I've been trying my best to stay out of the confederate flag controversy and the "gay" marriage controversy that has been living on the Internet and breeding quickly. This being said people keep asking me my input. First and foremost I don't think anyone regardless of who you are has a right to chime in to these subject matters without researching the facts and knowing what they are talking about rather than assuming. So here we go. If you look into how different races and people see the confederate flag you will see that most people of color see it as a sign of hate and disrespect. They see it as a cry for segregation and slavery. Do they have a right to feel this way? In some ways yes they do.
William Porcher Miles of South Carolina - first confederate flag, was a racist flag in that it had all white on the main portion of the flag to signify white superiority.
The flag for the confederacy committee’s first chair or president was William Porcher Miles and he created and commissioned the flag as seen above. As you can see he was from South Carolina so now I understand why South Carolina may have had a confederate flag in a government office. This flag as above though was not completely as we know it now. William Miles felt that the white race was superior and the white portion of the flag was in his eyes a no “Stain” commemorative. In this he did mean that he felt those of color were beneath him. He as many people in the south at that time felt that segregation was needed and called for. A lot of southern parties did NOT feel this way though and the flag was not rolled out in a racist forum but rather the no “Stain” was said to mean no blood shed of confederate soldiers on the battle field. In William Miles eyes his flag to my understanding was no different to him than Hitler’s Swastika was to him. Therefore If I were of color I would probably have problems with this flag. The flag that is often flown in the south though is just the upper left hand corner of this flag and was most used on the battle field for the purpose of distinguishing which side of the war you were on. The war was partly about slavery but it was also to determine the survival of the Union or the independence for the Confederacy. It was about the industrial evolution as well. The side that won would control the production of rail roads and weaponry among other items. So once again we could say that money was the root of all evil. The confederate flag does not mean racists ideology to a majority of southern people today though. Rather it is a pride symbol for their heritage. One must consider that their relatives in days gone by suffered and are long gone. Some died for that flag on the battle field. Some understood its significance and some didn’t. They in this fashion would be within their right to feel bruised if one asked them to remove it or not sell it. Not everyone who displays a confederate flag is racist. They may just be good old southern folks. So my summation on this is simple. We need to learn from the past. We need to remember the past but we desperately need to stop living in the past. None of us living today are old enough to have been around during the days of slavery and political struggles for emancipation. As long as we hold hate in our hearts we will not grow or prosper. I believe that nothing should be flown in a government facility that is not to do with THAT facility. In Indiana the government buildings should not display anything that is not our nation’s flag, our state flag or military flags. They should not have other countries flags; they should not have any form of religious items regardless of what they are except for use in court. If a person is of Christian faith I still say have them place their hand on the bible. If they are of some other faith have them vow on what is holy to them. I am not for total removal. I just don’t feel it should be displayed.
There are lots of symbols that have been used incorrectly. The cross has been used for more wrong than most symbols. The American flag probably doesn’t hold much for the American Indiana. I have Indiana blood and I am religious so no matter either their wrongs I want both these symbols for what they mean to me in my life.
“Gay” Marriage. I only put things in parenthesis when they hold no bearing on the subject at hand. Marriage is marriage. I do not feel our government should hold any sanctions on it or the church in any form or fashion. There are churches that will do same sex marriages and there are some that will not. The government should not sanction that in any way. As for breaks you get for being married I don’t believe in those either. We should all be taxed the same. There should not be any benefit given to a married person that is not extended to a single person. If two people are living together they should be able to have conjoined insurance as long as they can prove they reside together as significant partners. As for the rest, well you have a living will to say if you want to live or die if incapacitated why not have a death will that says who has say, oh wait you’ve always been able to do that.. Power of attorney and what not. Why not sign a prenuptial agreement for everything. There is no reason a woman should get everything with kids just because the guy said I do. Or even the other way around or even same sex. I say what you have going into the marriage is yours, what you make and get while in the marriage is divided two ways. If you have kids take the cost associated with raising them figure out income and divide the cost between parents no matter which they reside with. They didn’t ask to be born. The children should not be used by a parent as a pawn for more money. Here is an idea get to know your partner before you commit. If they aren’t a good partner they probably won’t be a good parent. If you want the court to sanction your union regardless of same or opposite it is a civil union. Oh and ladies marriages were originally ordained because you were considered property that is why someone had to give you away. You were not expected to live a long life so it said until death do we part so that the man in the eyes of the church was free to get another wife when you died. I believe we have made civil unions and the dissolving of civil union’s way too easy in this country. It’s a Multi-billion dollar industry. Again it’s about the almighty dollar. I personally feel you should have to fill out a civil union certificate one year before it will actually be usable. I feel that you should have to get to know each other in that year and if at the end of a year you still want the civil union then you would be allowed to marry or join together. Do you realize how many people would probably change their mind?
No matter which side of the coin you’re on though you have a right to your own personal feelings and your opinions. I love my friends. I don’t think to myself which one is black, which one is Hispanic or which is Jewish, Buddhist, Catholic, Indian, Gay, Straight transsexual or anything else. I love them all. I just think there’s my friend Bob or there is the group of people I love. I don’t agree with all of them on everything but that is the beauty of life. I don’t have to. I also hope no one will hold any ill will because I have my own opinions here. As for being cast aside for who you are. Trying being an over weight white woman in America. With all the beauty magazines swearing you have to be a size 2, oh wait maybe a size 2 is fat. I understand the frustration and yes I agree any progress is a call for celebration and any loss is a time for mourning. So if you ask which side I'm on, it's on the side of Love and moving forward and working towards that dream that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr had. To have acceptance it must be on all levels a level playing field but it must also have all parties have open minds and a desire to move forward as well.
