I know some of my friends and family like the Confederate flag, the “rebel flag”. You see it as a symbol of independence and rebellion, or a stand against tyranny, or pride in your homeland or history no matter how dark. You don’t think of it as a symbol of racism (despite that over half of Americans think that).
Well, that disagreement ended this weekend in Charlottesville, VA. Anyone who sees that flag will soon see it as nothing but an extension of the swastika.
Southern rebels, the last people in the world who should have marched as brothers-in-arms with literal Nazis, did just that this weekend. With torches lit like the actual KKK rally it also was, they surrounded and threatened peaceful counter-protesters and a black church. They called for white supremacy, for white nationalism, for the murder and/or deportation of anyone non-white. They shot at and beat people of color. They murdered 1 and injured 19 when they plowed a car into a crowd of counter-protesters. It was far more than free speech.
The chance to educate the world on the full meaning of the battle flag is gone. It’s now a symbol of racism and fascism to the world over whether it means that to you or not. Nazis and racists took that away from you this weekend.
Let your loved ones know. Keep them safe. Fight Nazis.
I wrote this article and sent it to my friends and family because I care about them. I also care about keeping the meaning of words and symbols intact — I deplore semantic diffusion outside of slang. Though I really couldn’t care about the “rebel flag”. The South’s reasons for going to war were very clear in the Articles of Secession: profit from slavery. Nothing about that effort or its leaders should be glorified. Rebels have better symbols. Families can honor the memory and bravery of their forebearers without glorifying the political effort they supported. We don’t need that flag flying any more than Germany needs the Nazi flag. We have better ways.
Originally posted on Facebook: http://bit.ly/2wL4m3M
Featured Image: Confederate Flags and Nazi Flags March Together in Charlottesville, VA. Found the image in various Twitter accounts, @jk_rowling in particular, but couldn’t trace the origin. Resized and assumed fair use. Contact me if otherwise known.