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Essay on the confederate flag
Argumentative essay on the confederate flag
Essay on the confederate flag
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While the Civil War ended around one-hundred-and-fifty years ago, there are still remnants of the Confederacy today. The recent debate over the harm caused by the Confederate flag has sparked arguments by adamant advocates both for and against the display of the flag. Advocates for the flag, such as Christopher A. Cooper and H. Gibbs Knotts, argue that the flag is an innocent display of heritage for many people. Opponents of the flag, such as Joyce Ehrlinger et al., claim the flag is a blatant symbol of racism that incites hateful conduct toward blacks. To find a solution to this dilemma, these two sides must decide whether the Confederate flag is merely a symbol of southern heritage or if the flag is a subliminal message calling for a return …show more content…
While at first this statement may seem vague, in their article “How Exposure to the Confederate Flag Affects Willingness to Vote for Barack Obama” Joyce Ehrlinger et al. found “exposure to the Confederate flag led White participants to rate a hypothetical Black male character more negatively than those in the control condition . . . These findings support the argument that exposure to the Confederate flag activates racially biased responding” (143). Additionally, they claimed that exposure to the flag could have even affected the outcome of the 2008 presidential election because “Combined with Study 1, these findings suggest that exposure to the Confederate flag might have decreased willingness to vote for Obama specifically because of his race” (Ehrlinger et al. 143). Based on these findings there is respectable evidence pointing toward the Confederate flag as an extremely provocative symbol. Ehrlinger et al. do believe some citizens may truly hold the flag in high regard simply because of southern pride; however, they conclude with “Exposure to this flag evokes responses that are prejudicial. Thus, displays of the Confederate flag may do more than inspire heated debate,” ultimately condemning the flag …show more content…
In their article “Region, Race, and Support for the South Carolina Confederate Flag” Christopher A. Cooper and H. Gibbs Knotts found “that 69 percent of blacks find ‘the Confederate flag is offensive, serving as a symbol of racial hatred and a reminder of slavery,’ leaving a proportion who do not,” which means almost one-third of the black population does not find it offensive (Qtd. Clarion Ledger). This information proves that persecution of the flag is not based solely on race but may be affected by region. Christopher A. Cooper and H. Gibbs Knotts discovered “that region is vitally important in forming attitudes about the flag, but that region works differently for blacks and whites. White southerners are more likely to support the flag than white nonsoutherners, while black southerners are less likely to support the flag than black nonsoutherners,” which backs the suggestion that attitude toward the flag is based on region and not so much on race (152). Another interesting point brought up by Christopher A. Cooper and H. Gibbs Knotts is that this recent debate over the flag is likely related to politicians trying to gain popularity with certain demographics. It would not be shocking to see politicians use shady methods of gaining an advantage in government. As Christopher A. Cooper and H.
~~For many American citizens, a controversial flag such as the Confederate flag flying above a government edifice delivers a great amount of pain. Emett Burns, an African-American involved in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, spoke of his views on the Confederate flag: "It [the flag] says to me 'If I could put you in your place, I would.'" (qtd in Schaiver) The NAACP finds the flag extremely offensive and explained their outlook on it with frustration, saying, "enough is enough." (qtd in Cabell) Mims, an African-American 42 year old disabled paper worker, announced his vista upon the flag: "It is like the Germans and the Jews—they are trying to eliminate us." (qtd in Burritt) A recent legal case concerning the Confederate flag, the Plaintiff argued the fla...
