The Confederate Flag and more

THE HISTORY AND THE CONTROVERSY

The Confederate battle flag, also called the "Southern Cross" or the cross of St. Andrew, has been designated as a proud emblem of Southern heritage and a shameful reminder of slavery and segregation. In the past, several Southern states flew the Confederate battle flag along with the U.S. and state flags over their houses. Others incorporated the symbol into the design of their state flags. The Confederate battle flag has also been taken by the Ku Klux Klan and other racist groups. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, more than 500 extremist groups use the Southern Cross as one of their symbols.

BOTH SIDES OF THE ARGUMENT

Con – First of all, the meaning of the flag has changed the meaning of the flag, from representing the true American war to becoming offensive to the African American population, therefore it is important to ban the confederate flag. Second, the flag has been taken as a symbol by many members of the white supremacist and Ku Klux Klan movements. Putting it in the statehouse just makes it look as though the state excuses that sort of thing.

Pro – The flag represents the people of America who fought in wars and risked their lives for the better of the country, and therefore it must fly high and be honored by all. Second of all, we are supposed to be a free country and we cannot go around banning things that we disagree with or that are contrary to our own beliefs. Third, people make assumptions and draw conclusions abruptly without having the correct knowledge, many people in this nation just go ahead and listen to anyone without truly understanding the topic.

ACTUAL RULING / VERDICT (SOUTH CAROLINA)

The South Carolina Senate on Tuesday formally approved a bill removing the Confederate battle flag from the Statehouse grounds, where it has flown either atop the Capitol or on a nearby flagpole for 54 years. The Senate voted 36-3 to send the bill to the state House.