Confederate Symbols—the subject of the white supremacists rally in Charlottesville, VA, and a counter protest in Durham, NC—should be banned in the United States. Many people argue that banning Confederate symbols would be considered a violation of the First Amendment; however, the author refutes this claim by saying that Confederate monuments are not a form of free speech and thus is not protected by the First Amendment. On why the Confederate symbols are very disturbing, the author says, “the racist ideologies behind [the Confederate flags] still pervade and control American society today, and the very existence of the flags and statutes is a slap in the face to all the progress American claims to have made where race is concerned.” This
Modern proponents of the Confederate flag cite several reasons for their support, but the central theme is that the flag is historically significant. Cooper & Knotts (2006) found among other reasons that support for the flag was by white southerners who feel “a connection to the south” (p. 152). Supporters feel that the flag stands for freedom from an oppressive government, and that it serves to honor and remember those ancestors who died during the Civil War. Beyond that, supporters are divided again, as Martinez (2008) said, “’Heritage preservation’ traditionalists see themselves as guardians of southern inheritance of honor and chivalry while a second group of traditionalists, most notably the Ku Klux Klan, espouses racist views” (p. 200).
The Life of a Slave Slavery a name known since the beginning of time but I will be focusing on the year of 1619 to 1865. When Africans first arrived at the colonial America and how they got there. They greatly influenced the lives throughout the thirteen colonies. People failed to realize they were humans just like them.
Accordingly, at the end of 1861 the Army of Northern Virginia adopted a (square) battle flag based on a design that had initially been rejected for the First Confederate flag and was distinct from that of the United States flag: a red field with a white-bordered dark blue saltire, the latter again bearing white stars equal in number to the number of states in the Confederacy. This banner (which became known as the "Southern Cross") was also later used in its more familiar rectangular form as the battle flag of the Army of Tennessee, and (with a lighter blue saltire) as the Second Confederate Navy Jack from 1863
In Atlanta Ga, Charlottesville Nc, and in every other formerly Confederate State in the U.S. there has been controversial debates on whether or not the current standing Confederate statues should be removed from public areas. Many people claim that a modern society should not honor the racist soldiers who fought for slavery. Others believe that preserving historical accuracy is essential to learning from the mistakes of the past. The opinions of thousands of citizens clash with one another over the debate between offense and information. I believe that it is most beneficial for the majority of people if the current Confederate monuments remain where they are.
The administrator ultimately banned the wearing of the confederate flag on school grounds nonetheless she admitted that she could not “ban it for eternity” (Hardie, 2013) and within months the students were back to wearing the flag. One of the teachers explained, “Our school’s, you know, real big, was real big into wearing the Confederate flag and they didn’t—I think it was lack of education or really understanding. I think we got a bunch of country bumpkins that just wore it because that’s what always—you know” (Hardie, 2013). This shows that although the history of the flag is known, the students’ allowed to wear the attire because the lack of understanding and education of the true meaning of the
In Mitch Landrieu’s speech, he uses allusions to establish pathos within the citizens of New Orleans. Mitch Landrieu uses the Constitution and Pledge of Allegiance to compel his audience to feel connected. Mitch Landrieu claims that the Confederate monuments represent white supremacy. We have to “reaffirm our commitment to a future” where each person is guaranteed “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The statues represent a level of control over one another.
Kirk Savage’s book, Standing Soldiers, Kneeling Slaves, focuses on the idea that monuments, especially those created post-Emancipation, are directly linked to the social construction of race and identity. He discusses how the medium of sculpture utilized and furthered the white supremacist attitude during a time of racial unrest. Savage chronicles select statues created to represent slavery, emancipation, freedmen, General Lee, and common soldiers from the 1860’s to the 1890’s. Additionally, he discusses the way that sculptures were imagined, designed, funded, and placed all had racial overtones. For example, Savage notes that when blacks attempted to create a commemorative monument “the sponsors made clear that it was ‘the friends of the freedman’
Peter Holley from The Washington Post, wrote an article about an African American who is standing up and fighting for what she believes the true meaning of the Confederate battle flag stands for. Holley provides quotes stated from the woman in a number of interviews from other sources. In addition, Holley includes other citizen interviews as well as their personal opinion on the Confederate flag. Karen Copper an African American from New York City. Holley states how Copper shared that she was a member of the Virginia Flaggers, who are against the ideas of many American’s that the Confederate flag symbolizes only racism and hate.
Today they say that the confederate flag stands for heritage and pride while the non-confederates say it stands for slavery. These people only think that it stands for slavery because of the twisted history of the flag. Researchers say that the flag isn't a sign of slavery but they have their own opinions and beliefs. They also say that it is just a symbol of the southern states history.
In the article, “Still a Racist Nation; America Bigotry on Full Display at KKK Rally in South Carolina,” Max Blau a writer from Columbia, South Carolina, Illustrates the removal of the Confederate flag from the South Carolina’s statehouse grounds. He supports this claim by first drawing the readers in with a hook. In this case he gives you a look into the thoughts of a Ku Klux Klan member. He then explains the story of when and why the Confederate flag was removed. After, he gathers quotes from both the white supremacists and the black activists groups.
Why a push to remove Confederate monuments create violence, protests, and controversy. Removing monuments can be difficult because people will agree or disagree, because to some people its showing appreciation, and to other its showing lack of respect. A white supremacist drove his car into the counter- protesters killing one and injuring 19 others. Despite the chaos the city still plans to remove the Lee statue thought opponents have filled a lawsuit to stop the removal.
Should Confederate monuments be torn down in the United States? Some people believe that they should not be torn down because of the slippery slope argument, meaning that lots of leaders had wrongs too, and we would have to tear theirs down if we tear down the Confederate ones. Others believe that they should be torn down because of two reasons. The first reason is that the previously discussed leaders’ rights outweigh their wrongs. The second reason is that the Confederate monuments honor a racist ideology.
Civil War Monuments The Confederate monuments from the Civil War in many cities, colleges, and universities are being asked to be taken down. The monuments are causing problems between the U.S. citizens. Many people are protesting and saying that the monuments are a symbol of racism, and symbolism of traitors to the U.S., and are used to show white supremacy. These monuments should be taken down from the public but they should not be destroyed.
In the news today, a continual debate can be found about the significance of Confederate monuments and if they should remain or be removed. Confederate monuments that have been erected throughout the U.S. should be kept because of the preservation of America’s history. For instance, in the article, The Unbearable Lightness of Confederate-Statue Removal, the author lists how slaveholder monuments aren’t the only statues being vandalized, but the Lincoln Memorial and Mount Rushmore are other symbols of U.S. history that some believe need to “blow up” (Murdock). Every historical symbol can have both people who appreciate it and who oppose it. That doesn’t mean that we should tear down all symbols, but
Another reason why we should not ban hate symbols is that it makes it easier to rewrite our history, saying this never happened and oh we never did that. In “PRO/CON: should cities remove Confederate monuments?” it states “History, unfortunately, has seen great nations become lost, isolated and ultimately extinct by refusing to confront the sins of the past and evolve to meet the demands of a changing world.” (p.2) In this quote, it is saying if we keep taking down memorials and parts of our history we will have nothing left except the thing you want us to remember.