In the year 1861, a war began that pitted the men of the northern states of America against their brothers in the South. The bloody tragedy lasted four years and at its end thousands had died, more lay wounded, and the soul of a nation had been scarred forever. To many Southerners, the failed revolution symbolized not only the end of a great past, but also the end of their new beginning as an independent confederate nation. Following their defeat, the Confederate Flag, aptly nick-named the stars and bars, was done away with, and along with it, the freedom of the Southerner's, or so they felt. However, over the last 10 years the old flag has reappeared and seems to have been adopted as the banner for a new war. The battle this time is simply for the right to fly the flag and not get in trouble for it. The flag, which is still viewed by many Southerner's as a sign of former greatness, is seen by many others as an emblem of hate, bigotry, and human injustice. Ralph Wiley and Michael Alvear, writer's for the Crisis and Christian Science Moniter magazines (respectively) have each written exceptional articles on the subject. Although they find themselves on the same side of the war, Wiley proves himself to be the better of the two warriors of persuasion, by use of superior imagery and diction, believable evidence, and critical analysis.
Michael Alvear writes a very concise, clear and understandable essay. His title, "Confederate Flag "so un-Southern,"" is interesting enough to get the reader curious, but it lacks real pizzazz. Also the assuming and all-knowing tone the essay takes on in the first paragraph can be a real turn off to interested readers. "The answer to the Confederate flag controversy is so obvious - and so Southern - even Southerners sometimes can't see it."" The phrase "so obvious- distances the writer from all of the politicians, lawyer's, judges, and other people trying to find a solution to the problem, and can give the reader the sense that the writer is no more than highly opinionated, arrogant, and .