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Confederate Flag Analysis

Decent Essays

Today, there are two primary societal conceptions about the Confederate battle flag; both sides of the argument are rooted largely in the emotional response and ideology of the flag and the perception of its meaning (Coski, 2005, p. x). Looking deeper reveals a rich history as to why and how these conceptions exist. The historical reasons that are called upon by heritage supporters of the Confederate flag are not unfounded. During the South’s secession, citizens of the southern states genuinely felt as though the Federal government was encroaching on their rights as well as moving in a direction drastically different than was originally intended after winning the war for American independence (Coski, 2005, pp. 21-22). Also, it’s difficult to ignore the sense of honor that the men who fought for the confederacy felt while serving with their respective units and the flag served to preserve and revere that (Coski, 2005, p. 29). From Coski (2005), it’s this honor and fervor to fight against an oppressive government that has stood the test of time and continues to inspire people around the world to this day. To those supporters, it is merely the rebel flag, not a racist symbol, having changed their perception of the flag in their own minds (pp. 292-294). With that, some people have sought to stay true to the Confederate cause and its well-recognized goal of protecting the “necessary domestic institution of slavery” (Coski, p. 25). An example is later iterations of the once defunct Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups have used the flag to represent themselves and their beliefs (Foreman, 1991, p. 525). Others, says Coski (2005), like the supporters of the Dixiecrat party …show more content…

Both proponents and opponents alike take in some facts and history that have led to the flags modern interpretations, but by ignoring others, have grossly oversimplified all that it

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