The Confederate flag (the “southern cross” for clarification, or the battle flag flown by certain soldiers in the Confederate army, though never the official flag of the C.S.A.) has been a controversial topic among UA students for years now. The Confederate flag should be seen as a symbol of heritage, not as a symbol of hate.
The flag symbolizes a Southern society that regrettably included slavery as a component. To write the usage and display of the Confederate flag off as hateful because of this component, however, is an illogical conclusion.
It is important to keep in mind an analogy of the virtually unquestioned American flag. The American flag was flown by the armies that violently uprooted (and in some cases, mass murdered) Native Americans, by a country that institutionalized Japanese internment camps during World War II, and by a country that at one time considered women unworthy of voting. These examples were not the products of minority extremist movements, but widely backed actions of our federal government.
Though the same American flag was at one time the symbol of a country that also practiced genocide, unlawful imprisonment and sexist policies, nobody suggests we disallow flying it. Instead, it’s passionately embraced nationwide as a symbol of American culture. In the exact same way, the Confederate flag should be embraced as a symbol of Southern culture, not of slavery.
Some might argue we can fly the American flag in the present day because, though institutions like Japanese Internment camps were atrocities, they were a thing of the past. If we were to argue this, we would of course have the right to argue the exact same point as it relates to the Confederate flag and slavery.
People will cite the usage of the Confederate flag by the Ku Klux Klan and similar groups as an example of a circumstance where the flag is being specifically used to symbolize hate as opposed to culture. Though I certainly cannot disagree with them, these instances are the extremist actions of a cult minority. One cult’s misuse of the flag is not a good reason to disallow the overall use of it.
The Ku Klux Klan is even more notorious for burning crosses, yet we understand that the cross is not a symbol of racism. I’ve never once heard someone propose we stop wearing crosses on necklaces or as tattoos because the Ku Klux Klan misuses them.
Granted, the Confederacy did indeed lose the American Civil War. That is not a good reason to force them to relinquish their cultural identity. If this were the case, we would have to suggest that the African countries that lost to European superpowers during imperialism shouldn’t have held onto their cultural identities or flown their defunct native flags in the century following their respective takeovers.
Some might still view the Confederate flag, though cultural, as unpatriotic. We must examine, though, the people who typically fly them or tout them. The very Southerners who fly them send a disproportionate amount of troops to the military to fight for our country. We even see it in pop culture. Confederate flag-wielding country music singers constantly express their love for our country and its ideals.
If the flag is truly just a symbol of Southern culture, we’d expect to find it next to other symbols of Southern culture and that’s exactly where we find it. We don’t see the flag or an image of the flag as a certain politician’s logo or seal in political campaigns. Instead, we see it on belt buckles or next to Ducks Unlimited bumper stickers. Perhaps the best evidence for the Confederate flag being a cultural symbol is simply that it’s most often found right next to other Southern cultural symbols.
The Confederate flag is a symbol of Southern culture found (unsurprisingly) next to other symbols of Southern culture. It should not be held to different standards than the accepted American flag, nor should it be judged by the actions of a cult minority. Its existence is accepted, and its people are no less patriotic than you.
That being said, the next time you see one, please, turn up the Johnny Cash, and turn down the illogical criticism.
Ben Friedman is a sophomore majoring in social entrepreneurship. His column runs on Mondays.