Slave insurrection occurred in a multitude of ways. Slaves practiced everyday resistance as well as planned and executed more elaborate forms of resistance. One form of resistance was strikes. During a strike Negros would flee to the swamps or forests and send back word that they would return if their demands were made. Demands would often include food, clothes, fewer beatings, shorter hours, or a new overseer. If demands were met they would return. However during the Civil War the demand of payment of wages. During this era they won “lifting themselves by their own bootstraps from chattels to wage workers”.3
Several corporations have been trying to campaign for the switch to the new flag. According to Douglas Blackmon, in the Wall Street Journal, former Netscape executive and native Mississippian Jim Barksdale contributed almost 30% of the money for the new flag effort. Mr. Barksdale’s concern for the state’s economic and racial problems motivated him to help campaign for the new flag (Blackmon A22). Barksdale fears for Mississippi’s economic future if the change is not made to the new proposed flag, states Blackmon (A22). Blackmon says Barksdale’s message was “that the state should furl the rebel flag not out of shame for its past but so that Mississippi’s economic development won’t be hamstrung by unfair connotations with groups such as the Ku Klux Klan” (A22). In other words, people around the nation view the original 1894 flag as Mississippi’s way of clinging to the past. Consequently, businesses would be less likely to invest and expand their corporations in the state. Potential jobs would be lost. In U.S. News & World Report, Michael Schaffer says, “Business and civil rights leaders had argued that ditching a flag associated with white supremacy would attract potential investors now hesitant to set up shop in a state that still symbolically hails the Confederacy” (30). With this in mind, possible economic opportunities could be lost as result of not changing the flag.
The idea of Texas secession is not a new one. The decision in the 1869 Supreme Court Case Texas v. White set a precedent that states could not secede from the union (Rothman), but recent events show that not everyone in Texas believes this to be the case. There was a petition to the White House for the secession of Texas in 2012 (Diaz) but, more recently, support has been growing in the Republican Party. This spring the Republican platform committee voted to put the topic of secession up for discussion during the Texas State Republican Convention in early May (Baddour). While the idea still has only a small amount of support, none of that support comes from the party’s leaders (Associated Press). It’s clear from comments made in the articles that no one thought the vote would pass. Many people are surprised the movement has as much support as it does. Yet according to the article from The Washington Post, the discussion at the GOP convention was, “two votes shy of going to a floor
The Confederate flag was used symbolically during the Civil War. To southerner’s, the flag represented a source of southern pride as well as a way of remembering the fallen Confederates. As the Civil War proceeded, the meaning of the flag began to change. Currently, the flag is being used as a symbol for racism. Due to this change in meaning, controversy over the flag has been exponentially growing. Although many would argue the original meaning behind the flag and that it is a symbol of historical culture that should not be forgotten, the flag should be banned due to its representation of racism and the seceding of the states.
The dissenting opinion to the previous idea is that the government's legitimate interest in preserving the symbolic value of the flag is, however, essentially the same that may have motivated a particular act of flag burning. The flag uniquely symbolizes the ideas of liberty, equality, and tolerance -- ideas that Americans have passionately defended and debated throughout our history. The flag embodies the spirit of our national commitment to those ideals. To the world, the flag is our promise that we will continue to strive for these ideals. To us, the flag is a reminder both that the struggle for li...
(Costa-Roberts) Throughout the debate on banning the Confederate flag, the people still defending the Confederate flag are considered racist. The majority of the people flying the Confederate flag is not flying it for any form of racism. They are flying it because they are proud of their state's heritage. (Simon) Why would people be so protective of a flag? The flag has been in their life for so long. Imagine growing up watching The Dukes of Hazard with your family, or walking out the door every day on the way to school and seeing it flying on your front porch. “You grow fond of the image, it’s an attachment based on an affiliation with things they love. It’s easy to associate an image with feelings of happiness and therefore form a protective affinity for objects and symbols.”
When even the highly-supported secession documents clearly outline how important slavery was to the southern states, it is hard to deny its fault in the war. The argument that the Confederacy was fighting for states’ rights is the most-often suggested alternative, however all one needs to do is dig deeper and calculate what these
Formed at the eve of the Civil War, the United States (USA) and the Confederate States (CSA) were created for multiple reasons. The main reason of the formation includes that of political issues and slavery issues. Other ideas include the military, economics, etc. The USA was led by President Abraham Lincoln and the CSA was led under President Jefferson Davis. The CSA included the states of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. The United States and Confederate States can be compared based on their advantages and viewpoints in the fields of how and why they were formed, the rights of the federal and state governments, views on slavery, economic issues, and the military strategies.
