The Confederate Flag has gained notoriety as one of the battle flags waved by the South, during the Civil War. While the flag was open to commemorate the fallen soldiers of the war, but there was more of a boom in the flag's presence through the Civil Rights Movement. For example, when South Carolina Governor Strom Thurmond ran for President as a Dixiecrat, a short-lived far-right political party that rose against the efforts of desegregation. Despite the efforts made by the Civil Rights Movement, the Confederate Flag has grown more prevalent in the United States (more specifically in the South). In recent years, the flag has been controversial and seen more as a racist symbol of the South, with events like the Charleston Church shooting bringing the debate over the flag's legacy. Now, there have been support from many musicians, including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kid Rock, and Ted Nugent; similarly, country star Brad Paisley attempted to lessen the flag's notorious legacy with his song "Accidental Racist," with the help of rapper L.L. Cool J. With this article, I'm not going to cover the racist connotations of the Confederate Flag; granted, I won't deny that they are there, but my main issue with the flag comes from how history makes the flag unneeded.
I was born and grew up in Massachusetts, and as I remember from my history classes, Massachusetts was part of the Union during the Civil War. This might come from the bias of living in the state for twenty-one years now, but it seems redundant for me to support the flag (and to an extent, the Confederacy). In fact, I am more than willing to celebrate the Massachusetts' 54th Regiment, the first black military in the United States.
Another issue with celebrating the Confederate Flag is knowing that the Confederate's lost. I will celebrate the American Flag and know that men have died for this country and the victories earned in war. But the Civil War was different than many other conflicts the United States was engaged in. This was a domestic conflict, and celebrating the flag leads to the split that's been lead by the flag. And as someone who grew up in a state on the winning side, honoring the Confederacy would be on par with celebrating the Victory over Japan (V-J Day) by waving the Rising Sun flag.
While this article will not work on any action towards the Confederate Flag, but rather looking at this issue from another angle. Connotations of racism aside, the flag seems out of place when celebrating the United States.
