My Comment on the Confederate Flag
Our local newspaper the Knoxville News Sentinel's Wednesday addition posed a question that really got me thinking about what my beliefs really mean (Am I as big of a bigot as "they" are or not?) and the meaning of national flags. the question read: "Do you [the reader of the News Sentinel] agree with the Maryville school board's proposed ban of the Confederate battle flag or images of it on school property or at public functions?" My immediate answer was: of course! That flag shouldn't be allowed to be shown on campus. I can't believe such a conservative school board (Well, I know the area is conservative.) would make such a good proposition. But that answer didn't sit comfortably in my mind. Soon I found myself deciding that the students (or faculty) have every right to display the Confederate flag if any party so wish. I may oppose the flag or the ideals it has come to represent, but I do not oppose a citizen's right to freedom of speech. They are not displaying a picture of a slave being beaten or raped but displaying a former country's flag. The Confederacy was (at one point) at war with the United States (which ironically weren't so united back then); but we've gone to war with other countries such as England, France, Germany, and Japan; and I don't see anyone opposing the display of these flags. In any case, as much as we hate to admit it, the American flag is at just as much blame for not only the Civil War but for the mistreatment (and even abuse) of non-caucasian races. Thus if the Maryville students feel lead to display a flag whether it be a Confederate or an Anarchy flag, I say go ahead.