A Debatable Flag

Much has been said about the Confederate Flag as of late.  This is one of those topics where it is difficult to keep bias removed from the situation.  There are strong feelings associated with the flag for some individuals.  Therefore, I apologize in advance for anything that is offensive as that is not what I'm attempting to accomplish.

As most people know, the Confederate Flag was the flag of the Confederate States of America in the mid 19th century.  If you're familiar with history, then you know that the South seceded from the Union due to grievances with the North.  Most people further understand that South left the Union due to slavery.

The slavery issue is true, but it wasn't the only reason the South left the Union.  The northern states preferred a strong federal government, while the southern states wanted more states rights and local governance.  During the Presidency of Andrew Jackson, the South attempted to employ the Doctrine of Nullification which ultimately failed and conflicted with the Supremacy Clause in the Constitution.  If you're unfamiliar with the Doctrine of Nullification, it's the belief and practice that states have the ability to decide which federal laws they will and which laws they won't.

Other issues for which the South seceded certainly exist, but are better spent with you in the library doing research.  Suffice it to say, the South lost.  The Confederate Flag, as claimed by some historians, is a historical piece of history that should not attacked or eliminated.

However, the Confederate Flag has been used for other reasons as well, the most prominent after the Civil War is its use by the Klu Klux Klan.  The Klan used the flag as part of its "ceremonies" at gatherings.  Therefore, people see the Confederate Flag as a symbol of terror to those of African descent, especially since it was used by the Klan who could be described as a domestic terrorist group, or as a lynch mob at the very least.

A third purported representation of the Confederate Flag is by the Neo Nazis.  They are not quite the same as the KKK insofar as they have fewer violent tendencies.  However, there are similarities between the two organizations.

A fourth - and my last - interpretation of the flag that is more common in non-southern states is that of rebellion.  Most of your mountain west states view the modern use of the Confederate Flag under this representation and give it little to no association with slavery or the racial actions of extremist groups.

I hope you understand that the Confederate Flag means different things to different people.  Even the non-racist person can find meaning in that flag.