americans ridicule or attack others solely because of the color of their skin, it reflects their own self-loathing. Those who lack self-esteem often try to mask their inadequacy by targeting others. Choosing individuals with a noticeable physical difference is textbook behavior.
The Confederate flag symbolizes a way of life that once prevailed in America’s South. It was a lifestyle that brought prosperity to its population. Yet, it did so by violating the core principles of our Constitution, likely because it predates our Constitution by more than 160 years. That struggle was fought 150 years ago. All that remains is a flag— the last remnant of the destruction of an uncivilized way of life and the arrogance that allowed it to flourish. Black America achieved its most significant victory over that injustice. It seems illogical that they would enable guilt-ridden white Americans to make the politically correct gesture of removing from view the symbol of Black America’s ultimate victory over relentless discrimination.
Instead, Black Americans should wear a proud smile each time they see the offending symbol, viewing it as a tribute to their achievements. It serves as a badge of endurance in the face of horrific injustice and an incontrovertible relic of the barbaric treatment that Black Americans have overcome and prevailed against. This legacy of strength underscores Black ownership of America’s greatest triumph over discrimination. Why would anyone wish to eliminate it from our midst?
What could be more satisfying than enjoying the dripping irony of white Americans with blazing crimson red necks proudly flaunting the very symbol of their weakness, insecurity, ignorance, and mental deficiency?
