Rhetoric over substance again

Here we go again. A nutcase kills 9 innocent people. One picture of him shows a confederate flag. So what happens? We forget the victims. We forget the families. We forget the shooter but doggone it, we are going to get rid of that flag. That will surely make it all better.

One writer wrote that it was worth 9 lives if it caused the Confederate Battle Flag to be banned. How ridiculous. These people were worshiping God, not protesting that flag. How arrogant is it to decide what was important to them? How arrogant is it to decide for them what their lives were worth?

It would make as much sense to find out what the nutcase had for breakfast and to ban that. Then ban the brand of tennis shoes he wore and his clothes and the television shows he watched. That would make it all better if you believe rhetoric is more important than substance.

In case you don’t know, the Confederate States of America had a series of different flags. The one most often used is the battle flag.  Ebay has already removed all listings for any item with the Confederate battle flag but Nazi flags are still for sale. ISIS flags are available. Numerous other offensive items are available but the battle flag is not.

As we all know, the KKK uses the battle flag. There are many perversions of the battle flag being displayed. If the flag is rectangular it is not the battle flag;  it is the Tennessee flag or the Confederate naval flag.  If the flag is square it is the historical Confederate battle flag.

Personally (except for historical purposes) I have no need for the battle flag.  However if you do I support your right to fly it. As one man told me yesterday, “I’ve never owned a (Confederate) flag, I’ve never marched in a protest but I will protest to support the right to fly it.”

I suggested many years ago that we should adopt another iteration of battle flag to support southern heritage. I personally like the 1865 flag which shows the battle flag on a white field with a red bar on the end.

That flag symbolizes the South as well as the battle flag and could be adopted to represent “heritage not hate.” But again you should be able to buy and fly any flag you choose.

Removing the battle flag won’t eliminate hate; it won’t change a single person. The nutcases will still hate and there is nothing we can do about it. By the way, they have the right to hate anyone for any reason; they just don’t have the right to take any actions against that person.

I occasionally see some skinhead with a swastika tattoo. I think that is a good thing. I’d rather be able to take one look and avoid them than to have to find out later. I think it is a good thing to have evil people easily identified.

We need to remember and honor our past, even the ugly parts. Our past, both individually and collectively, is what made us what and who we are today.

I won’t fly the battle flag – I have “Old Glory” and America and that is enough for me.

Now I am going to have a moment of silence for the victims of last week’s attack.