confederate flag in south carolina
The Confederate flag that now flies atop the statehouse of South Carolina has been a controversial issue for over 30 years. Raised in 1962 to commemorate the Civil War's 100th anniversary, it is the only Confederate flag to wave atop any state capitol in the country, and its presence has stirred quite a commotion. Last March, a group that wants the South to secede from the United States staged a Confederate flag-waving rally in Montgomery, Alabama. Hundreds of people signed petitions, demanding that the state follow South Carolina's example and return the Confederate flag to the state capitol. In April, a march against the flag's presence was led by Charleston Mayor Riley. Six hundred flag opponents marched to the statehouse to have the flag taken down. The NAACP has staged a national boycott of tourism in South Carolina, which is supposed to last until the flag is removed. The issue of whether the flag belongs at the South Carolina state capitol has been distorted by many people. This simple matter has been transformed into a freedom of expression controversy, which it certainly isn't. This is an issue of appropriateness. Were the subject not so manipulated, it would be very obvious that the flag belongs in a museum, or a Civ
The main argument of the insistent Confederate flag supporters is that the flag honors South Carolinian heritage. That is false; the flag honors only the soldiers who believed in the Confederacy and fought in the Civil War. Most of those soldiers were white. Many of the blacks who fought for the Confederacy did so because they were slaves and had no choice. According to a 1998 census from the South Carolina Office of Public Health Statistics, 36.76 percent of the state's population is of nonwhite heritage. These people's histories are not honored by the flag. If a Confederate flag must hang atop the state capitol for the sole reason of honoring the white people's heritage, flags for every cultural group of the state should be hung, as well. Otherwise, the Confederate flag must come down. il War memorial, and not waving at any State Capitol. Perhaps the Confederate flag was not created to offend anyone. Nevertheless, it has become a despicable design to many people. It is inappropriate, if not completely offensive, to have this flag represent the very people who have suffered by it. The flag must be removed from the state capitol immediately. As John K. Alexander, a University of Cincinnati history professor said, "Flags are powerful symbols because people care about them... As long as South Carolina continues to fly the flag, it will continue to be a volatile issue." Advocates for the
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Approximate Word count = 946
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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