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6 stentorian 2004 opied the stentorian | ncssm The Confederate Flag: Pride vs. Prejudice with a very colorful history the Confederate Flag raises many eye brows. DEREK PAYLOR T he Confederate flag has been a hot topic in the news lately. The Civil War ended almost 150 years ago; however, the legacy of the Confederacy has reappeared in the midst of a new resurgence, reinforced by all the media attention the flag has been receiving. With Democratic 2004 presidential hopeful Howard Dean making such controversial statements as "I still want to be the candidate for guys, with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks," it appears as though the Confederate flag is experienc ing newfound popularity and confronting the South with the burning question: Why are people still so touchy about the Confederate flag? Most North Spedrum, ls)e stiff Ioi>e^ou off, we promise. —Cflffyson andCBr^an Pre-calc E and F, Some modeling, lotsa graphs A logarithm or two. Ain't precal fun? Just like you! -Guess who? Carolinians have seen the star ry crossbars at many locations outside the boundaries of our history books: gracing the fronts of homes in the back woods, invoking awe on the bumpers of beat-up pickup trucks, adding that certain touch to midnight taverns out in the Boondocks. A few stu dents here, especially those from rural areas, are more accustomed to the eontrover- sial image than others, some even setting fashion trends by sporting a pair of "Dixie Girl" hairclips or even the emblem on a large brass belt buckle.,, Stereotypes aside, the tension surrounding the flag is as fierce as ever, and even though the mighty South fell long ago, people still argue about the flag's true meaning. Is the flag a representation of heritage, a F.urple and Co. /t’s almost over, all of it. Next year who knows how far apart we’ll all be. One day we will make the movie ’’Divine Secrets of the F.urple Sisterhood. ” / love you kids. -moo tarrey/teef symbol of intolerance, or has one originated from the other? If we take a close look at our society today, we see a culture based on sym bols, and our society interprets them in unique ways. Some things that we all consider fine and dandy in one moment can be perverted and misinterpret ed the next. The Christian cross, when inverted, makes a drastic metamorphosis to a symbol of satanic worship. The same sort of transforma tion can occur with the penta gram, a harmonious symbol, and its drastic change into a devil with horns upon inver sion. The swastika is a back wards symbol of Buddhism; the sheets that the Ku Klux Klan wear during midnight ral lies are similar to those of a sect of Catholics in Spain. In one time and place, these sym bols mean great positive things, but in the other, the original meaning becomes lost in new negative connotations. Has the Confederate flag met the same fate? Some argue that the flag was never a posi tive symbol. Kweisi Mfume, current president of the NAACP, feels that the flag lacks positive virtues. Citing the Confederacy's notorious support of slaveiy to sustain their agricultural economy, many African-Americans still believe the flag to be a symbol of hatred, and their attitude is justified by the racist organiza tions that use the emblem as one of their symbols. The Ku To my male friends, / still bate sports and cultisb behav ior, but / like to tbink tbat you've changed me for the better. Jonathan, I know you'll be a great writer in col lege-use Peter from Family Guy as a role model. Charlie, I've come to enjoy look ing at your spare time math proofs, as well as your Pink Floyd and Stanley Kubrick col lections. I never 'fflt would have been Malvollo without your daily help. Mark, oy vey. Will, you need to read femi nism and post WW2 fiction, you don't know wbat you 're missing. Jake, I'm glad there are other cynical men here to wade through the sugary goo. 2W boys, some of our night chats were fun, though I hon estly cannot remem ber anything we talked about. Ub...grunt, man no articulate, go eat food now. -Bryan Klux Klan, a group of terror ists stationed right here in the US, incorporates the flag into their secret meetings and mali cious late-night rendezvous. Some argue the Confederacy caimot be grouped with Nazis, in disagreement to Mr. Mfume, saying such a thing would be going to the extreme. However, most people have heard of the atrocities against blacks, immigrants. Catholics, Jews, gays, and interracial families in the name of groups who perpetuate the legacy of the Confederate flag. Many African Americans cannot shake off the hate sur rounding the flag, even when confronted by individuals or groups that swear raeism is not a part of their agenda. "Heritage, not Hate," a trade mark statement used by those in support of the flag, is a key argument for those who want to see the flag flying high, especially in Mississippi and South Carolina where contro versy surrounds the crossbars, which are part of the state flag. The Daughters of the Confederacy, for instance, insists that the flag isn't a sym bol of hatred, but a dedication to the soldiers who fought valiantly for the South. Feeling that ainiration to past relatives is more impor tant than being PC, these folks push aside sensitive race rela tions for relations with their ancestors. Instead of con demning their history as those of the opposition would sug- Robert Kandl, Hey “Butt", you’re an awesome roommate and I can't wait to room with you next year. Wove, Jamie Bone, Jenna I love you Almost As much as Your food I I ICII Bye from your flops Jen Gun, Please stop moving tiles. Enjoy the choco lates we sent to your home, the 4th stall. Love, The evil triplets gest, these people continue to wave the flags of defeated armies, establishing scholar ships and social clubs in the legacy of warmongers and men without conscience, and declaring to those who would listen that it's neither hatred nor exclusive nationalization that keeps the fires burning, but heritage and pride. If we can glorify Columbus for his sail across the ocean in the New World while disregarding his slaugh ter of America's indigenous societies upon arrival, how can we call ourselves an equal society without generating a slew of sarcastic grins about our own obvious transgres sions? The Confederate flag is a controversial symbol because it represents a group of people who advocated the enslavement of an entire race of people in the name of the Almighty Dollar. Should this symbol really be displayed so explicitly, integrated on flutter ing state flags, worn on the shirts of little children in pub lic school, advocated by liber als to solicit much-needed votes? The answer divides this country along racial, political, socio-economic, geographic, and even ancestral lines, leav ing one's conscience to be the only judge on the matter. For the majority, the Confederate flag carries a burden too heavy for the morals and too lofty a challenge for the mind to justi fy ifs display. ^Cafie jBooe, ^can V ver^ cueff spencf 'Oaleniine j ^ay off £y me onesie, sauuy? ST^flsaif us fo i£e isfanff if you £riny i£e rum. fBoue, Gaplain ^ac£ Sparrow Jessica '3£ompson, (11-02-03) Jfey £a £y, you are f£e fove of my fife! S03! fJfooe you! 'Jifways andforeoer. Soue, C/ric
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