OPINION: Symbol Of Racism Soils Dead Soldier’s Memory
By News One May 14, 2009 1:22 pm
From Walter Fields at NorthStarNews.com:
The parents and siblings of Michael Edward Yates, Jr., one of the soldiers killed by a comrade at a military counseling center in Baghdad held a press conference this morning to express their sorrow. While watching the event on CNN, and immediately empathizing with the Yates family over their loss, my eye caught the sight of a Confederate flag positioned prominently next to the American flag in the background. My sympathy for the family immediately turned to scorn. Seeing the bars and stars displayed in such a way was a cold reminder of how many whites in this country are still invested in the Civil War and issues that should have long ago been resolved.
What war was their son fighting and for who?
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If that flag isn’t a symbol of hate, why do neo nazis and kkk members hold that flag with so much pride when they march? I stay down south right now so I have heard all that it’s our heritage talk but do Germans fly nazi flags around talking about it’s their heritage? If it wasn’t tolerated, they wouldn’t do it! I guarantee everyone who owns a confederate flag voted for McCain and they’re plotting our President’s demise. All the black people that reside down south but only 3 southern states were for Obama during the election and it was close in those states. The Civil War was fought in the 1860s so why is it flying on govt property down south. As a matter of fact, why do you think the governor of SC won’t accept money from our President? Racism is real…they use to hunt us like dogs and publicly lynch us while people came from miles around to see it! Anybody remember Emmett Till! After Jim Crow, they fled to police dept, became politicians and hid behind their laws to justify their actions…please wake up if you sleeping right now because these prisons ain’t filled with black people for nothing. It’s legal slavery!!! Do your research…1 out of 9 African Americans are locked up…1 out of 9!!!!!
@hunnibunnz
This is one of the few places online where Black people can speak freely about the issues that concern US. The LAST thing any of us want to hear is some non-Black person trying to shift the blame back onto us for the inhumane things which have been done to us and are still being done to us as a nation. If you can’t take the heat STAY THE F**K OUTTA THE KITCHEN. This is NOT your house.
This stories blown way outta proportion. I saw the news report. Lots of white people fly that flag out of southern pride or country pride. It doesn’t automatically mean racism. People are too sensitive.
I had a friend that wore a confederate belt buckle everyday, I thought he was a racist at first but after I talked to him we became good friends. I dont know exactly why this is an outrage, but I do know I really dont care.
clownt…… lmao naw i agree totally that small insignificant things such as that can be overlooked due to the circ**stances. but i too also believe there is a lot of history tied to that symbol, just as the hood is to the klan and just as a flag is to a gang member. its original intention could have been light years away from its current meaning but we all need to know when to sho a lil empathy and just simply pay respects….
err hunnibunnz
why are you here complaining? Also if you open your eyes a bit, you’d see this “Is this Racist…” chic is Indian or middle eastern or something, and if you read the comments, all of us think what she posts is stupid.
“whites in this country are still invested in the Civil War and issues that should have long ago been resolved”
How about the articles blacks are posting over and over “Is this add racist!?” …. :\
First things first, I’m a black male living in the south. I don’t agree with the Confederate flag. Many less intelligent people feel like it is a slap in the face when they see the Confederate flag on display. It is what it is….a flag, a symbol, a piece of history. Flags are symbols, and both are like words. They only have power to those who recognize them in that aspect. So the bars and stars represents more than just white having slaves, it represents an era gone by. If you are so concerned with that piece of history his family had on display, that lets me know that you weren’t really paying attention the broadcast at all. The issue is not about what flag he or his family chooses to display, the issue is he was killed serving his country. let’s not forget that he was killed by one of his fellow soldiers. Where does the conversation of a flag have to do with his very untimely and even more unnecessary death? That’s what I thought, nothing. If that’s all it takes for your sympahty to turn to scorn, please don’t fight for any causes that I believe in. He was fighting in the same war that black, white, hispanic, asian, and other nationalities are fighting in. Do some research, the Civil War wasn’t about white or black, it was about green (Money, cause right now I don’t think you have the slightest clue).