Imagine standing in front of the defaced statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee only to hear two sides of people curse, hurt each other. This situation is too familiar for people who visit Charlottesville, VA, the formerly peaceful town. The controversy between Confederate memorials never ends. Many people argue that Confederate monuments should be taken down because they become the flashpoints of unrest and violence. As far as I am concerned, confederate memorials should remain as these memorials are the legacy of history; history is value-neutral and innocent.
Some people suggest that wearing the confederate flag in schools is offensive and racist also represents slavery. "It's a symbol of hate that's offensive to people," Crady said. They think this because of the history that is affiliated with it. This is not what they actually represent it represents heritage and tradition now a days. So People now get it confused with what it meant back then and now. The people who do not agree are worried and afraid of the old meaning and do not understand why it is worn
Should I Stay or Should I Go? That is the question that surrounds the topic of Confederate Monuments around the United States. Throughout history the idea of removing the Confederate Monuments is the popular choice among decision makers, citing that the monuments have a sense of evilness consequently flaring up racial emotions. Strong points are continuously being made for the removal of Confederate Monuments, however the Confederate monuments should remain in public places because they honor timeless virtues, the monuments provide an opportunity to reflect upon our nation’s past as well as an opportunity to educate future generations.
The Confederate flag is a controversial symbol with a long and complicated history. And after hundreds of years of fierce opposition and ardent support, one thing is clear: nothing is clear. Many consider the flag a symbol of heritage and history, but many others see it as a symbol of racism and supremacist values. While we believe that the Confederate flag is a symbol of oppression and racial superiority, the ambiguity surrounding the flag’s meaning is enough to necessitate a ban. No matter its original intention, there is no doubt that the flag has been used to symbolize some of the darkest ideologies in the history (and present) of the United States. The flag is widely regarded as a symbol of hatred by black students and, at the end of the
The American Civil war is considered to be one of the most defining moments in American history. It is the war that shaped the social, political and economic structure with a broader prospect of unifying the states and hence leading to this ideal nation of unified states as it is today. In the book “Confederates in the Attic”, the author Tony Horwitz gives an account of his year long exploration through the places where the U.S. Civil War was fought. He took his childhood interest in the Civil War to a new level by traveling around the South in search of Civil War relics, battle fields, and most importantly stories. The title “Confederates in the Attic”: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War carries two meanings in Tony Horwitz’s thoughtful and entertaining exploration of the role of the American Civil War in the modern world of the South. The first meaning alludes to Horwitz’s personal interest in the war. As the grandson of a Russian Jew, Horwitz was raised in the North but early in his childhood developed a fascination with the South’s myth and history. He tells readers that as a child he wrote about the war and even constructed a mural of significant battles in the attic of his own home. The second meaning refers to regional memory, the importance or lack thereof yet attached to this momentous national event. As Horwitz visits the sites throughout the South, he encounters unreconstructed rebels who still hold to outdated beliefs. He also meets groups of “re-enactors,” devotees who attempt to relive the experience of the soldier’s life and death. One of his most disheartening and yet unsurprising realizations is that attitudes towards the war divide along racial lines. Too many whites wrap the memory in nostalgia, refusing...
Imagine a historian, author of an award-winning dissertation and several books. He is an experienced lecturer and respected scholar; he is at the forefront of his field. His research methodology sets the bar for other academicians. He is so highly esteemed, in fact, that an article he has prepared is to be presented to and discussed by the United States’ oldest and largest society of professional historians. These are precisely the circumstances in which Ulrich B. Phillips wrote his 1928 essay, “The Central Theme of Southern History.” In this treatise he set forth a thesis which on its face is not revolutionary: that the cause behind which the South stood unified was not slavery, as such, but white supremacy. Over the course of fourteen elegantly written pages, Phillips advances his thesis with evidence from a variety of primary sources gleaned from his years of research. All of his reasoning and experience add weight to his distillation of Southern history into this one fairly simple idea, an idea so deceptively simple that it invites further study.