We have all heard of disputes between those wanting to fly the.
Confederate flag, and those wanting it torn down and burned. We have also.
heard of people against the flag rioting and killing, and or hurting, many.
people in the process. In Richmond, there was talk for a time of removing all.
of the Confederate monuments honoring the thousands that died in the.
defense of their state. When the flag was raised above the South Carolina.
capital, the NAACP called for a boycott of tourism in the state, costing South.
Carolina tens of thousands in potential revenue. It seems hypocritical that.
these people are fighting ignorance, and are ignorant themselves as to what.
the flag actually means. .
The Confederacy was formed because the Southern states felt that their.
rights were being trampled upon by the federal government and they decided.
to break away from the Union. They felt that since they freely joined the.
Union, that they should be able to freely break away from it. The federal.
government was opposed to this, and raised an army against the Southern.
states. What resulted was a very bloody war with 600,000 causalities.
between the Union and Confederate forces that ended with a Union victory.
and a constitutional amendment that banned states from succeeding from the.
Union.
The problem with the flag is a problem of 140 year old politics. The.
problem, is of course the issue of whether or not the flag stands for racism.
The problem is of whether or not the Confederacy stood for racism.
Emancipation of the slaves was slipped into the civil war when it was clear to.
the Union that the South would not fall easily, to gain support from the rest of.
the country. The vast majority of Southern soldiers were not plantation.
owners, they were averages joes who, when their homes were threatened,.
joined the fight.
In the book "Forced Into Glory: Abraham Lincoln's White Dram," by.
Lerone Bennett, the myth surrounding the, "great emancipator," is debunked.