The Confederate Flag Controversy

14 Pages 3438 Words

Living in this diversified country, the one thing that everyone has in common is the fact that we all live under the American Flag. It symbolizes that this is the land of the free, and represents a part of this country’s history just as the Confederate Flag does. The Confederate flag for some people is a symbol of racism and oppression. For others it remains a nostalgic source of pride. Still for others, it’s simple design grants testament to that turbulent era in American history, where American stood against American, glared one another in the eye, and attacked with barely a thought as to why. Is history destined to repeat itself? Are we as Americans prepared to divide ourselves again over the Confederate flag?
Will there ever be a day when at last man can sit back; taking with him one thing that has escaped unscathed from controversy? I think not! I fear we live in a restless society where issues like the Confederate flag will always be a problem. What symbol is so important that we spend years debating over, we waste lives fighting for, our best minds quarrelling over, and precious manpower defending? The answer is quite simple “The Flag.” This simple but complex piece of material holds many different meanings for many different people.
Since its conception in late 1861, the Confederate flag was designed to represent the Southern Confederate States of the early Civil War era. While these Confederate States were based loosely on the concept of slavery, the flag was also established for still undetermined political reasons. As such, the flag exemplifies these same concepts. It was flown imperiously on Civil War battlefields and it came to represent the cause of the Southerner. Then again, this cause was just as ambiguous as its aim. Over the years, after its abuse by white-supremacist groups, namely the KKK, and the like, it has ultimately become a symbol of hatred and racism in the eyes of many. One example of h...