If I were Jewish can you imagine me having a discussion about whether or not to fly or not fly the Nazi Flag in America? It’s a relative comparison to what has become an ongoing discussion in America around the Confederate flag. One would think that a flag that represented the Confederate States, which in an act of treason actually fought against the Union would be banned simply for that reason alone.
Historians phrase the cause of secession as either the threat to restrict or end slavery by the Republicans, or that a restriction on states’ rights regarding slave ownership in the territories prompted southern states to withdraw from the Union. The “states rights” argument refers to one of two factors: the right claimed by the states for their citizens to take slaves where they wanted (the main cause of the secession the seven cotton states in winter 1860-61), or second, the right of states to be free of federal invasion, which was the main cause of the secession of the four border states in spring 1861. Four of the seceding states, the Deep South states of South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, and Texas, issued formal declarations of causes, each of which identified the threat to slaveholders’ rights as the cause of, or a major cause of, secession.
The Confederate flag no matter how you look at it has no place in a United States of America government facility. The flag should remind the country of its 11 states that formed the secessionist government, that precipitated the Civil War — an act of treason against the United States. Understand that The United States (“Union”) held ‘secession’ illegal and refused recognition of the Confederacy.
Yet here we are in 2015 having the discussion about what the Confederate flag symbolizes. So at the very end of the day, we have to accept that the Confederate flag that flies symbolizes an attempt to shutdown the United States of America. Let’s not even bring up the fact that the big dispute was over enslaved Blacks.
It was Frederick Douglass who pointed out to Lincoln that the north would always have a problem if the south had slaves because it meant free labor. Reluctantly facing the truth, Lincoln emancipated slaves. So even though the Confederate flag is one of the most controversial, inflammatory icons of American culture the Federal government has always allowed it to fly freely, why?
After World War II there was no question about whether or not the Nazi Flag could remain flying freely in Germany or else where in Europe to represent German heritage and those Nazi’s who fought bravely in the war because it was quite clear that it represented Nazism.
The Nazi ideology developed several hypotheses concerning race. Nazis claimed to scientifically measure a strict hierarchy of human race; the “master race” was said to be the most pure stock of the Aryan race, which was narrowly defined by the Nazis as being identical with the Nordic race, followed by other sub-races of the Aryan race. At the bottom of this hierarchy were “parasitic” races (of non-“Aryan” origin) or (“sub-humans”), which were perceived to be dangerous to society. In Nazi literature, the term ‘sub-human was applied to the Slavs, including Russians, Serbs, and ethnic Poles. Nazi ideology viewed Slavs as an inferior non-Aryan group, who were fit only for extermination and enslavement. About two million non-Jewish Poles were killed by Nazi Germany. After the Slavs, lowest of all in the Nazi racial policy were Gypsies and Jews, who were both eventually deemed to be “unworthy of life” and to be exterminated during the Holocaust.
The 20th century German Nazi Party made extensive use of graphic symbolism, especially the Hakenkreuz (swastika), which was used as its principal symbol and, in the form of the swastika flag, became the state flag of Nazi Germany standing for it’s racist ideology. The ideology symbolized by the Nazi flag that resulted in some 6 million Jews murdered.
To fly the Nazi flag means that you condone all that it symbolizes and what occurred as a consequence of the ideology behind its symbolism. So, it does not fly. The same holds true for the Confederate flag, which still flies high above the South Carolina Statehouse, and throughout the south. It doesn’t matter that it may represent many things to many people like pride in relatives that fought for what they believed in when what they believed in was slavery and the right to own slaves and be the absolute law over them. It was wrong. Wrong!
The slave trade imported between 9.6 and 10.8 million Africans who arrived in the Americas. About 500,000 Africans were imported into what is now the U.S. between 1619 and 1807– Approximately 1.2 – 2.4 million Africans died during their transport to the New World. More died soon upon their arrival. Their life as slaves was one of abuse and constant terrorism. And the only reason the Confederate flag is acceptable is because Blacks are not respected or valued even today.
The terms heritage and culture, have been thrown around a lot recently by Americans living in the former Confederacy to defend their sick twisted clinging to a flag symbolizing white supremacy and treason against the United States of America.
Southerners are quick to claim that the Confederate flag, has nothing whatsoever to do with either white supremacy (racism) or treason. In their estimation they know it’s is a lie, the Confederate flag is just a symbol of Southern heritage and culture. However, that was never what the flag symbolized and there is no better reference to what the flag stands for than the words of the treasonous racist who designed it.
The white supremacist who designed the Confederacy’s flag(s)—William T. Thompson, like Hitler gave the definitive reason why every Republican, KKK member, and so-called Southern heritage advocate still supports flying that symbol of treason and racism. Thompson was proud to admit, “As a people we are fighting to maintain the heavenly ordained supremacy of the white man over the inferior or colored race; a white flag would thus be emblematical of our cause. Such a flag would be a suitable emblem of our young confederacy, and sustained by the brave hearts and strong arms of the south, it would soon take rank among the proudest ensigns of the nations, and be hailed by the civilized world as THE WHITE MAN’S FLAG.”
And so it is exactly that. The Confederate flag is a direct insult to both Blacks and the United States.
About Post Author
