Controversy Of The Confederate Flag: Article Critique

The removal of Confederate monuments has been a controversial topic over the past few years. Many want to tear them down, others want to keep them up and some want them to be moved to museums. Although controversial, many still do not know why exactly people want these statues to tear down or be kept up. After reading and analyzing both Michele Bogart’s and The Guardian’s view on Confederate statues, I would say that Michele Bogart’s “In Defense of ‘Racist’ Monuments” article was the most persuasive. Right off the bat, Michele Bogart starts off with how the rise of white nationalism is causing officials around the country to remove memorials of Confederate soldiers, military leaders, and symbols of “the Lost Cause”. Bogart clearly states that not all civic statues represent white supremacy or racism, but that they are “the culmination of complex social and artistic engagement at the community level” (Bogart). She further explains how eliminating these statues is not going to help solve the problem of racism in the United States. Her purpose in this essay is to persuade the reader that civic monuments should be kept up as pieces of art, not as “symbols of hate”.

In David Sarratt’s article “The Confederate Flag: Controversy and Culture” (2005), he explains both sides of the Confederate Flag controversy, including current controversy and the issue of race involved in the Confederate Flag. Sarratt supports his claim with facts and examples of the Confederate Flag debate between David Beasley, who thinks the flag should be taken down and Charles Condon who opposes taking the flag down. He gives reasons in order to not support the Confederate Flag and a few details to elaborate it as well. His article interests readers who are mostly against the Confederate Flag.

The author mentioned that some citizens are still perturbed by the Confederate flag. While the number is slowly waning, many citizens were a part of the civil rights movement. They watched racist people protest against them using the flag as a symbol of racism, oppression, and hatred. To some, the flag may serve as a permanent reminder that racism is not truly dead in America.

Confederate symbols are symbols like monuments or flags that show people who were Confederate army heros or just the flag to show that they think that the Confederacy should have won. Confederate symbols represent white supremacy and Hate for people who are people too. The people most of the monuments are made for were white supremacists and they believed that so strongly they went to war for it. These people were unjust and they thought one race was superior; which it is not. These statues stand for things that most people in our country do not believe. To learn more about this topic I read an article about Confederate monuments. In the article “Are Confederate Monuments our Heritage or Symbols of Hate?” from Newsweek, it says, “For many

I think that it is undeniable that white supremacy is part of the Confederacy’s past and the main motivation behind its secession from the United States. I don’t think the Confederate flag symbolizes racism for every single person, but to many it does. One of those people, Dylann Roof, killed nine people because they were black. However, Wickham’s argument fails to inform the reader why the Confederate flag was flying at the capital in the first place. At first, I assumed that it had always been there when, in fact, it was placed there 100 years after the Civil War. The flag began flying there in 1961 as a silent protest to the desegregation movement from the South Carolina government. The purpose of our government is to protect the rights of its citizens. All citizens. Because it was placed at the state in support of white supremacy and keeping African Americans in a lower status, I agree with Mr. Wickham. Take the flag

For decades, there have been disputes over the presence of the Confederate flag over the South Carolina State House. Some felt that the flag represented the tradition and culture of their state, as South Carolina was the first to secede from the Union. However, many others thought it was a symbol of the inhumane treatment of millions of people before the abolishment of slavery. Since slavery was such a struggle for so many people, many others feel that it is strongly offensive. Joe Davidson, author for the Washington Post and the Federal Diary, described the flag as treasonous. The United States Constitution states, “Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them” which is what happened during the Civil War.

However, the devout supporters continue to back the flag. With the notion of “pride and heritage, not hatred” (Jones 1), supporters often argue for the recognition of their ancestors who fought in the Civil War. White Americans thoroughly educated on the Civil War and the Confederate States of America’s signature flag display distaste for the Southern symbol, while ironically enough, those who wave the flag with pride illustrate a lack of understanding about the Civil War and the role the South played in it (Priston & Strother 1). Flyers of the battle flag proposition that the flag signifies the history and legacy of the south, while those in opposition declare that the flag illustrates the struggle to control, discriminate, and promote white

This controversial issue has come to the forefront recently in the court of public opinion. After talking with many friends, acquaintances, family members, and co-workers, it seems many are ambivalent about this subject. It is surprising that while people think it is racist, they still believe the state should have the right to fly the Confederate flag. Although many were uncertain, there was two strong opinions that categorically oppose one another.

The American South. An area full of rich history and the home to some of the nation’s largest conflicts throughout history, such as the civil war and the civil rights movement. Southerners have always been proud of their heritage despite its rocky parts and display it for all to see with a 150 year old flag. This is proving to be problematic, though, as the Confederate flag they are all so proud of, is really only 50 years old and has been associated with ideals of white supremacy and racism. Some Southerners and other Americans choose to not believe the truth about the flag, others were never taught the truth. However, it is incredibly important in forming an opinion on the flag, and to whether or not the flag must be removed from state buildings. And the truth is, due to its historical affiliation to racist whites in the South, white supremacy groups, and recent events such as the Charleston Shooting, the Confederate rebel flag should not be flown on state buildings as it is not culturally sensitive to African American people who have been targeted by these people.

In conclusion Reid goes on to say, The Confederate flag is an important part of history, but whose history exactly, and for what purpose? She poses these questions because there are many people who are unaware about this symbol and may be misinformed about how those who oppose it feel and why. She wanted to shed light on the issue. Whether you agree with her or not she did well in debating against the other side and her article was very well written. I agree with her stance and applaud her for her excellent articulation and straightforwardness in the

When a self-proclaimed white supremist gunned down 9 members of a Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, last week, more than just racial violence once again entered the national spotlight. Among those slain was the church's beloved pastor, Clementa Pinckney. Pinckney was also a Democratic state senator who served as such since 2000.

The Confederate flag has long been a lightning rod, especially deep in the heart of Dixie, where the memory of Jim Crow and institutional racism still cuts deep in some quarters.

Hate, feeding on the freedom of speech, manipulates the amendment. The issue of a Confederate flag, for example, is one of the heavily wielded issues. The Confederate flag symbolizes different things to different people. To some, it is the Southern heritage, and to others, it is the white supremacy. Despite the conflicts, the harms that the Confederate flag cause are real. Among African-Americans, 72% see the Confederate flag as a symbol of racism, and they are the real victims of the shameful history. In the period of slavery, they were treated as if they were animals, and to the day, they still suffer from the lasting effects of what the flag resembles under institutional racism. To them, each time a Confederate flag flies, it instills the stereotypes, discriminations, and the systematic oppressions toward the blacks in society. However, challenging the confederate flag is shut down by the first amendment, as it guarantees people’s rights express their views whether it be racist or not. The real question is, should the freedom of speech protect the ban of confederate flag?

Changing attitudes and actions about the Confederate battle flag have risen since the tragedy in South Carolina with the shooting of 9 people in a church during a bible study. The confederate flag has been and is a symbol of hatred, oppression and even senseless acts of murder for many. The removal of the flag at the Capital are being called for by thousands of South Carolina protesters, politicians, both Democrats and Republicans along with South Carolina Governor, Nikki Haley. She stated, “That flag, while an integral part of our past, does not represent the future. By removing a symbol that divides us, we can move forward as a state in harmony.” Even retailers such as Wal-Mart, E-bay and Amazon stood in support by pulling merchandise with the confederate flag on it. This is an ethical decision based on moral principles and demonstrates their changing

After a 15-hour legislative debate, South Carolina voted to remove the Confederate flag from Statehouse. Millions watched as the flag came down on Friday, marking a milestone in how America commemorates the war that tore the nation apart.