On my latest trip to Country Thunder, I ran into this guy:

Despite how embarrassing it may have been, I ran over to him immediately and asked to take a picture with him and one of just him. He looked at me straight in the face and told me that he has been getting asked for pictures all day, and that he is perfectly OK with it. I went on to tell him that I was also writing an article about my sentiments of the Confederate flag and thought he would add a nice touch to the article. I was able to use his picture and some of his statements as long as I tag him in the article once it is published so the world can get to meet him. I agreed and quickly decided he would be more than just a picture in the article, but a main aspect.

This man, who goes by Blainee Bates, was kind enough to pose for me and take part in this article. When asked about his thoughts on the Confederate flag, he quickly said that he did not think that it should have been banned, and that he doesn't find the flag to be racist. In fact, he finds it to represent tradition and a history that we cannot ignore.

That specific flag was a battle flag. What people have seem to forgotten is that the Civil War was not about white versus black. It was about North versus South. It was not a war to end slavery, it was not even about slavery at first. President Lincoln said that it was a war to preserve the Union. Southern pride is a legitimate feeling in the United States. Just like we have flags that stand for freedom and flags that represent the LGBT community, we have the Confederate flag. People argue the reason why it was taken down was because of its offensive nature and that it makes certain people feel uncomfortable. Well, my question is then, why don't we begin to ban EVERY flag that makes people feel uncomfortable. Why don't we ban the LGBT flag for all those people who find that offensive? Why don't we ban the Packers flag because all the Bears fans find that to be offensive as well? Or how about the American Flag that students in California found to be exclusive of some people and wanted to ban it off of campus? Why didn't we ban the flag then since it apparently made students feel uncomfortable?

My point is not that we should be banning different flags left and right. My point is that in America, the land of free speech and the right to assemble, we seem to have prevented people from truly believing in what they choose to believe. We seem to have labeled certain groups and certain ideas as "bad." The media has somehow made impressionable people believe that Southern pride means racism and white supremacy. Southern pride is just that: Southern pride.

Mr. Bates doesn't think that the Confederate flag should be banned, so why do you?