Confederate Battle Flag honors our slain ancestors

It has been said that what we see in others is but a reflection of what we see in ourselves. So it is that when one sees hatred in a symbol, whether that be a Christian Cross, a Star of David, a Confederate Battle Flag, or any other thing that honors a group of people, it only shows the hatred within.

Yes, there are some misguided people who have kidnapped the image of the Battle Flag and flaunt it inappropriately. But when it is inscribed on a monument, the intent is to honor the ancestors of those who had that monument erected. It does not represent racism, it does not represent hatred, it does not call for a return to the days of slavery.

One out of every four Southern males died during the War Between the States, not to preserve the institution of slavery, but to protect their homes and farms from being destroyed by invaders from the North. They didn’t risk their lives to defend slavery; one might reasonably consider what they did was nothing less than a “stand your ground” action.

The vast majority of Southerners were not slaveholders; why would they risk death to protect something they did not have? The war was not about slavery; the Emancipation Proclamation wasn’t signed until 1863, nearly two years into the conflict. The war was originally to preserve the Union of the States.

To destroy or remove historical monuments like those that display the Confederate Battle Flag, whose only intent is to honor the dead, is itself an act of hatred.

One might consider it wiser to expend their energy on something far more important and current, like homelessness among veterans, or hunger among our fellow man.

This story was originally published July 22, 2017 at 12:51 PM with the headline "Confederate Battle Flag honors our slain ancestors."