Once again we have another national tragedy.  Good people gunned down in a terroristic attack.  If this had been done by a foreign entity, we would be united in our uproar for our government and our leaders to do something. But as is the case in the vast majority of the attacks on our people in our country, it has been done by one of us.  But instead of an uproar, we wring our hands, wipe our tears and say, “Well what can we do?”

And we allow our “leaders” to bend themselves into pretzels so they can appear distraught while supporting positions that continue to enflame and arm the hate of those committed to terrorizing the groups they marginalize.  At what point is enough… enough?

Enough so reasonable men and women stand up and tell the haters, their leaders and their followers that their views are wrong.  For example, take the banner of proud Southern Heritage, the Confederate Battle Flag.  We are told that this flag does not represent hate and oppression.  We are told that this flag simply represents an honored tradition of free thought, freedom and independence.

Except I am a Southern White Male. And try as I may, I don’t see that.  I don’t see that at all.  The vast majority of people that I observe who proudly display the confederate battle flag seem to be staking out territory. Communicating visually that the “wrong” people aren’t welcome, while saying “it’s all about loving freedom.” Sort of like the tense, ready to attack pit bull that is wagging its tail.

And as a Southern White Male, let me review the proud history of the flag.  It was flown by a group of traitors to the United States of America; who were aligned to those who owned and traded slaves; who subsequently lost the war.  So to paraphrase, the confederate battle flag was the banner of loser traitors aligned with slavers.  It may be part of our history, but not a part to be proud of.

Now I don’t profess to have the ability to look into a Man’s heart and see his true self. But I do have a question for the proud advocates of a disgraced banner.  If you truly desire to honor free thought, freedom and independence, why have you chosen a symbol that communicates the exact opposite to an entire population of your American brethren?

I, for one, will no longer remain silent.  I will ask that question and press for an answer.  And I will listen to and note our “political leaders” who continue to dance around this issue. Refusing to antagonize the factions of hate while paying faint lip service to a myth of tolerance. 

Think. Work. Achieve. Your turn…

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