The issue with the Confederate flag is
not an issue of race but one of historical ignorance and political
posturing. The News-Leader and the Nixa School district are wrong to
discriminate against students desiring to wear the flag to school to
honor their school-mate and as a symbol of their Southern heritage. I
find News-Leader's portrayal of Southern students honoring their
friend as a“gang” and “intimidating” because of this
misunderstood symbol delusional. I am also saddened by the misleading
way it says the friends are imposing their beliefs onto the other
students but fail to mention the Gay students were allowed to impose
their beliefs by wearing Gay Pride shirts.
Mr. Kleinsmith, as a district
superintendent, should be more educated on the subject. The truth is
the Confederate flag is not a symbol of hate and racism in anyone's
mind but those who have a political agenda to make it one; like the
NAACP and the Southern Poverty Law Center (who needs this myth to
stay relevant).
If it was so racist why did 160,000 black, Spanish and Native
American people fight under it? If it stood for hate, then why
did a black representative from the Mississippi state legislature get
out of bed sick to vote to build a Confederate monument? John F.
Harris, a black Confederate veteran and elected official from
Washington County, Mississippi, said this about his vote. "I
want it known to all the world that my vote is given favor of the
bill to erect a monument in honor of the Confederate dead."
Sadly, this is an issue of racism.
However the racism is not against the blacks who find the symbol
racist. No the racism is against the Southern men and women who had
an ancestor die for that flag. This includes many blacks, Latins, and
Native Americans as mentioned. Sadly, I do not have the word count to
fully educate one on the real history but a simple Google search will
be a great start. Since we are in Missouri the first person the Nixa
students should study is that of John Noland. They will learn that he
was a black Confederate who rode with Quantrill and Missouri Governor
and Confederate General Sterling Price. I really hope we stop the
reverse discrimination and spreading of lies against the Confederate
flag. Hate and prejudice is wrong no matter who is is against and
this poor choice by Nixa Schools is egregious and needs to be
reversed.
In the interest of full disclosure my
Ancestor was Lewis F Branson and served in the Missouri Fighting
10th. His Brother was Galba Branson who was a corporal in
the 31st and later a founding member of the Baldknobbers and were
both staunch Unionist. So to say I am just a prideful Confederate is
foolish. What I am is pro-historical truth. The fact is the
Confederate flag is not a symbol of racism.
